<p>Which are the greatest NHL draft classes ever? Some years gave us multiple all-time superstars. Others yielded incredible depth and dozens of long, productive NHL careers. In naming my top five classes, I searched for the years that gave us the best combinations of star power&nbsp;and&nbsp;depth.</p>



<p>I lied. I’ve named six classes. I couldn’t bring myself to cut any of my top six and make it a top five. Each of the classes is simply that good. With that, let’s continue the series with No. 4: the 2015 Draft.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-4-the-2015-draft">No. 4: The 2015 Draft</h2>



<p></p>



<p><strong>Why it’s No. 4:</strong>&nbsp;Gave us the greatest talent of a generation in Connor McDavid, plus several other superstars who could become Hall of Famers someday and truly incredible depth.</p>



<p><strong>Top scorer:</strong>&nbsp;Connor McDavid, 850 points (569 games)<br><strong>Hall of Famers:</strong>&nbsp;No eligible players yet (projected: Connor McDavid, Mikko Rantanen, Mitch Marner)<br><strong>Other notables</strong>:&nbsp;Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Sebastian Aho, Zach Werenski, Mathew Barzal, Roope Hintz, Timo Meier, Ivan Provorov, Brock Boeser, Joel Eriksson Ek, Thomas Chabot, Travis Konecny, Noah Hanifin, Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha, Dylan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Rasmus Andersson, Andrew Mangiapane, Erik Cernak</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="181"></div>



<p>The hype was feverish for the 2015 Draft Class more than a year out. Connor McDavid grew up in the social media era. Footage of his junior exploits was accessible even when he was in his early teens. He was hyped as Sidney Crosby’s generational talent successor and earned exceptional status to play in the OHL at 15. The 2015 Draft Lottery was a true event; when the Edmonton Oilers won it and secured their fourth first-overall pick in a six-year span, it was understood that they’d get a difference-maker.</p>



<p>Yet somehow, McDavid was…undersold? In terms of pure talent regardless of era, he might physically be the greatest hockey player in human history to date, maybe the fastest skater of all-time or, at least, the fastest with the puck on his stick. By 26 years old, he has already won five scoring titles, more than every player other than Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux. McDavid has a real chance to become the second 2,000-point scorer ever.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="168"></div>



<p>He alone makes the 2015 NHL Draft Class special. But it had so much more than McDavid to offer. Jack Eichel had so much buzz as a No. 2 pick that he was perceived as a talent that would’ve gone first overall in the previous several drafts. There was the silky-handed Mitch Marner: blueline horses Noah Hanifin, Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski; and the big, rangy scorer Mikko Rantanen.</p>



<p>As Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen remembers it, there was a buzz around 2015 for sure, a sense that there was an incredible amount of talent on the table. And the sheer number of top-end choices actually impacted the decision to pick Werenski at No. 8.</p>



<p>“We really wanted to get a defenseman, but we always go with the best player available, so we wanted to make sure that if we have two players very close, that then we could choose based on the position that we feel is more of a need for our depth chart,” he said. “It needs to be very, very close in our rankings, so if there was a winger that was clearly ahead of Zach we would’ve taken a winger.”</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="196"></div>



<p>Because there were so many attractive options at No. 8, the Jackets went for position and secured a franchise pillar in Werenski. Of course, they would’ve made out fine with a dozen other possible picks, most notably Rantanen, who has quietly become one of the premier right wingers of this era.</p>



<p>At the 2015 podium, teams simply…couldn’t…miss. The back half of the first round yielded bona fide first-line NHL talents, from Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal to sniper Brock Boeser. Fabulous Finns Sebastian Aho and Roope Hintz were mined from the second round. Superstar Kirill Kaprizov? Fifth round. An impressive 51.7 percent of the 2015 Draft Class has gone on to play in the NHL.</p>



<p>One team that might remember 2015 differently, of course, is the Boston Bruins. Armed with the 13<sup>th</sup>, 14<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> overall picks in order, Don Sweeney picked Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk and Zach Senyshyn. The three picks immediately following: Barzal, Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot. Oh, what could have been…</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="164"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2015-top-five-picks">2015 top five picks</h3>



<p>1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers<br>2. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres<br>3. Dylan Strome, Arizona Coyotes<br>4. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs<br>5. Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2015-top-five-redrafted-actual-spot-in-brackets">2015 top five, redrafted (actual spot in brackets)</h3>



<p>1. Connor McDavid (1<sup>st</sup>)<br>2. Mikko Rantanen (10<sup>th</sup>)<br>3. Mitch Marner (4<sup>th</sup>)<br>4. Kirill Kaprizov (135<sup>th</sup>)<br>5. Sebastian Aho (35<sup>th</sup>)</p>



<p><strong>Previous entries in the Greatest Draft Classes series</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/greatest-nhl-drafts-of-all-time-5-class-of-1990-scores-two-legends-in-jagr-brodeur/">Greatest NHL Drafts of All-time: #5 – Class of 1990 scores two legends in Jagr, Brodeur</a><br><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/greatest-nhl-drafts-of-all-time-6-class-of-1988/">Greatest NHL Drafts of All-time: #6 –&nbsp;Modano, Mogilny, Selanne arrive in Class of 1988</a></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recently-by-matt-larkin">Recently by Matt Larkin</h2>



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