Mining for Undrafted Gold

The 2016 NHL Draft is this weekend, and there will be a number of players who will hear their name called. However, not all players eligible for the draft will be called, and as is the case every year, there will be a few of those undrafted players that slip through the cracks and get picked up by an NHL team that does their homework. So, to that end, let's run through some of the most notable players to have never been drafted and their impact on the NHL.

Ed Belfour: His picture was the first thing that came up, so it's only natural to talk about him first. Undrafted coming out of North Dakota, he signed with Chicago after the 1986-87 season, and all he did was win the Calder Trophy in 1991, win the Vezina Trophy the first two out of the three years of his career, win a Stanley Cup in 1999, and end up third on the all-time wins list. Oh, and his mask is one of the most recognizable pieces of headgear in hockey history.

Martin St. Louis: Undrafted coming out of Vermont University, he signed with Calgary in 1998, but made little impact there. For a buck and a song, the Tampa Bay Lightning came calling in 2000, where he proceeded to rewrite the record books there, winning an Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and the Stanley Cup in what was considered a banner year for him in 2004. He would later go on to win three Lady Byng Trophies and a gold medal in 2014 with Team Canada. Not bad for a guy considered too small to play.

Tyler Johnson: Like St. Louis, he had size concerns that scared off teams. However, Johnson did have credentials coming into the NHL, as he helped Spokane of the WHL win the Ed Chynoweth and Memorial Cup trophies in 2008. After signing with the Lightning in 2011, he made the All-Rookie team in 2014 and was an integral part of the Lightning team that made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015. He figures to be another success story for the Lightning's ability to find talent under 6-foot.

Adam Oates: Undrafted coming out of RPI, Oates found a great deal of success with multiple teams after originally signing with Detroit in 1985. His greatest successes were feeding Brett Hull in St. Louis and Cam Neeely in Boston, with the former stop seeing Hull net an 86-goal season with Oates as his set-up man. Despite never winning a trophy, Oates was a premier set-up man who was annually in the discussion for the Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player.

Dino Ciccarelli: One of the more underappreciated players on this list, he was signed by the Minnesota North Stars in 1979, but played another year in London for the Knights. He netted two 50-goal seasons with the North Stars, and would go on to net the most goals of any undrafted player. He made the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Borje Salming: There was once a time where European players were not looked upon in the NHL Draft, and Salming was a prime example of a team's scouts doing due dilligence. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed in 1973, He would go on to become one of the best Maple Leaf players in the Howard Ballard-era, providing one of the few bright spots on some of the more dismal Leafs teams of the 70's and 80's. He made the Hall of Fame in 1996 and would pave the way for the likes of future Maple Leaf legend Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg to make their marks in the NHL.

There are many more players who have made an impact such as Mark Giordano, Josh Gorges, Dan Boyle, and Joe Mullen. However, quite possibly the greatest player in the NHL was never drafted. Wayne Gretzky was actually signed to a professional contract by Indianapolis of the WHA, but was sold to Edmonton when they were in the WHA. When the Oilers made the jump to the NHL, he was on the protected list, and thus allowed to begin his NHL career with them.