Top 10 Drafts By New York City-Area Sports Teams Over The Past Decade
By Daniel Friedman
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In light of the recent success of young Met pitchers, and the recently-held NHL and NBA Entry Drafts, I thought it was appropriate to take a look at some of the best draft years NY sports teams have had in the past decade. Here we go:
10. Islanders (2014)
Whether or not they pan out remains to be seen. However, that the Islanders were able to snag both Michael Dal Colle (fifth overall) and Josh Ho-Sang (28th) in the first round was widely considered to be a major win at the 2014 NHL Draft.
9. Islanders (2011)
The Isles added two significant pieces to their cupboard: Ryan Strome (fifth overall) and defenseman Scott Mayfield (34th), who was considered a first round-caliber talent that slipped to the second round.
8. Rangers (2008)
Two of the three notable names taken by the Rangers in this draft are no longer with the team, but each has carved out a role in the NHL. Derek Stepan (second round, 51st overall) is the Blueshirts' No. 1 center, and they were able to turn Michael Del Zotto (20th) into Keven Klein, who's made an impact in NYC after struggling in Nashville. Dale Weise (111th) has turned out to be a solid role player as well.
7. Islanders (2008)
Three players taken by the Islanders in this draft are already roster mainstays, and a fourth is finally coming over from Russia to try and make his mark. Josh Bailey (ninth overall), Travis Hamonic (53rd), Kirill Petrov (73rd) and Matt Martin (148th) were all chosen by New York. Matt Donovan (96th) didn't quite find a way to translate his immense AHL success to NHL production while with the Isles, but he's still young. Kevin Poulin (126th) is a talented but inconsistent goaltender.
6. Jets (2011)
Muhammad Wilkerson (30th overall) and Jeremy Kerley (153rd) were both drafted by the Jets in 2011, and both have been significant parts of the team, albeit one that's still having trouble forging its own identity.
5. Jets (2007)
After picking the kid who would become the NFL's best cornerback at No. 14 (Darrelle Revis), the Jets also wound up with a quality linebacker in David Harris (47th).
4. Giants (2005)
It's hard to ignore the fact that the Giants found three key pieces in this draft, all of which would help them win two Super Bowls. Corey Webster (43rd overall), Justin Tuck (74th) and Brandon Jacobs (110th) all played major roles for Big Blue.
3. Islanders (2009)
The Isles could've called it a day after their top pick and still had an extremely successful draft. After all, they took John Tavares with the first overall selection and immediately had a special player in their goody bag. But they didn't stop there, trading for another first round pick they used to select Calvin de Haan (12th), then adding Casey Cizikas (92nd) and Anders Lee (152nd). Lee, a sixth-round pick, broke out with a 25-goal rookie season in 2014-15.
2. Jets (2006)
Anytime you can add two future Pro Bowlers in one draft, that's an astounding achievement. Indeed, that's what the Jets did in 2006, taking D'Brickashaw Ferguson at No. 4 and Nick Mangold with the 29th pick. Brad Smith (103rd) and Leon Washington (117th) were also selected later on.
1. Mets (2010)
For all of the draft successes above, nothing can touch what the Mets were able to accomplish in 2010. Adding a pair of Pro Bowl offensive linemen is one thing, but adding two Cy Young-caliber pitchers is another thing entirely. Matt Harvey (seventh overall) and Jacob deGrom (272nd) were both drafted by the organization and, in theory, should eventually make the Mets a powerhouse. If only there was any power at the plate.
