Let's say, hypothetically, that every first round pick in the 00's decade was available in the same draft. Let's also say, hypothetically, that you're also aware of the career projection of each player. If you were to make a ranking of all the players in this draft, how would you list them?

There aren't any real guidelines on how you can rank the players, but keep in mind that the guys drafted earlier are at the end of their careers while the ones towards the end are in their prime still. You're allowed to assume the trajectory of guys like Stamkos and Tavares but that's entirely up to you.

As a reminder - these are the top 10 picks from the decade:

-Rick DiPietro
-Ilya Kovalchuk
-Rick Nash
-Marc-Andre Fleury
-Alexander Ovechkin
-Sidney Crosby
-Erik Johnson
-Patrick Kane
-Steven Stamkos
-John Tavares

ovechkin, crosby, kane, flower, kovalchuk the rest are all kinda the same then you get to like erik johnson vs rick dipietro for the last 2 spots.

For me it's

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin
3. Kane
4. Tavares
5. Fleury
6. Stamkos
7. Nash
8. Kovalchuk
9. Johnson
10. DiPietro

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin
3. Kane
4. Stamkos
5. Tavares
6. Fleury
7. Kovalchuk
8. Nash
9. Johnson
10. Lmao I'd trade my pick

1/2. Alex Ovechkin / Sidney Crosby
3. Patrick Kane
4. Steven Stamkos
5. Ilya Kovalchuk
6. John Tavares
7. Rick Nash
8. Marc-Andre Fleury
9. Erik Johnson
10. Rick DiPietro

1-6 are most likely HoFers.
Nash was a good player, but not a HoFer.
Fleury was an ok starter for most of his career until he got to Vegas. He’s good now, but his overall career isn’t that impressive.
Johnson is a 2nd pairing defenseman.
DiPietro... yeah he’s 10.

1) Crosby
2) Ovechkin
3) Kane
4) Stamkos
5) Tavares
6) Fleury
7) Nash
8) Kovalchuk
9) Johnson
10) DiPietro

Based on trajectories for all players still playing. 10 players separated by 4 echelons.

Echelon 1 - Generational talents - Among the greatest to ever play the game.
1) Crosby
2) Ovechkin

Echelon 2 - Sure thing HHOF's, great players but not echelon 1 great.
3) Kane
4) Fleury*

Echelon 3 - Probably HHOF's but not guaranteed because none have won cups so are not Echelon 2 good.
5) Stamkos
6) Kovalchuk

Echelon 4 - Probably won;t be HHOF's but are on the ballot - definite good players but not good enough for echelon 3.
7) Tavares**
8) Nash

Echelon 5 - No explanation needed.
9) Johnson
10) Dipietro


* People complaining about Fleury being too high on this list need to re-evaluate their ideas of comparing goaltenders vs players. Fleury is no Hasek or Roy or Brodeur for sure but based on his career thus far and trajectory in the next few seasons, he'll be 3rd behind Roy and Brodeur in wins, multiple cups, multiple SC finals appearances with tons of playoffs experience, equal statistically to players already in the HHOF, will be a first ballot HHOF'er, etc. Guys on this list 5-8 may not even make the HHOF for comparison.

** IMHO I feel like Tavares is being put too high on most people's list's. His stats are not nearly good enough. For those who disagree:

Stamkos: Multiple 90 point seasons, 60 goal season, 50 goal season, multiple 40 goal seasons. Trophy winner
Kovalchuk: Multiple 90 point seasons, Multiple 50 goals seasons, 40 goals etc trophy winner
Nash: Multiple 40 goal seasons, Trophy winner. I don't think he is "better" than Tavares so this one is more of a stretch than the previous two but take a look at Columbus's teams during the Nash years....... He'd have multiple 50 goal seasons playing on just about any other team in the league during that period. The best player Nash played with in Columbus during his tenure there was David Vyborny.

Tavares: (Still playing and still has time to have better seasons obviously but...) - One 40 goal season. A bunch of 80 point seasons. Nothing else really stands out but if we hold playing for the Isles against him, the same could be said about Kovalchuk and Nash who played on arguably worse teams than JT in NYI.

My rationale is that I'm being biased. I'd probably rearrange Tavares, Fleury, Nash and Stamkos in any order depending on the day.

Hopefully the HALL is not that liberal with #'s 1 thru 6...
Ovi-Crosby-Kane are locks the other 3 (Stammer, Kovi, JT) could be in based on international success perhaps...
Fleury has cups and intern. success so he may be higher than the 3 above ^ ^ ^
Nash (meh, maybe International resume squeaks him in too)...
Cheers