The five best NHL late round picks that turned into superstars

The NHL Entry Draft is a crucial event for all 32 teams. Scouts work tirelessly to identify talented players who can help their franchise win a Stanley Cup.

While the first few rounds receive the most attention, some of the league's most successful players were selected in the later rounds of the draft.

Some of the best players today, including Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, flew under the radar and developed into bona fide stars. Let's take a look at five of the best players selected after the fifth round of the draft.

The best five NHL players that were selected later in the NHL Entry Draft:

1) Henrik Lundqvist (Round 7, 2000)

Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in league history. The Swedish netminder was selected by the New York Rangers in the seventh round of the 2000 Draft. He went on to play 15 seasons for the franchise.

Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender in 2012 and led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014. He retired in 2021 with 459 wins and a .918 career save percentage.

2) Pavel Datsyuk (Round 6, 1998)

Pavel Datsyuk was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the sixth round of the 1998 Draft. He developed into one of the league's most dynamic forwards. Datsyuk won two Stanley Cups with Detroit and was a three-time Selke Trophy winner as the league's best defensive forward. He retired in 2020 with 918 points in 953 career games.

3) Tomas Vokoun (Round 9, 1994)

Tomas Vokoun was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Draft. The Czech goaltender played for several teams during his 15-year career, including the Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Vokoun was a two-time All-Star and finished his career with a save percentage of .917.

4) Henrik Zetterberg (Round 7, 1999)

Henrik Zetterberg was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Draft. He became one of the most important players in the franchise's history.

The Swedish forward won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player and helped Detroit win a Stanley Cup in 2008. Zetterberg finished his career with 960 points in 1,082 career games.

5) Luc Robitaille (Round 9, 1984)

Luc Robitaille was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft and went on to become one of the league's most prolific goal scorers. Robitaille scored 668 goals during his career, which ranks 12th all-time. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1987 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.