The entry draft will take place at the United Center in Chicago on Friday and Saturday. This year's draft class doesn't have the fanfare of the previous two seasons thanks to the lack of superstar prospects like Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews at the very top of the class. But there could be sleepers lurking in the later rounds. Will this year's draft reveal a diamond in the rough like Jamie Benn or Braden Holtby?
ESPN.com looked back at the best and worst picks by each franchise over the past 10 drafts.
Anaheim Ducks
Best Pick: Cam Fowler, Round 1, Pick 12 in 2010
The Ducks offer plenty of steals to choose from -- such as Frederik Andersen in Round 3 in 2012, John Gibson in Round 2 in 2011 and Sami Vatanen in Round 4 in 2009 -- but Fowler slipped down the draft board to No. 12 and then developed into Anaheim's No. 1 defenseman.
Worst Pick: Logan McMillan, Round 1, Pick 19 in 2007
McMillan never played an NHL game, despite being taken ahead of future Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, All-Star Wayne Simmonds, Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban and scoring champion Jamie Benn.
Arizona Coyotes
Best Pick: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Round 1, Pick 6 in 2009
Ekman-Larsson emerged during the Coyotes' run to the conference finals in 2012 and then had back-to-back 20-goal seasons. The defenseman has been a bright spot during a dark era for the franchise, averaging 45 points over the past four seasons.
Worst Pick: By committee
The Coyotes have had 15 first-round picks in the past 10 drafts, and 11 of them have played fewer than 150 NHL games. Three first-rounders taken between 2007 and 2012 played three or fewer games.
Boston Bruins
Best Pick: Tyler Seguin, Round 1, Pick 2 in 2010
As a rookie, Seguin contributed to the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship. While he has turned into the best player to come out of his draft, the Bruins' decision to deal him to the Dallas Stars after losing in the Final in 2013 was a setback for the franchise.
Worst Pick: Zach Hamill, Round 1, Pick 8 in 2007
Hamill played 20 nonconsecutive NHL games and went on to have an unremarkable career in Europe. Eight All-Stars were selected later than him in the same draft.
Buffalo Sabres
Best Pick: Jack Eichel, Round 1, Pick 2 in 2015
Eichel has been a beacon of promise for a wayward Sabres organization, offering them the hope of a cornerstone center who might lead a renaissance in upstate New York.
Worst Pick: Nikita Zadorov, Round 1, Pick 16 in 2013.
Ostensibly, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Zadorov had ideal size for an NHL defenseman and loads of offensive upside, but he has been a marginal contributor and has a career minus-48.
Calgary Flames
Best Pick: Johnny Gaudreau, Round 4, Pick 104 in 2011
Gaudreau, who was list at 5-foot-6 before the draft, was one of the smallest prospects in recent memory. The Flames wisely invested in him anyway. He went on to have a magnificent career at Boston College, including averaging two points per game as a junior and winning the Hobey Baker Award in 2014. Gaudreau has scored 204 points in 232 career NHL games, the best per-game average of any player to come out of the 2011 draft.
Worst Pick: Tim Erixon, Round 1, Pick 23 in 2009
Erixon intrigued scouts but ultimately he is more known for being a peripheral part of two big trades -- one that sent Rick Nash to the New York Rangers and another that sent Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Carolina Hurricanes
Best Pick: Justin Faulk, Round 2, Pick 37 in 2010
The 2010 draft was a banner one for the Canes, as they added future Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner at No. 7 overall and a rangy, mobile and smooth No. 1 defenseman in Faulk with their second-round pick.
Worst Pick: Philippe Paradis, Round 1, Pick 27 in 2009
A power-forward prospect from Quebec, this first-rounder never played an NHL game. His selfless style of play left him with no shortage of injuries and he now finds even his career in the minors in jeopardy.
Chicago Blackhawks
Best Pick: Patrick Kane, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2007
Kane, a consensus No. 1, has delivered on the hype by winning an Art Ross Trophy and three Stanley Cups. An honorable mention goes to linemate Artemi Panarin, a copious scorer who was an undrafted free agent.
Worst Pick: Kyle Beach, Round 1, Pick 11 in 2008
Beach was a promising power-forward prospect who became the only Hawks first-rounder in the past decade not to play in an NHL game, though Mark McNeill (who was taken 18th overall in the 2011 draft) played in only two. Beach has carved out a niche playing in Austria.
Colorado Avalanche
Best Pick: Tyson Barrie, Round 3, Pick 64 in 2009
The Avs have had some success high in the draft, but nabbing Barrie, their No. 1 defenseman, with a third-rounder was especially shrewd. His 191 career points are the most of any player drafted in Rounds 3 through 7 that year other than Craig Smith, a forward who has played nearly 100 more games.
Worst Pick: Duncan Siemens, Round 1, Pick 11 in 2011
Siemens' career has culminated in little that would warrant his high draft position. The defenseman has played in only three NHL games and had limited impact in the minors.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Best Pick: Cam Atkinson, Round 6, Pick 157 in 2008
What Atkinson lacked in size, he more than made up for in skill, but that might not have been evident, given that he was passed over during his first draft year and nearly again in his second. The All-Star winger's speed, spark and skill spearheaded the Jackets' fantastic first half last season.
Worst Pick: Nikita Filatov, Round 1, Pick 6 in 2008
Filatov was a tantalizing prospect who managed to shake the "Russian roulette" stigma that damaged the draft standing of some other Russian prospects of the era. Ultimately the left winger played only 53 NHL games and went back home to the KHL, where his play was equally tepid.
Dallas Stars
Best Pick: Jamie Benn, Round 5, Pick 129 in 2007
Overlooked in part because he played in a lower-tier junior league, Benn would fall to the Stars after 128 other players were selected. He would go on to win an Art Ross Trophy and outscore every pick in the 2007 draft except for Kane, the No. 1 overall selection. The Dallas captain's remarkable blend of size, explosiveness and hands make him a player who can provide both voluminous and timely scoring.
Worst Pick: Scott Glennie, round 1, Pick 8 in 2009
In what turned out to be a top-heavy, somewhat underwhelming draft, Glennie was the highest selection among several disappointing pros. His junior career with Brandon of the WHL showed promise, but Glennie has played just one NHL game and meandered through the AHL ranks.
Detroit Red Wings
Best Pick: Gustav Nyquist, Round 4, Pick 121 in 2008
Nyquist proved to be a rare goal scorer who was discovered in the later rounds. Coming off a decade of remarkable drafting, the Red Wings have been hard-pressed to meet their own high standards, but players such as Nyquist, Tomas Tatar (taken 60th overall in 2009) and Dylan Larkin (15th overall in 2014) have contributed in Detroit.
Worst Pick: Thomas McCollum, Round 1, Pick 30 in 2008
The Wings had just won the Stanley Cup and had designs on a repeat, but they knew that goaltending was a sore need in terms of organizational depth and for the future. McCollum was the second goalie taken, well ahead of future St. Louis Blues starter Jake Allen and future Vezina winner Braden Holtby. McCollum has played only three NHL games and never established himself firmly at the AHL level.
Edmonton Oilers
Best Pick: Connor McDavid, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2015
While there was no suspense or dissension that McDavid would go No. 1, it's impossible to overlook the impact of a player his caliber on a franchise. McDavid seemed to whip all levels of the organization into shape instantly as he triggered a top-to-bottom restructuring of the Oilers. Last season, the 20-year-old led the league in scoring, led the Oilers to their first playoff berth since 2006 and won the Hart Trophy.
Worst Pick: Nail Yakupov, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2012
While 120 points in 292 career games might not seem like the numbers of a bust, they are also not the production one expects from a No. 1 overall pick. Like Magnus Paajarvi, another Oilers disappointment who was taken at No. 10 overall in 2009, Yakupov was moved to St. Louis, where his production only worsened.
Florida Panthers
Best Pick: Aaron Ekblad, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2014
The Panthers have had few notable later-round selections but have rounded out their roster with plenty of top picks. Ekblad, 21, is a prototypical No. 1 defenseman in the making, with uncommon physical maturity in addition to what is already a near-complete skill set.
Worst Pick: Erik Gudbranson, Round 1, Pick 3 in 2010
Gudbranson -- like another Panthers letdown, Keaton Ellerby -- was a high pick who was expected to become a stalwart defensive defenseman while rounding out his offensive capability. Neither really happened, as he has compiled just 49 points in 339 games while posting a negative plus/minus every season of his career.
Los Angeles Kings
Best Pick: Wayne Simmonds, Round 2, Pick 61 in 2007
It would be easy to recognize franchise cornerstone Drew Doughty, second-rounder Tyler Toffoli or fourth-rounder Alec Martinez here, but Simmonds was a true gem. Many thought he was a reach as a late second-rounder, but he has developed into a textbook power forward, capable of providing scoring, checking, grit, fighting and a superlative net-front presence.
Worst Pick: Thomas Hickey, Round 1, Pick 4 in 2007
Hickey had tremendous pedigree, between his play in the WHL and with Canada's junior national team, but in the end he was a common pro who was taken ahead of future No. 1 defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan McDonagh and Subban. Goalie Christopher Gibson -- who was selected with L.A.'s top pick in the 2011 draft despite the team's solid depth in goal -- was another puzzling choice. Gibson never played a game in the Kings' system.
Minnesota Wild
Best Pick: Mikael Granlund, Round 1, Pick 9 in 2010
Amid many steady performers, Granlund is the Wild pick with the strongest "wow" factor, notching 69 points last season thanks to his combination of an accurate shot, supple hands and explosive skating.
Worst Pick: Tyler Cuma, Round 1, Pick 23 in 2008
Neither physically imposing nor strikingly skilled, Cuma never really developed an identity at the pro level. He has played the past three seasons in Austria after logging a single game in the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens
Best Pick: P.K. Subban, Round 2, Pick 43 in 2007
Subban was a somewhat unheralded but supremely confident prospect. He would star for Canada in 2008 and 2009 at the World Juniors and then make a splash in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2010. The defenseman would also quickly capture both a Norris Trophy and the hearts of Habs fans.
Worst Pick: Louis Leblanc, Round 1, Pick 18 in 2009
Leblanc was pegged as a prolific scorer for the Habs but ultimately scored only 10 points in 50 games. He played in the AHL and three European leagues but never came close to sticking anywhere and ultimately retired in 2016.
Nashville Predators
Best Pick: Viktor Arvidsson, Round 4, Pick 112 in 2014
Although Roman Josi as a second-rounder (in 2008), Mattias Ekholm as a fourth-rounder (2009) and even Seth Jones at fourth overall in 2013 were superb values, it's tough to compete with Arvidsson. After he was passed over in three previous drafts, the Preds snagged the Swede late -- and were rewarded as he turned into a first-line, tempo-creating winger and 30-goal scorer.
Worst Pick: Chet Pickard, Round 1, Pick 18, 2008
Pickard was the first goalie taken in a draft that featured Holtby, Allen and some serviceable backups as well. Pickard never played an NHL game, nor did he excel at the AHL or ECHL levels. He now plays in Germany.
New Jersey Devils
Best Pick: Adam Henrique, Round 3, Pick 82 in 2008
Henrique has scored 231 points for the Devils, leading all their picks of the past decade by a wide margin. He also contributed two series-clinching goals during New Jersey's run to the 2012 Final.
Worst Pick: Stefan Matteau, Round 1, Pick 29 in 2012
Matteau symbolizes the Devils' draft struggles. Although he isn't an outright bust, he is one in a string of many replaceable players on whom New Jersey has spent high picks. In the Devils' defense, the best players behind him were third-round sleepers Andersen and Shayne Gostisbehere.
New York Islanders
Best Pick: John Tavares, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2009
The Isles landed a true franchise center in Tavares, who has been the fulcrum of any success they have enjoyed since 2007. Today, the future of the franchise hinges on whether Tavares, who will become an unrestricted free agent in 2018, decides to re-sign with the Isles or not.
Worst Pick: Griffin Reinhart, Round 1, Pick 4 in 2012
Reinhart was a player whose appeal was found in his well-roundedness -- he was tall with a frame that projected big, decent skating, solid positioning and raw offensive ability. Ultimately he did not excel in any one area of the game, and his value sunk like a stone.
New York Rangers
Best Pick: Derek Stepan, Round 2, Pick 51 in 2008
Stepan ranks third among 2008 draftees in goals and fifth in points -- an impressive feat considering that the class also included Steven Stamkos, Doughty and Erik Karlsson. The 27-year-old center plays in all situations for the Blueshirts and has been a plus-player for seven consecutive seasons.
Worst Pick: Dylan McIlrath, Round 1, Pick 10, 2010
McIlrath earned a reputation as an imposing, nasty defender, a throwback to the clutch-and-grab era with perhaps enough mobility for the post-lockout NHL. He climbed up several charts near draft day but none higher than the Rangers' board. In five pro seasons, he has played only 43 NHL games.
Ottawa Senators
Best Pick: Erik Karlsson, Round 1, Pick 15 in 2008
Although he was a relatively high selection, six defensemen were taken ahead of Karlsson. He has since become a near-automatic Norris Trophy finalist and has won the award twice. Mike Hoffman (130th overall in 2009) and Jakob Silfverberg (39th in 2009) were among the Sens' fine finds, but Karlsson is on the very shortest list of the best players in the world today.
Worst Pick: Jared Cowen, Round 1, Pick 9 in 2009
The 6-foot-5, 238 pounder's size drew comparisons to former Senator and Norris winner Zdeno Chara. Cowen's career had a promising start, with a productive playoff in his final year of junior and a decent NHL debut. Yet, within five years, Cowen found himself unwanted and out of pro hockey.
Philadelphia Flyers
Best Pick: Shayne Gostisbehere, Round 3, Pick 78 in 2012
Since he was a relatively puny prospect, weighing in at around 150 pounds, and hailed from Florida, "Ghost" did not exactly jump off the page at scouts generally enamored with prototypical-sized defensemen from Western Canada. He was passed over in his first draft year. Yet Gostisbehere had a phenomenal, 46-point rookie season in 2015-16 and a productive, if somewhat inconsistent, follow-up this season.
Worst Pick: Kevin Marshall, Round 2, Pick 41 in 2007
The Flyers were a little light on draft picks overall and even lighter on outright busts. Marshall was a second-rounder who played all of 10 NHL games. After kicking around the minors, he has spent the past two seasons playing in Sweden.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Best Pick: Matt Murray, Round 3, Pick 83 in 2012
Despite having an entrenched starter and adequate organizational depth in goal, the Penguins invested a third-round pick in the unheralded Murray, who had a 4.08 goals against and .876 save percentage in the OHL in 2012. Four years after he was drafted, Murray would backstop Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup and repeat the feat this season, becoming the first rookie to start and win two Stanley Cup Finals.
Worst Pick: Derrick Pouliot, Round 1, Pick 8 in 2012
The principal return in the 2012 draft-day deal that sent Jordan Staal to the Hurricanes, Pouliot never established himself firmly as an NHL player despite the seemingly innumerable injuries to Penguins defensemen in recent years. He and junior teammate Joe Morrow, another Penguins' first-rounder, have been unable to gain firm footing in the league. Angelo Esposito earned a dishonorable mention -- the No. 20 overall pick in 2007 never played an NHL game.
San Jose Sharks
Best Pick: Logan Couture, Round 1, Pick 9 in 2007
Although their biggest steals -- such as snagging Joe Pavelski in the seventh round in 2003 -- are behind them, the Sharks have been solid in the draft. Couture developed into a versatile, two-way player for a team buoyed by its outstanding forwards.
Worst Pick: Nick Petrecki, Round 1, Pick 28 in 2007
Petricki was a hard-hitting, stay-at-home defenseman with plenty of edge to his game when he played for Boston College. The Sharks sought to add toughness but never got it from Petrecki, who played one NHL game.
St. Louis Blues
Best Pick: Vladimir Tarasenko, Round 1, Pick 16 in 2010
Tarasenko has steamrolled opposing defenses for 116 goals the past three seasons. He slipped to No. 16 in the forward-heavy draft of 2010 amid concern over his estimated arrival to North America. He proved well worth the wait for St. Louis, for whom he is now a franchise player.
Worst Pick: Phil McRae, Round 2, Pick 33 in 2008
A second-generation Blue -- he's the son of former winger Basil McRae -- McRae ended up playing 15 games and becoming a journeyman who bounced between the AHL and Finland's top pro league.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Best Pick: Nikita Kucherov, Round 2, Pick 58 in 2011
The Bolts have been perhaps the East's savviest drafters, with top picks Stamkos and Victor Hedman, a seventh-round steal in 2011 in Ondrej Palat and the undrafted Tyler Johnson. Kucherov put himself on the map with a dominant tournament showing -- 21 points in seven games at the under-18 World Championships -- and last year he netted a career-high 40 goals with Tampa.
Worst Pick: Brett Connolly, Round 1, Pick 6 in 2010
Eight of the top 10 picks in 2010 were forwards, and if not for a hip injury Connolly might have been in the running to be the first player taken. Rushed development, injuries and a difficult adjustment to the pros have made him a disappointment at the top level.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Best Pick: Auston Matthews, Round 1, Pick 1 in 2016
Along with Mitch Marner and William Nylander, Matthews leads a group of forwards that signals a potential renaissance in the once-despondent Toronto fan base. The 19-year-old scored 40 goals as a rookie in 2016-17 and won the 2017 Calder Trophy.
Worst Pick: Tyler Biggs, Round 1, Pick 22 in 2011
During the Brian Burke era of "truculence," the hulking Biggs was attractive to the Leafs despite his limited statistical production. He has yet to make his NHL debut, instead moving down the ranks and toiling primarily in the ECHL.
Vancouver Canucks
Best Pick: Bo Horvat, Round 1, Pick 9 in 2013
The Canucks have gone from laudable to lousy in recent drafts. Horvat has been one of the few bright spots, as he scored 52 points and represented Vancouver in the All-Star festivities in January.
Worst Pick: First-rounders by committee
Eight out of the Canucks' 11 first-round picks during the past decade have played fewer than 100 games and only Horvat has managed to (narrowly) average at least half a point per game.
Washington Capitals
Best Pick: Braden Holtby, Round 4, Pick 93 in 2008
The Caps offered plenty of shrewd selections to choose from, but stealing Holtby as a fourth-rounder nearly qualifies as criminal. He would go on to win the Vezina Trophy in 2016 and become only the third goaltender in NHL history to record at least 40 wins in three consecutive seasons.
Worst Pick: Anton Gustafsson, Round 1, Pick 21 in 2008
Gustafsson was ranked fifth among European skaters, but his performance belied the hype. He would play one game in the Caps' system -- in the AHL -- before going on to a forgettable career played between Switzerland and his native Sweden.
Winnipeg Jets
Best Pick: Patrik Laine, Round 1, Pick 2 in 2016
Laine arrived with an exceptional blend of size, strength, skill and speed for a fully developed player, let alone for a teenager. Jets fans might have been dispirited after a second consecutive playoff miss if not for Laine, who exploded for 36 goals and 64 points in 73 games.
Worst Pick: Lukas Sutter, Round 2, Pick 39 in 2012
Part of the sprawling, highly decorated Sutter clan, Lukas seemed to wilt under the pressure of his famous surname. Sutter had an intriguing draft year, but his play spiraled downward quickly and within two years he was out of the Jets' organization. His time with the Islanders -- who drafted him in Round 7, at No. 200 overall, in 2014 -- did not go any better.