Looking Back at the 2016 NHL Draft: What Are The Top 5 Picks Up To Now?
- Mayline Ruiz
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
San Jose, CA. — With the 2025 NHL Draft coming up, it’s interesting to see all of the different talents that will be getting recognition. While it’s essential to look ahead to the future, we should also take a moment to reflect on the players who were once among the top prospects. Let’s take a look at the top 5 2016 NHL Draft picks!
Auston Matthews
Starting with the 1st pick in the 1st round is Auston Matthews. Since getting drafted, he has played in 629 games, where he has averaged 401 goals, 326 assists, and has garnered over 700 points. Auston Matthews has played a crucial role in the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs by playing in critical games such as the NHL playoffs. In the NHL Playoffs, he played 13 games where he obtained 11 points, totaling 3 goals and 8 assists. With his contract running through until the 2027-28 season, it’ll be exciting to see how much he continues to grow.
Patrik Laine
Following Matthews, the 2nd pick was Patrik Laine, who was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets. While he has an impressive track record, he has bounced around from different teams. Laine has played 532 games, averaging 421 points with 224 goals and 197 assists. He began his career with the Winnipeg Jets and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets before getting traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2024. When separating each team Laine has played for, he played in 306 games, totaling 250 points with 140 goals and 110 assists with the Winnipeg Jets. In his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he garnered 138 points with 64 goals and 74 assists in 174 games played. Most recently, during his time with the Montreal Canadiens, he played in 52 games, where he had 33 points from scoring 20 goals and assisting in 13 goals. For the most part, Laine has remained consistent in the games he’s played as well as the points he’s gathered. It will be interesting to see how he continues his career with the Canadiens as his contract ends in 2 years.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
With the 3rd pick, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois started with the Blue Jackets, where he spent 4 years before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. During his time with the Blue Jackets, he garnered 113 points, where he played 239 games, obtaining 66 goals and 93 assists. While playing with the Blue Jackets, he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets, where he scored 63 goals and got 80 assists in 195 games played, gathering 143 points. A fun fact is that Dubois was traded in 2021 to Winnipeg for Patrick Laine and Jack Roslovic. Looking back, it was a shocking trade considering the teams swapped their rising stars. Following his time with the Jets, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and in his 82 games, he got 40 points, which were obtained from 16 goals and 24 assists. It wasn’t until 2024 when Dubois got traded to the Washington Capitals, where he played in 82 games, averaging 20 goals and 46 assists, totaling 66 points. It’s also worth mentioning that he has played with notable players such as Johnny Gaudreau and Alexander Ovechkin. With Dubois’s contract extending to the 2030-31 season, there will be numerous times when he will get to play on the biggest stage.
Jesse Puljujärvi
Moving on to the 4th overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers picked Jesse Puljujärvi. Puljujärvi has played with notable teams such as the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Florida Panthers. In his NHL career, he has played in 387 games, where he has 128 points. These points reside with his 58 goals and 70 assists. While he has played consistently for almost 10 years in the NHL, he has also played in the American Hockey League. In his AHL career, he has 62 points with 25 goals and 37 assists in the 92 games that he’s played. This season, he signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers, where he played 5 games and scored 1 goal. The remaining part of the season he played with the Charlotte Checkers, where he played in 22 games, gathering 13 points from 8 assists and 5 goals. It will be interesting to see where he signs this upcoming off-season.
Olli Juolevi
The Vancouver Canucks drafted Olli Juolevi as the 5th overall pick. Juolevi didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2020-21 season. Juolevi played in 23 games in his first year, where he only collected 3 points with 2 goals and 1 assist. He then played with the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season, where he played 10 games, yet he didn't gather any points. In that same season, the Detroit Red Wings claimed Juolevi off waivers, and he played with them for 8 games with no goals or assists. He then made an appearance with the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate team for the Anaheim Ducks, during the 2022-23 season, where he played in 38 games, scoring 1 goal and assisting 13 goals, for a total of 14 points. After that season, he went to the Finnish Liiga, where he played for Timrå IK and Tappara. With his time with Timrå IK during the 2023-24 season, he played in 9 games where he scored 1 goal. He then started to play with Tappara in that same season, where he obtained 6 points in 40 games, scoring 2 goals and assisting in 4 goals. This season, he played in 9 games, where he had 2 assists and 1 goal, with a total of 3 points. Even though Olli Juolevi hasn’t played in the NHL for a while, it will still be exciting to see how he plays in the Finnish Liiga and if he will make his return to the NHL.
These first-round picks of the 2016 NHL Draft have had very different careers, but that’s what makes them so unique. With the upcoming draft, it will be fun to see where they will end up and what their future will look like! What do you think?
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