Is 5 first-rounders worth a big name RFA – A historical perspective
Consider someone like Jerome Iginla or Jose Theodore. From a historical perspective is 5 first rounders too much to give up for this kind of player.I have researched some recent draft history of a few clubs who could possibly afford to even sign these players. I have not considered 2001 and 2002 first round picks as we really have no idea in most cases how they will turn out.
I cannot vouch for 100% accuracy, I may have missed a pick here or there, got a pick number wrong, or listed something out of order… please do not crucify me for this!
If your team is not here there are places you can find draft history for all teams… search the net, I am not posting links here 
Do we think it’s worth it? Here how some teams have fared. Bracketed numbers are the position they were selected overall
Chicago:
1997 (16) Ty Jones
1998 (8) Mark Bell
1999 (23) Steve McCarthy
2000 (10) Mikhail Yakoubov
2000 (11) Pavel Vorobiev
* They also took Clearly first round 1997 and Nabokov frist round 1995!
Colorado
1996 (25) Mikhail Kuleshov
1998 (12) Alex Tanguay
1998 (17) Martin Skoula
1998 (19) Robyn Regehr
2000 (14) Vaclav Nedorost
Dallas
1993 (9) Todd Harvey
1994 (20) Jason Botterill
1996 (5)Richard Jackman
1997 (25) Brenden Morrow
2000 (25) Steve Ott
* Jerome Iginla 11th in 1995 is not included
Detroit
1994 (23) Yan, Golubovsky
1995 (26) Maxim Kuznetsov
1996 (26) Jesse Wallin
1998 (25) Jiri Fischer
2000 (29) Niklas Kronwall
Los Angeles
1995 (3) Aki Berg
1997 (4) Olli Jokinen
1997 (15) Matt Zultek
1998 (21) Mathieu Biron
2000 (20) Alexander Frolov
New York Rangers
1994 (26) Dan Cloutier
1996 (22) Jeff Brown
1998 (7) Manny Malhotra
1999 (4) Pavel Brendl
1999 (9) Jamie Lundmark
Philadelphia
1995 (22) Brian Boucher
1996 (15) Dainius Zubrus
1998 (22) Simon Gagne
1999 (22) Maxime Oullet
2000 (28) Justin Williams
St. Louis
1989 (9) 1989 Jason Marshall
1996 (14)Reasoner
1998 (24) Christian Backman
1999 (17) Barret Jackman
2000 (30) Jeff Taffe
* Is it true they had that many years with no first rounders?
Toronto
1994 (16) Eric Fichaud
1995 (15) Jeff Ware
1998 (10) Nik Antropov
1999 (24) Luca Cereda
2000 (24) Brad Boyes
Seems to me If I was any one of those teams except maybe Colorado and Philadelphia my past drafting history suggest it IS worth it to give up 5 first rounders for Iginla. As a side note, Philaddelphia looks like the strongest drafting team!
