2019 NHL Draft Re-Draft: How the Top 10 Looks Seven Years Later
By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | August 20, 2026
Story Summary
Re-running the top 10 from the 2019 NHL Draft with the benefit of hindsight produces several major changes but leaves Jack Hughes at the head of the class.
Cole Caufield rises from his original No. 15 selection to Detroit at No. 6, Moritz Seider moves up to Chicago at No. 3, while Thomas Harley climbs into the top four. Bowen Byram remains a top-10 player but moves down from his original No. 4 selection to No. 8.
The exercise shows how proven NHL scoring, defensive impact and long-term development would have changed several franchise-defining decisions.
Key Facts
- No. 1, New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes, centre. Original pick: Jack Hughes.
- No. 2, New York Rangers: Matt Boldy, left wing. Original pick: Kaapo Kakko.
- No. 3, Chicago Blackhawks: Moritz Seider, defenceman. Original pick: Kirby Dach.
- No. 4, Colorado Avalanche: Thomas Harley, defenceman. Original pick: Bowen Byram.
- No. 5, Los Angeles Kings: Pavel Dorofeyev, left wing. Original pick: Alex Turcotte.
- No. 6, Detroit Red Wings: Cole Caufield, right wing. Original Detroit pick: Moritz Seider. Caufield was actually selected No. 15 overall by Montreal in 2019, meaning this re-draft moves him nine positions higher.
- No. 7, Buffalo Sabres: Jackson LaCombe, defenceman. Original pick: Dylan Cozens.
- No. 8, Edmonton Oilers: Bowen Byram, defenceman. Original pick: Philip Broberg. Byram was originally selected No. 4 overall by Colorado and moves down to No. 8 in this exercise.
- No. 9, Anaheim Ducks: Dylan Cozens, centre. Original pick: Trevor Zegras.
- No. 10, Vancouver Canucks: Trevor Zegras, left wing. Original pick: Vasili Podkolzin.
IHM Discussion
The re-draft exercise shows how dramatically several years of NHL evidence can change the value attached to a draft class.
Jack Hughes remaining at No. 1 is the easiest decision. New Jersey still receives the franchise centre around whom the rest of the roster can be constructed.
Detroit taking Cole Caufield at No. 6 is one of the most significant changes. Caufield was originally selected 15th overall by Montreal, so hindsight moves him nine positions higher rather than lower.
His proven ability to score goals at NHL level changes the calculation that surrounded him on draft night. Concerns about his 5-foot-8 frame contributed to his original slide, but years of production have provided evidence that his finishing ability outweighs those concerns.
The defensive reshuffle is equally interesting.
Moritz Seider moves from Detroit’s original No. 6 position to Chicago at No. 3, giving the Blackhawks a high-minute No. 1 defenceman.
Thomas Harley climbs into the top four at No. 4.
Bowen Byram moves in the opposite direction. Colorado originally selected him fourth overall, while this exercise places him eighth with Edmonton. He remains a valuable top-10 player, but hindsight changes his position relative to several players who developed into larger NHL roles.
Matt Boldy and Pavel Dorofeyev are two other significant risers among the forwards. Their established NHL production gives the Rangers and Kings alternatives that would substantially change the construction of those franchises.
Why It Matters
A re-draft is not simply an exercise in ranking players. It demonstrates how one decision near the top of a draft can influence an organisation for years.
Keeping Hughes at No. 1 preserves New Jersey’s franchise-centre foundation.
Moving Seider to Chicago gives the Blackhawks a defensive cornerstone.
Detroit choosing Caufield instead of Seider would create an entirely different roster identity, exchanging a foundational defenceman for one of the strongest goal scorers produced by the class.
Caufield is also one of the clearest examples of how draft projection can differ from eventual NHL value. He does not fall to No. 6 in this exercise. He rises from No. 15 to No. 6.
The defensive movement tells a similar story. Harley rises into the top four, Seider rises to No. 3, while Byram remains highly regarded but moves from his original No. 4 position to No. 8.
Draft position measures projection on one day. A re-draft measures what happened after development, opportunity and NHL performance supplied years of additional evidence.
Mini Q&A
Who remains the No. 1 pick?
Jack Hughes stays with New Jersey at No. 1 and remains the franchise centre of the 2019 class.
Where does Cole Caufield land?
Cole Caufield moves to Detroit at No. 6.
He was originally selected No. 15 overall by Montreal, meaning he rises nine positions in this re-draft.
What is Chicago’s biggest gain?
Chicago selects Moritz Seider at No. 3, adding a high-minute defenceman capable of anchoring the blue line.
Which defencemen move the most?
Moritz Seider rises from No. 6 to No. 3, while Thomas Harley climbs into the top four.
Bowen Byram moves down from his original No. 4 selection to No. 8.
Which forwards make notable jumps?
Matt Boldy moves to the Rangers at No. 2, Pavel Dorofeyev climbs to No. 5 for Los Angeles and Cole Caufield makes one of the largest jumps by moving from his actual No. 15 selection to No. 6.
IHM Final View
The 2019 NHL Draft looks considerably different with seven years of hindsight.
Jack Hughes remains the cornerstone at No. 1, but much of the order behind him changes.
Moritz Seider rises into Chicago’s No. 3 position. Thomas Harley moves into the top four. Cole Caufield makes a major jump from his actual No. 15 selection to Detroit at No. 6.
Bowen Byram remains inside the top 10 but moves from the No. 4 position where Colorado originally selected him to No. 8.
The exercise does not rewrite history. It demonstrates why draft evaluation continues long after draft night: projection starts the process, but development and NHL production eventually provide the evidence.