Much has been made about how the Chicago Blackhawks built a Stanley Cup champion through the draft. But it wasn't just their commitment to this philosophy -- it was their ability to find players who performed above slot value.
Of the players on the Blackhawks' championship roster, 10 of them are Hawks' draftees -- and all 10 have performed better than their expected slot value in the NHL.
While they haven't found diamonds in the rough like the Detroit Red Wings, the Hawks have found significant pieces of their core in all parts of the draft. And also unlike the Wings, their biggest successes have come from prospects in the North Americas.
That said, we ranked these 10 players according to their value, relative to their draft slots. Here's the list:
To see the 10 homegrown players, ranked in order of their draft value, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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Grant Sonier
Grant Sonier has scouted for six NHL organizations over the past 13 years, most recently for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2010-11 season. He is a special contributor to ESPN Insider.
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Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash has served as a Fantasy Hockey columnist for ESPN.com since 2007, and contributor to NHL Rumor Central since 2010. She lives in Toronto.
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