Does playing for a championship-calibre team increase a player’s stock heading into the NHL draft?  It may not be the only reason for a jump in rankings, but it would seem to be a contributing factor. 

The deeper your team goes in the playoffs, the more exposure you get – more scouts, more TV coverage and more opportunities to make an impression. 

Among teams that either won or reached the final of their respective leagues, there were a dozen players that were drafted at least one round sooner than projected.

Here’s a look at 6 of those players.  They all enter the upcoming season hoping to prove that drafting them earlier than expected was a good decision.