TORONTO -- The 2016 NHL Hall of Fame class is a fascinating one because it highlights the different paths players of that era took getting to the league. The most high-profile is Eric Lindros, whose arrival as the No. 1 overall pick in 1991 was hyped and built up as much as any in NHL history.

Then there was Sergei Makarov.

Makarov was the No. 231 overall pick by the Calgary Flames in 1983, selected in a round (No. 12) that no longer exists in an NHL draft.

“It was just a no-brainer,” said former Flames GM Cliff Fletcher, when we chatted about drafting Makarov. “Why not draft him? He’s one of the two or three greatest players in the world. Draft him. Leave him there. You never know: Someday we might be fortunate to get him.”

It took six years, but the Flames' gamble, as small as it was, paid off in a big way. Makarov, of course, came in and scored 54 goals in his first two seasons with the Flames.

Now those days are gone. Hall of Fame Russians aren’t being picked at the end of the draft, but it’s still possible that there’s value in selecting Russians.