1 overalls rated by pre draft hype since 2004

[lawrence]

dhalin was a easy number 1 pick in 2018, although I thought he was overhyped a little. the Mcdavid of dmans? although that comment was more hfboards people talking, he was kinda overhyped and also the right call for number 1 pick.

Lafreniere in his defence, actually had the numbers to back it up of why he was the best Canadian since Mcdavid. the hype was there, the stats were also quite comparable too, although Mcdavid was a little higher,but he was surronded also by future NHLers, while Lafreniere didn't really have a cast of future NHL players.

either way, I think the top 10 pick in any draft is also crap shoot. We can make a list of bust top 10 picks and its a huge lost, trust me, (Juolevi, Puuljervi, long long list of players that completley bust as top 10 picks in fact it looks like every top 10 pick has like a 20% of of busting out.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Crosby had the most hype and Ovie had a ton of hype. Super promising young talents and we missed the 04/05 season because of the lockout so I think people were able to watch them more. I remember Tavares being talked about as the next great gamechanger as well. Not quite Crosby's level but from what I remember he was supposed to be something really special, I think he got as much hype as McDavid IIRC. Then there's Bedard who was recent enough for us to remember.

Crosby
Ovechkin
McDavid
Tavares
Bedard

 

[Russian_fanatic]

How I'm ranking it considering their hype level.

Tier 1 - Generational/GOAT
Crosby
McDavid

Tier 1.5 - Alltime potential/Very close to generational
Ovechkin
Bedard

Tier 2 - Best at their position
Dahlin

Tier 3 - Franchise players
Tavares
Stamkos
Matthews

Tier 4 - Perrenial allstars
Lafreniere
Mackinnon
Celebrini

Tier 5 - First liners/Top pairing
Johnson
Kane
Hall
RNH
Yakupov
Ekblad
Hischier
Hughes
Power
Slaf

Quoting myself. Been following the draft for a very long time.

Many of you are forgetting Ovechkin was getting compared to Lemieux as far as playstyle goes.

Dahlin was said to be the McDavid of defensemen.

Tavares hype really died down the older he got, but his hype went from generation to maybe top 5 at worst at his position at the NHL level.

Matthew's was getting hype for awhile as the next American great.

Stamkos could maybe be a notch lower, but he was getting Joe Sakic comparisons.

Lafreniere was getting a ton of hype. He was the clear cut #1

I don't really remember too much about the rest, and if they didn't go #1 it wouldn't have surprised me.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I just remember the Panthers drafting character at #3.

I just looked at that draft and I feel less bad that we drafted McIlrath. What a shitty draft with the exception of Tank, Fowler, and the top 2 guys. Was Gudbranson a worse pick than McIlrath? At least he was an NHLer, though I guess technically McIlrath is now (and on a good team). But he was #3 overall not #10.

One thing that really gets forgotten about because he went #2 - I'd put Jack Eichel's pre-draft hype probably right between Dahlin and Matthews on my list here.

Probably the most hyped #2 pick of this time period, right? Malkin's right there I guess, then the next hyped was Seguin?

Kakko was pretty hyped. I remember before we won the lottery Rangers fans posting how much they'd love a chance to get a guy like Kakko.

 

[cupface52]

How I'm ranking it considering their hype level.

Tier 1 - Generational/GOAT
Crosby
McDavid

Tier 1.5 - Alltime potential/Very close to generational
Ovechkin
Bedard

Tier 2 - Best at their position
Dahlin

Tier 3 - Franchise players
Tavares
Stamkos
Matthews

Tier 4 - Perrenial allstars
Lafreniere
Mackinnon
Celebrini

Tier 5 - First liners/Top pairing
Johnson
Kane
Hall
RNH
Yakupov
Ekblad
Hischier
Hughes
Power
Slaf

Favorite list here, though I'd likely put Stamkos and maybe even Matthews above Tavares. Tavares had borderline Crosby hype during his first two years of Junior, however that died down in his third and especially fourth years of Junior. Before the draft in '08, Bob Mackenzie asked pro scouts, and I believe 4/10 scouts would have picked Stamkos over Tavares had he been eligible for the draft(missed the cutoff date by a week or two).

Ovechkin hype was real, his floor, iirc, was seen as 40g/40a elite 2-way physical forward(in an era where 95 points wins you the Ross), while being the most NHL ready prospect since Lindros.

 

[Bouboumaster]

FAIL FOR NAIL!!!

 

[Frank Drebin]

FAIL FOR NAIL!!!

i was thinking of going through this list year by year but there are giant chunks where i really had no idea about the hype because Montreal was so far out of picking at 1

I remember 2005. Crosby was the biggest prospect since lindros
2012 - nail was highly regarded. Very highly. It was nail vs the rest, and the rumours of the ask being subban plus 3 oa for 1oa was representative of how much he was expected to be above the rest
2018- dahlin was touted as a generational d prospect and the best prospect since denis potvin (45 years earlier)
2022 was wright till about may but he really wasn’t hyped
2023 bedard was hyped as generational and the best prospect since mcdavid

I remember a lot of hype around laf too

 

[kerrabria]

I only started paying attention in 2009, so I'll rank from there.

1) McDavid - Expected to become the best player in the league within a few years.
2) Dahlin - Unanimously considered the greatest dman prospect ever and was expected to be a perennial Norris finalist.
3) Bedard - The Canadian media hyped him as a franchise 1C who would spend his career at the top of the NHL's points and goals leaderboard. But because of his size, people thought this would take a few years.
4) Matthews - Seen as a franchise 1C with a very unique skillset and physical tools.
5) Lafreniere - The hype died down with each year, but he was originally seen as a generational talent and one of the best winger prospects ever. By draft day most thought he'd be an elite power forward.
6) Tavares - Seen as a franchise 1C with special scoring talents.
7) MacKinnon - Expected to become a super dynamic, offensively elite 1C, but was still maturing.
8) Hughes - Seen as one of the biggest boom/bust #1OAs in memory. Had the offensive potential to become a franchise 1C, but his size, dainty playstyle, and coming out of the USNTDP made some think he'd top out as a one-dimensional scoring wing.
9) Celebrini - Considered a guy with the tools to be an elite 1C with no holes in his game, but he didn't have the dynamism to become one of the best players in the league.
10) Hall - Elite, dynamic scoring winger.
11) Power - Considered to have the tools of an elite 1D, but he still needed to put things together. Expected to be a top pair guy at minimum.
12) Ekblad - The hype softened as his draft approached. Was expected to be a top pair guy who could succeed in all situations with 1D upside.
13) Nugent-Hopkins - He was seen as a long-term project who should be a talented, hardworking, high-character playmaker, but it'd take while if he developed into a true 1C.
14) Yakupov - His upside was a highly energetic, physical, ~40 goal scorer (when that was enough to be a top 10 scorer in the league). Though people were skeptical of how he'd perform at the NHL level and his ability to gel with linemates.
15) Hischier - Consensus deemed him a future 2C. Some liked his skating and 200 ft game so much that they projected 1C. Others thought he was unimpressive and wouldn't be more than a depth forward.
16) Slafkovsky - Considered a long-term project. Many years later he could grow into an elite power forward, but was equally likely to top out as a replaceable Top 6er. A lot of conversations were had about his transition to North American ice.

 

[kerrabria]

I'll also add in a few guys who were considered to be #1OA worthy prospects in their own right (at least as I remember).

Hedman was, before Dahlin, among the best dman prospects ever. He was expected to develop into an elite, two-way 1D.
Seguin was expected to be an elite 1C. Many people liked his complete game style better than Hall, but Hall's offensive dynamism was on a different level.
Jones was seen as a future 1D, but there were questions about how much elite potential was there.
Eichel was considered among the best prospects taken ever at 2nd OA. He was supposed to be a franchise 1C with a number of elite tools.
Hanifin had elite 1D upside and was NHL-ready.
Svechnikov was expected to be an elite scorer with the floor of a first line winger.
Byfield was in the Jack Hughes category of boom/bust. He was supposed to have the talent and tools to be a franchise 1C, but he was still raw and equally likely to be a disappointment.