biggest mistake by an organization on a prospect

[Mizral]

I'm gonna go with Jean-Sebastion Giguere.

Both Hartford and Calgary gave up on him, and now he's considered one of the best goaltenders in the league in Anaheim.

 

[Kevin Forbes]

Hopefully this thread won't mention Marc-Andre Fleury in 5 years....
I'm still not sure about the decision to keep him up (or is he staying up)

 

[Wingboy2999]

Over the last 10 years or so I would have to say Manny Malhotra by the New York Rangers. I have no problem with bringing a kid up at 18 if he is ready, but the Rangers were touting their plans him as NHL ready as soon as they drafted him. Then he was given 8 minutes in a game or left in the pressbox. No way can a player develop like that.

Tell that to Dave Lewis!

 

[Galchenkel]

kovalchuk came in the NHL too early!! hahaha No that's a joke!
But i think that Pm Bouchard came up too early, a year in the qjmhl after his draft would have been beneficient.

 

[MLH]

The Islander ruined Tim Connolly.

 

[Moose Head]

Chad Kilger.

 

[kmfranck]

Yeah, I think the Pens take this title with the way they handled Nasland...

 

[Lard_Lad]

OTHERS:
Patrick Marleau (good player...could be/have been way better)

I don't think you can blame Marleau's development on the Sharks. I saw him a couple of times in his last junior year and wasn't that impressed. He's actually turned out slightly better than I expected, I was thinking he'd have a few relatively unproductive 40-point seasons then fade away because he wouldn't work hard enough to get better.

Chicago seems to have screwed up Steve McCarthy somehow. He should be much better than he is at this point.

 

[Evilo]

Yeah, I think the Pens take this title with the way they handled Nasland...

And you take the title of "most uninformed post of the thread" with the way you handled this one.

 

[Torch]

Yeah I know, I was just going to post about Rico Fata in the biggest bust thread but did this instead.

Fata is a great example but may have been saved before it was too late. What other examples do some of you have for an organization bringing up a player when it was clearly too early? For the most part I mean 18 and 19 year olds, but I suppose there may be older ones too. Calgary blew it by having Fata in the NHL so early and he is only now beginning to show the player is can be. IMHO, Fata will never be a top 10 scorer, but should develop into a point per game player in time. I also think his defensive game, using his speed COULD make him a candidate for a Selke winner in the future.

What other prospects had their career's ruined by bringing them up before they were ready?

What?

Fata might be having a pretty good streak going right now, but nothing about his stats suggest that he was the mistake a franchise made by letting go early.

 

[pavel13]

As a couple of you have said, the Redwings are really screwing up Jiri Hudler right now. He has played in only two or three games in the AHL (where he belongs right now), and has actually been a scratch for a few games this year. I don't think he's gotten more than nine minutes in any game this year, and he played only 1:29 in a game last week.

 

[Evilo]

Why? Naslund had a 19 goal seaason and the Craig Patrick dumped for some no-talent goon. You can't get much stupider than that. Even at the time of the trade it was bad.

1/ At the time the Pens had the best depth at RW in the league.

2/ At the time, Naslund was playing with Mario. I don't think he fits the bill of this thread (mishandled prospects). He was handled the right way, but was not producing up to his talent.

3/ Though the deal was bad talent wise, it fitted the Pens' needs (toughness) while dealing one of our strenghs (RW skill).

 

[SCHL Commish]

Hehe.

I've got a few. Most of them just entail their actually being drafted. 8)

Cooper by Buffalo, Bonsignore by Edmonton, Botterill by Dallas (sister's got more skill....), Thornton by Toronto.

 

[PanthersRule96]

Also, it may be too late as the Panthers may have ruined Shivdki.