Fabian Brunnstrom and Other Players Greatly Hyped before Becoming Nhlers

[carjackmalone]

Pat Price

 

[Brodeur]

Angelo Esposito, he had huge hype but didn’t he blow out his knees?

I think by the time the draft rolled around, teams were a little skeptical about his play. And then as you mentioned, one of his strengths (skating speed) got diminished with injuries.

I forever associate Esposito with Brady Quinn thanks to a beer league teammate who doesn't quite know as much as he thinks he does. At some point the upcoming NHL draft came up in conversation and he brought up Esposito being the next #1 stud. I mentioned how his stock was dropping and he might not even go top 10. Buddy then offered to bet me that Esposito was going #1; He scoffed that I'd know anything about prospects and how his friends back home in Canada had told him how sick Esposito was. Naturally he disavowed that bet a few months later.

A few minutes later the NFL Draft came up and same buddy declared that Brady Quinn would be better than Tom Brady. [/coolstorybro]

 

[Voight]

Another three that popped into my head today.

Angelo Esposito, he had huge hype but didn’t he blow out his knees?

Gilbert Brule, typical early Jackets development and I think mental health issues.

Then John McFarland, guy carried minor hockey hype all the way to the NHL draft somehow.

Unrelated but he went into politics during the last Canadian federal election (he lost).

 

[ShelbyZ]

Undrafted free agents? Adam Oates is a famous one back in the day and his success caused a change in the CBA (supplemental draft).

First one that came to mind when I saw this thread was sort of related to the Oates signing (and ended up the exact opposite):

Ray Staszak

Staszak was part of that giant Red Wings college free agent binge in 1985 that included Oates. Staszak's contract ended up being even bigger than Oates' and he was touted as having more upside.

IIRC, the supplemental draft had more to do with high spending teams simply outbidding other teams for undrafted talent, which then evolved into the ELC with capped salary/term and perf. bonuses being used instead of guaranteed money.

Staszak played 4 games to start the season for the Red Wings, and IIRC was noticeably bad. When I was a kid in the 90's, I had some book of NHL/hockey quotes and there were a handful in there from the hockey media talking about how out of place Staszak looked in the NHL.

He eventually got sent to the AHL, where he started to produce a bit, but then a groin injury ended his career.

Also, surprised no has mentioned Justin Pogge.

 

[shello]

Unrelated but he went into politics during the last Canadian federal election (he lost).

Yup. I remember one of his ads well. Was like 80% just him on the ice

 

[Jumptheshark]

Brunnström had size, speed, skill and a hard working attitude. He was described as the next Alfredsson. He had all the potential in the world. Atleast his first season in SHL and NHL. Then something happened with him. Could been a injury or something mental.

https://www.google.se/url?sa=t&sour...jtAF6BAgJEAY&usg=AOvVaw0te2ZMSYtRV7PwStK6354q

The NHL also figured him out. IT was not hard to get him off his game

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

And then on the note of older Europeans, Jiri Dopita was often cited as the best player not in the NHL in the late 90's. After Cechmanek had success in Philadelphia, he convinced Dopita to give North America a chance. But it seemed like Dopita (and his wife) never got adjusted.

this is the guy i came into this thread to discuss

another “best ____ outside the NHL” was leif rohlin, once considered the best dman outside the NHL. drafted by the canucks in 1989, considered a stud by the mid-90s. total flop but we kept him on our protected list for years after he went back to europe, for some arcane reason i can’t remember.