First round supposed "busts" that actually had good NHL careers

[MaskedSonja]

Now I'm re-defining "bust" here to "players who had quality NHL careers that were simply taken far too early".

I'll use the example: Alexander Daigle. He was a "bust" in that was taken rather too high, and had the media frenzy on him. He played 616 games, 129 G, 198 assists. Not exactly Crosby. But having a 600 game career would suggest to me a quality career. If Daigle is taken 3rd round and was a third liner the consensus would be "had a good career".

Just wondering if any other nominees to just say in a friendly bar debate "you know what, we need to cut X some slack for his career, it was pretty good for a "bust".

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[Blackhawkswincup]

Sorry but Daigle was taken 1st and supposed to be a franchise talent that would be foundation of Sens for his career

Just carving out a so/so career in NHL doesn't change that status

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

Raffi Torres- 5th overall Islanders

Tuomo Ruutu- 9th overall Blackhawks

JP Dumont- 3rd overall Islanders

Derek Morris- 13th overall Flames

Olli Jokinen- 3rd overall Kings

Manny Malhotra- 7th overall Rangers

Nik Antropov- 10th overall Maple Leafs

Tim Connolly- 5th overall Islanders

Taylor Pyatt- 8th overall Islanders

Wade Redden- 2nd overall Islanders

Chad Kilger- 4th overall Ducks

Jeff Wiemer- 8th overall Lightning

Wayne Primeau- 17th overall Sabres

Brendan Witt- 11th overall Capitals

 

[MaskedSonja]

Sorry but Daigle was taken 1st and supposed to be a franchise talent that would be foundation of Sens for his career

Just carving out a so/so career in NHL doesn't change that status

I myself used him as an example of someone who had a decent career. And I was not trying to change "bust" definition overall-just more the "went on to have a decent NHL career after falling" type of idea. That was just my example of what I was looking for, not to turn the thread into a "was Daigle a bust or not"discussion. The focus is on other players in draft history, not specifically Alex.

My idea for the thread was to focus more on the players and their career numbers and less on the "what they were supposed to be"-and the focus was on players in taken in the first round-notables taken in the 1-10 area.

 

[MaskedSonja]

Raffi Torres- 5th overall Islanders

Tuomo Ruutu- 9th overall Blackhawks

JP Dumont- 3rd overall Islanders

Derek Morris- 13th overall Flames

Olli Jokinen- 3rd overall Kings

Manny Malhotra- 7th overall Rangers

Nik Antropov- 10th overall Maple Leafs

Tim Connolly- 5th overall Islanders

Taylor Pyatt- 8th overall Islanders

Wade Redden- 2nd overall Islanders

Chad Kilger- 4th overall Ducks

Jeff Wiemer- 8th overall Lightning

Wayne Primeau- 17th overall Sabres

Brendan Witt- 11th overall Capitals

I didn't know Kilger went 8th overall! This is the sort of thing I was looking for, thanks!


Edit: 4th, not 8th-wrong number I was looking at lol

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I didn't know Kilger went 8th overall! This is the sort of thing I was looking for, thanks!

He actually went 4th

 

[saskganesh]

nice list RWfP.

I wonder if Edmonton's current platoon of first rounders will turn out like that.

Dave Babych was a 2nd overall pick, was supposed to be "The Franchise", but never became more than an all star team pick. Long Career. Not really a bust, but a good player who didn't reach his ceiling.

Doug Wickenheiser, !st overall, has career stats similar to Daigle which is a bit chilling. He eventually became an effective third line centre, but injuries.

Brian Lawton. Hm, similar numbers to Daigle and Wick. 480 games, over 100 goals, 150 assts.

I think Wickenheiser came to terms with his reality, accepting his changed role, unlike Lawton and Daigle.

Pat Falloon. 2nd Overall.
Bill Harris. 1st Overall. ?? Replaced by Mike Bossy, traded for Goring and then ...nothing.

 

[Passchendaele]

I didn't know Jokinen was a disappointment.

Scored 34+ goals four times. 728 career points, including back-to-back 90 point seasons.

 

[Plural]

Aki Petteri Berg.

But for the love of god, I can't understand why he was drafted 3rd overall. Even if it was bad draft overall.

 

[MaskedSonja]

He actually went 4th

Thank you! Looked at wrong number lol.



Some interesting names here!

 

[thom]

If Bob Gainey had been promoted as someone who could put pts up instead of being a great checker-never scored 50 pts in career and never had 25 goal season.IM Being sarcastic but as a high 1st round pick you would have thought numbers would have been better

 

[begbeee]

This screams Malhotra. Hyped offensive talent developed into premier defensive forward.
Same can be said about Rob Niedermayer drafted 5th overall as an offensive force, altough his development into defensive center is marked with concussion.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

For some reason, I feel the eerie presence of Mike Milbury. Of course, he traded away all the busts that ended up having decent careers.

 

[Boreal01]

Rick Green - 1st overall, Washington Capitals (Also a cousin of mine)
Pat Falloon - 2nd overall, San Jose Sharks
Curtis Leschyshyn - 3rd overall, Quebec Nordiques
Bryan Allen - 4th overall, Vancouver Canucks
Tim Connolly - 5th overall, New York Islanders
Scott Hartnell - 6th overall, Nashville Predators
Ulf Dahlen - 7th overall, New York Rangers

These come to mind right away.

 

[Sadekuuro]

Roman Hamrlik seems to fit. Though I'm not sure if I've actually ever heard anyone call him a bust...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

a lot of guys that nobody has ever called a bust in this thread.

 

[Ishdul]

Derek Morris- 13th overall Flames

Olli Jokinen- 3rd overall Kings

Wade Redden- 2nd overall Islanders

I don't think there are many people who consider these guys busts.

 

[MadLuke]

Ron Hainsey, 13 overall ?

He is having a great career (over 600 games already), and maybe some people in the habs organisation tought as him as a bust when they did let him go.

 

[Terry Yake]

guys like hamrlik, morris, jokinen, and redden aren't busts at all.

all those guys had or are having pretty successful careers

 

[Smelling Salt]

Ulf Dahlen - 7th overall, New York Rangers

Love me some Dahlen. I'm still not sure I have seen a better player along the boards.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

zack kassian, hehe

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Mike Ricci. Lots of hype surrounding him when he was 16. Never the force he was forecast to be, but a damned solid player. Same with Dan Cleary.

 

[tony d]

Agree with Ricci. Guy was never an all star or anything but was still a solid player in the NHL for many years.

 

[Jussi]

Aki Petteri Berg.

But for the love of god, I can't understand why he was drafted 3rd overall. Even if it was bad draft overall.

He was big and mobile and could pass decently. His mistake was leaving to NHL far too early, I think he admitted it himself that he should have stayed for a season or two more.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

man, mike ricci put up a PPG at 21 years old, and was a scorer on a stanley cup winner at 24, before settling into a long career as the best third line center in the league. i have never heard anyone ever call mike ricci a bust.

dan cleary is an interesting case though. that guy flat out busted. then he somehow made his way back into the league to become a pretty decent player for a long while. wes walz is another example of that.

but i think the kind of guys the OP is really looking for are guys like tyler wright. first thing you think of when you hear a name like that is bust, especially if you're an oilers fan. but then you think about it and go, wait wasn't he a pretty decent third liner for a bit? then you check his stats and say, whoa i did not realize that guy played 600 NHL games.

i'm tempted add scottie upshall's name, because every year i think he's retired or gone to europe and there he is on some terrible team's third line. but i'm not sure i've ever actually noticed him play, so i can't vouch for him having a *good* NHL career-- perhaps just a surprising long one (maybe like aki berg-- decently long career, but consistently terrible through the whole thing).