Most Hyped Defenseman Prospects of All Time

[Sticks and Pucks]

I'm interested about the Bryan Berard hype. He only had one year of junior hockey prior to the draft and he was taken 15th overall in the OHL draft one year prior to getting taken 1st overall in the NHL draft. Was he a late bloomer?

 

[Franck]

Seth Jones had some pretty serious hype going in his draft year.

 

[JackSlater]

Bouwmeester in the last 20 years. Nobody has gotten close to the hype he did at age 16-17.

Also, it should be noted that even though he went #3 overall, he was actually the 'real' #1 overall pick in 2002 - Florida held #1 overall and would have taken him, but managed to wheel and deal and get assurances he'd still be there at #3 overall.

Same way Brian Bellows is really the 'true' #1 overall in 1982 and Henrik Sedin in 1999.

Daniel was rated higher than Henrik as a prospect. Horton in 2003 is another one who was essentially the number one pick.

Bouwmeester had the most hype that I can recall. It seems like hype dies down for a lot of big defensive prospects.

 

[BNHL]

Gord Kluzak (next Larry Robinson). Ed Jovanovski,Bouwmeester,Housley,Fetisov (Russian Bobby Orr-LOL)

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Denis Potvin would have to be #2. He was unanimously considered the top prospect in 1973, and a lot of teams were trying to get that draft pick from the Islanders.

I don't think Bourque or Coffey would qualify. Highly rated prospects to be sure, but weren't considered the consensus top defenceman in their respective draft classes.

Correct.

After Orr, no one else close to his hype (and with good reason).

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Ray Bourque started his junior career as a 16 year old with Michel Bergeron in Trois Rivières, a Memeorial Cup hopeful. Hardly played. Traded at the deadline to Sorel, a bad team, poor coaching. where he finished the year and played two more seasons.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bourqra01.html

Bruins always scouted Quebec very well, found a gem others overlooked or could not trade up for.

As I recall, the local news was something like, "Bruins draft Raymond Bourgue, some defenseman from Quebec".