Players You Thought Would Bust But Didn't?

[DitchMarner]

I feel that a few years ago, there was more forecasting of prospects on the site outside of the Prospects board. I seem to remember a lot more polls comparing young players and projections from posters...

Who are some players you were convinced and vocal would be busts or big disappointments that ended up fulfilling or exceeding expectations?

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[SensontheRush]

Casey Mittelstadt really turned himself around.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Didn't think all Quinn Hughes dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff would translate as well as it has at the pro level. Kind of read him to top out as a 2nd pairing PP specialist. Despite this, I still don't think Lane Hutson's dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff will translate all that well to the pro level and he'll top out as a 2nd pairing PP specialist..

 

[GreeningOil]

Hottish take:

Leon Draisaitl when he scored 7 points in his rookie 37 games.

Oilers were hot trash and I thought they had 0 hope. Ten years later he’s signing an 8x14 lol

 

[PuckG]

Hottish take:

Leon Draisaitl when he scored 7 points in his rookie 37 games.

Oilers were hot trash and I thought they had 0 hope. Ten years later he’s signing an 8x14 lol

After seeing his relatively poor skating in the early years, I was convinced Nuge would be better long-term…

 

[kcunac]

Basically any small skilled player who made it.

 

[Viqsi]

I vaguely remember thinking Taylor Hall was going to crash and burn due to injuries, although I can't remember exactly why.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

blake wheeler and jacob markstrom

going back farther, markus naslund is probably the poster boy for this thread. radek bonk is a guy i thought would never amount to anything but ended up having a pretty decent prime, albeit not coming close to hitting his pre-draft hype.

 

[DaveG]

Hottish take:

Leon Draisaitl when he scored 7 points in his rookie 37 games.

Oilers were hot trash and I thought they had 0 hope. Ten years later he’s signing an 8x14 lol

After seeing his relatively poor skating in the early years, I was convinced Nuge would be better long-term…

yeah not necessarily his production but after watching how slow he was with the balance on his skates of Bambi his first season I didn't think he would ever be a high end top 6er.

 

[gary559]

Sam Reinhart

 

[BonMorrison]

I didn’t have high hopes for William Nylander, oopsie!

 

[Jayevs]

Boeser/Debrincat/Bouchard/Pulock(skating)
Tage Thompson (didn’t think he’d put all the tools together)
Darnell Nurse(IQ)

 

[wetcoast]

Didn't think all Quinn Hughes dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff would translate as well as it has at the pro level. Kind of read him to top out as a 2nd pairing PP specialist. Despite this, I still don't think Lane Hutson's dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff will translate all that well to the pro level.

I too am really surprised that Hughes has become as good defensively that he has to be honest.

The same way that I thought that Ryan Kesler would be limited as an NHL goal scorer as I don't think that anyone really saw a 41 NHL goal scorer the year he was drafted and even the 30 goal AHL year seemed optimistic as the year before 30 in 78 games he had 3 goals in 38 AHL games.

His peak NHL season in 10-11 also saw Kesler as the strongest by far Conn Smythe candidate for the Canucks and they very well might have won the SC had Kesler not being injured much like Draisatl this past season.

It shouldn't matter that much but s SC and Conn Smythe in the same season as his selke and 41 goals would probably have a stronger impact on his legacy than one would think.

 

[mattihp]

Rantanen. He was so well-rounded that I did not see how well he did everything. I thought Laine, Aho and Puljujärvi would all be better. Pulju and Laine were flashier.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Not necessarily bust but Brady Tkachuks production in his draft year had me thinking he was premiere 3rd liner vs legitimate top line winger with jam.

Definitely my biggest scouting fail

 

[NickyFotiu]

Didn't think all Quinn Hughes dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff would translate as well as it has at the pro level. Kind of read him to top out as a 2nd pairing PP specialist. Despite this, I still don't think Lane Hutson's dipsy doodle fancy feet stuff will translate all that well to the pro level.

I thought Jack Hughes would be good but I did not think he would be nearly as good as he turned out especially after his injuries. Even though he is a Devil I'm glad I was wring about him because I think the game really needs exciting players.

 

[LevelingSolo]

Kyle Turris

 

[KevinRedkey]

Brady Tkachuk and Trouba. I thought size was too big a reason they were picked high.

 

[mattihp]

I thought Jack Hughes would be good but I did not think he would be nearly as good as he turned out especially after his injuries. Even though he is a Devil I'm glad I was wring about him because I think the game really needs exciting players.

So many were down on him, glad I wasn't one of them!

Hughes has a juicy hockey brain. I have no doubt that he will be a star in this league. He is learning every day.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

Caufield, thought was just damn small.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Well, a big one would be Valeri Nichushkin. (I think he had elite fancy stats but no production)

But maybe he RE-busted???

 

[Shark Finn]

Hottish take:

Leon Draisaitl when he scored 7 points in his rookie 37 games.

Oilers were hot trash and I thought they had 0 hope. Ten years later he’s signing an 8x14 lol

Zero hope? I remember HOPE, as in Hall Omark Pääjärvi Eberle.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Not necessarily bust but I remember after a lackluster WJC confidently thinking Nick Suzuki was the expendable center prospect among he, Kotkaniemi, and Poehling lol

 

[GreeningOil]

Zero hope? I remember HOPE, as in Hall Omark Pääjärvi Eberle.

Well they sucked HARD at that point. There was no signs of getting better. McDrai saved em

 

[missionAvs]

MacK after the 3 year stint post rookie season.