Teams with top 5 prospect pools that ended up with nothing to show for it

[Kraken Jokes]

This one is even funnier. That rebuild took, like, another 10 years.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Rage? You're the one that seems to be coping hermano.

Coping about the worst SCF participant in the cap era, four years ago?

... Uhh, OK?

 

[LeProspector]

View attachment 1048571

This one is even funnier. That rebuild took, like, another 10 years.

Still, all of them panned out as players, all have been mainstays as top-6 options in the NHL for YEARS.

 

[LeProspector]

View attachment 1048570

Crazy title for sure, but all of those guys on the cover turned into top line players at some point in their career. Definitely panned out.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Crazy title for sure, but all of those guys on the cover turned into top line players at some point in their career. Definitely panned out.

Sorry, I didn't read the edit on the OP. I thought they meant teams that failed despite having the perception of having great prospect pools.

 

[WarriorofTime]

People need to recalibrate what it means to have a successful prospect pool. It does not mean world domination. The league is largely led by older players, young players aren't as important as most on HF seem to think.

Every old player was once a young player and a prospect.

 

[jfhabs]

I feel like five or six years ago the Habs' prospect pool was getting rave reviews.

Obviously their current crop of guys starting with Caufield have done well. But I remember when certain people thought Kotkaniemi, Mete, Poehling, Juulsen, etc. were gonna be studs.

Outside of very big time homer, I don't remember anyway putting them top 10 let alone top 5. Isolated posters at most. Specially considering KK graduated at 18 years old.

 

[jfhabs]

Hey buddy, don't point out that Montreal's SCF run is heavily asterisked... That will cause some rage.

So the Blackhawks and Bolts didn't really win the cup either I guess...

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Another case

 

[WarriorofTime]

Probably a few teams in the late 90s / early 00s who didn't get much as the league had some average / below average drafts in a row.

Think scouting is a lot better these days as well. Wings were way ahead in European scouting at the time. Looking at drafts from 2013-2018 (present day 25-30 year olds), in rounds 5-7, you certainly can find some good players here and there as you’d expect across 18 rounds of data points but you really do not see superstars like Datsyuk/Zetterberg even really being around for an opportunity for mega steals like that.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

So the Blackhawks and Bolts didn't really win the cup either I guess...

There are several people that will question Tampa's Cup wins, yes. But hey, at least they would've made the playoffs under normal circumstances.

I assume the Blackhawks are included in this because of Kyle Beach? Seriously?

 

[Stewie Griffin]

NYR after the 2020 draft. Laf, Kakko, Kravstov, (did they still have Andersson?), Lundkvist, Jones, etc. have all underwhelmed or busted.

PHI in the mid 2010s. Sanheim, Provorov, Morin was supposed to be unreal.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

NYR after the 2020 draft. Laf, Kakko, Kravstov, (did they still have Andersson?), Lundkvist, Jones, etc. have all underwhelmed or busted.

PHI in the mid 2010s. Sanheim, Provorov, Morin was supposed to be unreal.

I remember when Lundkvist was "only a tier below" Seider as a prospect lmao.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Wow forgot about that. McPhee just absolutely pantsed so many franchises in that expansion draft. A masterclass.

It’s always funny to me when people talk about Vegas being good due to “favourable” expansion rules when in reality they just hosed the pants off of certain GMs making mind boggling dumb moves

 

[jfhabs]

There are several people that will question Tampa's Cup wins, yes. But hey, at least they would've made the playoffs under normal circumstances.

I assume the Blackhawks are included in this because of Kyle Beach? Seriously?

Try again...

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Try again...

Nah, I'm good bro.

 

[eXile3]

I remember when Pittsburgh had a D prospect pool with Brian Dumoulin, Derrick Pouliot, Olli Matta, Scott Harrington, Joe Morrow, and Simon Despres and was going to be the greatest young D-core in the league.

2/6 is about right. Both Dumoulin and Matta played meaningful roles in multiple Cups. Thats actually good return. People overestimate the amount of prospects that actually go on to do something.