The best current player, who was a high draft pick, that did NOT have a break out rookie season?
- Thread starter tib2d2
- Start date
HabsQC
Registered User
Idk if it qualifies but MacKinnon had a few seasons in the 50-65 points, his first season being 63 pts (which is excellent for a rookie year), then became much more.
Pass the Saitl Sauce
Registered User
- Apr 30, 2015
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Draisaitl scored 9 points his first season
Larry Hanson
Registered User
- Aug 1, 2020
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Hedman, took him a few years, some were labelling him a bust.
BertMcDrai
Middle old guy loving sports
- Nov 26, 2018
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Draisaitl is coming to mind.
Maybe to a lesser extend MacKinnon.
Maybe to a lesser extend MacKinnon.
trick9
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2013
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Jack Hughes is my choice. Draisatl is a good choice but he didn’t even play 40 games that year
tib2d2
Registered User
- Jan 4, 2022
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Yeah Hughes first came to mind when I thought of this
Suntouchable13
Registered User
Steven Stamkos. 46 points in 79 games during his rookie season. He really broke out in the next season. But probably not gonna win this thread, tho.
Ceremony
How I choose to feel is how I am
- Jun 8, 2012
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63 points in 82 games for MacKinnon's first season. 4th on the team in scoring. 10 points in 7 playoff games though.
SannywithoutCompy
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- Dec 22, 2020
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Man he was a joy to watch that series against Minnesota. Shame Nino had to end the ride.
MXD
Partying Hard
- Oct 27, 2005
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I'm actually fairly certain he's not the best TBL named in this thread.
Suntouchable13
Registered User
Dylan Strome about to join this list with a 100 point year
MacKinnon literally won the Calder at age 18. He's the exact opposite of this.
Kucherov and Draisaitl are the obvious names here.
Golden_Jet
Registered User
- Sep 21, 2005
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GreatSaveEssensa
The Dark Side Of The Goon
Dylan Strome was literally given away by the very weak Chicago Blackhawks. In hindsight, I’m sure they would like that move back.
Strome is my answer.
Strome is my answer.
East Coast Icestyle
Registered User
It's a shame Joe Thornton isn't active anymore because his first season was brutal stats wise
Of current players, Reinhart comes to mind as not yet mentioned.
Iggys Dome
Not allowed to say the “R-Word” (rebuild)
23 goals, 42 points not bad for his rookie season though. Especially on that Buffalo team
Yea, looking through names from the top of the draft and it seems actually rarer than I thought to be quite poor as a rookie and then become a high end player. Obviously not many are in the Ovechkin/Crosby type tier, or even the Matthews tier, but most high picks that pan out seem to be among the better rookies in their first years.
