Top ten draft picks to never play a single game

[Killion]

He passed away last spring.

Oh dear... Im so sorry Hobs..... Great guy.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

This is a particularly interesting mention to lead the thread... Ryan Sittler had size & weight along with Pedigree... then BUST. Unlike his father however, went seriously Rogue for a couple of years in the AHL absolutely Wracking Up the PIM's. Like the Tiger Williams of his teams. Never a prolific points getter but seemingly someone who's buttons could easily be pushed. Pattern or what? Bloodline a Curse or a Blessing?... I say its a Curse having played with the Sons of some legends.

Interesting Ryan Sittler article from a few years back here

 

[Killion]

Interesting Ryan Sittler article from a few years back here

Huh. Very interesting. Injuries derailed his career big time. Thanks for posting the link Ogie.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Libor poalsek

Jiri dudacek

Scott scissons?

Polasek-21st overall
Dudacek-17th overall
Scissons-2 NHL games

If I recall correctly, Polasek was a fat pig, out of nowhere reach by Quinn and Burke, who also couldn't skate...but all they cared about was size and/or toughness (I don't think Polasek was tough either).

Dudacek was a longshot because of his inability to come to North America, no?

I went to college with Scissons first cousin. I knew his pretty well, and he told me that Scissons had an injury that really screwed him up badly.

Quinn laid some horrible eggs with his drafting. Without going back and checking the timeline, I think Jason Herter, Dan Woodley and Rob Murphy were other high pick duds.

We had 3 picks in a great draft (Nedved, Antoski and Slegr); you could argue he crapped the bed on all three of them.

 

[IComeInPeace]

'Scissons was forced to retire from a nagging shoulder injury suffered in his final WHL season (the season after he was drafted)."
-that's from his Wiki page
I don't know where/who the original source is

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Tyler Boucher (2021 10th overall, Ottawa Senators) is well on his way to never playing an NHL game.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Ryan Sittler was drafted 7th overall and never played a single NHL game. Are there any other top ten selections that never played a single NHL game?

One can make the case that the 1992 Draft cost the Flyers a Cup. Drafting Sittler and Jason Bowen in the top 15 was pretty horrific along with no other contributions from their 1992 class. Sure, not a great draft, but just a couple solid players might have put them over the top in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Polasek-21st overall
Dudacek-17th overall
Scissons-2 NHL games

If I recall correctly, Polasek was a fat pig, out of nowhere reach by Quinn and Burke, who also couldn't skate...but all they cared about was size and/or toughness (I don't think Polasek was tough either).

Dudacek was a longshot because of his inability to come to North America, no?

I went to college with Scissons first cousin. I knew his pretty well, and he told me that Scissons had an injury that really screwed him up badly.

Quinn laid some horrible eggs with his drafting. Without going back and checking the timeline, I think Jason Herter, Dan Woodley and Rob Murphy were other high pick duds.

We had 3 picks in a great draft (Nedved, Antoski and Slegr); you could argue he crapped the bed on all three of them.

three times the canucks absolutely stunned their entire fanbase, and probably every single other person watching

quinn: "with the 21st pick of the 1992 draft the vancouver canucks select [everyone: valeri bure, valeri bure, valeri bure]... libor polasek"

v. bure: 33rd overall, ten year career, 400 pts, led a team in scoring, made an all-star game​

polasek: 0 NHL games​

​

nonis: “with the 10th overall pick of the 2005 draft, the vancouver canucks select [holy crap kopitar fell to us, you better not draft marc staal, don’t do it nonis you coward]... luc bourdon"

kopitar: in his 19th season still scoring at a 70 pt pace, after a pair of cups and a selke, 42nd all time (and counting) in pts, 36th all time in games played so far​

bourdon (RIP): hard to imagine he could have done anything to approach kopitar’s impact​

​

benning: “with the 5th pick of the 2016 entry draft, from the london knights, we select [mentally preparing ourselves for having a tkachuk on the team]... olli juolevi"

m. tkachuk: 2 time 100 pt scorer and post-season all-star, champion​

juolevi: 41 NHL games and left for finland two years ago​

​

these were all cursing in front of the kids, throw things at the tv, smashing your phone moments

 

[MS]

three times the canucks absolutely stunned their entire fanbase, and probably every single other person watching

quinn: "with the 21st pick of the 1992 draft the vancouver canucks select [everyone: valeri bure, valeri bure, valeri bure]... libor polasek"

v. bure: 33rd overall, ten year career, 400 pts, led a team in scoring, made an all-star game​

polasek: 0 NHL games​

​

nonis: “with the 10th overall pick of the 2005 draft, the vancouver canucks select [holy crap kopitar fell to us, you better not draft marc staal, don’t do it nonis you coward]... luc bourdon"

kopitar: in his 19th season still scoring at a 70 pt pace, after a pair of cups and a selke, 42nd all time (and counting) in pts, 36th all time in games played so far​

bourdon (RIP): hard to imagine he could have done anything to approach kopitar’s impact​

​

benning: “with the 5th pick of the 2016 entry draft, from the london knights, we select [mentally preparing ourselves for having a tkachuk on the team]... olli juolevi"

m. tkachuk: 2 time 100 pt scorer and post-season all-star, champion​

juolevi: 41 NHL games and left for finland two years ago​

​

these were all cursing in front of the kids, throw things at the tv, smashing your phone moments

Of all of these, not taking Valeri Bure to help insulate your rookie superstar forward, make clear you're building the team around him etc. is probably the dumbest, and that pick (and the attitude around it toward Bure) led to so much difficulty and animosity down the road.

Literally the best player available (the next guy better than Val Bure was Mike Peca taken 40th by the Canucks themselves, to redeem their first round screw-up) was also the brother of their superstar.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Of all of these, not taking Valeri Bure to help insulate your rookie superstar forward, make clear you're building the team around him etc. is probably the dumbest, and that pick (and the attitude around it toward Bure) led to so much difficulty and animosity down the road.

Literally the best player available (the next guy better than Val Bure was Mike Peca taken 40th by the Canucks themselves, to redeem their first round screw-up) was also the brother of their superstar.

totally, especially when you are having to let larionov go as pavel's safety blanket

and being that the bure brothers had the same agent, i also wonder how many headaches might have been prevented if quinn/burke could work with salcer and say, well we can give a little more to valeri if you’re willing to shave some off pavel’s deal...