All-time prospect draft

[overpass]

Does Mark Howe belong in a list like this? I don’t know if he had draft hype because he went to play with his dad on the Aeros at 18, but he was an incredibly accomplished junior player who was a top player in the WHA at 18.

At age 15, he led the Detroit Jr Red Wings in scoring and to the US Junior Championship while playing against 18 year olds.

At age 16, he played for the US Olympic team and won a silver medal at the 1972 Games.

At age 17, he led the Marlies to a Memorial Cup victory and was named Memorial Cup MVP.

At age 18, he was rookie of the year, second team all-star, and second in playoff scoring in the WHA.

All before he was drafted in the 1974 draft.

 

[Stephen]

Here are some Eric Lindros clippings from 1989 and 1990. I saved them so you guys can read them for free:

Click on the links, then on the article. It will allow you to zoom in and read.

1989: “Lindros turning more heads than Gretzky did at age 16”

Lindros89 - Newspapers.com

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1990: “99 + 66 + ability to hit = Lindros”

Lindros90(2) - Newspapers.com

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1990: “Lindros, who turned 17 last Wednesday has scouts and NHL general managers drooling at his potential. He is already being spoken of in the same breath as Gretzky and Lemieux.”

Lindros90 - Newspapers.com

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1990: “He’s likely to become the new standard of comparison because of his incredible size, speed and toughness. He’ll be mentioned in the same breath as Gretzky and Lemieux.”

Lindros90(3) - Newspapers.com

I think it's worth noting that calling someone the "Next Gretzky" back in 1990 probably didn't have the same historical weight as it does now in 2020.

Gretzky was still only 29, climbing the charts and had another decade to finalize his points totals. He was no doubt GOAT by that point, but Lemieux had just come on five years before and now another phenom in Lindros on the horizon. Who could have known the 90s would being the DPE and we wouldn't see an endless parade of generational greats?

 

[Staniowski]

The best prospects to come along in the past 50 years, at the time of the draft, for all players who had a reasonable expectation of playing in the NHL (so, not including Fetisov, Krutov, Hasek, etc.). Including Gretzky. In chronological order:
1. Lafleur
2. Potvin
3. Gretzky
4. Lemieux
5. Bure
6. Jagr
7. Lindros
8. Ovechkin
9. Crosby
10. McDavid

All 10 would've definitely been drafted 1st overall under today's conditions.

The only two that I would question at all are Potvin and Bure.