Your team's recent draft bust

[Frolov 6'3]

1994
1st (7th) - Jamie Storr: should be our franchise goalie but he is not.

1995
1st (3rd) - Aki-Petteri Berg: the fact Kilger, Kelly and Ryan were drafted shortly after him softens the pain. Besides, he was traded to Toronto for Adam Mair and a 2nd rounder which turned out be Mike Cammalleri.

2001
1st (18th ) - Jens Karlsson
1st (30th) - Dave Steckel

 

[SuperNintendoChalmrs]

Sabres since 93


1993: Denis Tsygurov (D): 2nd rounder who was traded to LA to land Zhitnik. Guess it panned out a bit in the end....for Buffalo that is.

1994: Wayne Primeau (C): 1st rounder who never came close to his brother's ability. Showed a few flashes, decent 99 playoffs. Basic crash and bang ability, if that. Curtis Brown was the 2nd rounder. He played quite well with Buffalo, and turned up his game a notch in the playoffs.

1995: Jay McKee (D): Decent top 4 defenseman most of the time. Good pick overall. Marty Biron (G): Taken two spots after McKee in the first round. Mediocre goalie who will lose his starting spot whenever the NHL starts up again. Mark Dutiaume was the 2nd round pick. Minor league fodder there.

1996: Erik Rasmussen (F): Was the "right" pick at the time at that draft. I was hoping the Sabres would draft Rasmussen. Looked to be in the mold of a crash and bang winger with scoring ability. The kid sleptwalked way too much. Minimal intensity, and never showed much at all. Another part of a rotten overall draft. Cory Sarich (D): Buffalo's 2nd round pick. The kid has shown what he has with Tampa Bay. Never received a real opportunity with the Sabres. Was traded for Chris Gratton. :lol Darren Van Oene was the other 2nd rounder. Has made the rounds in the minor leagues.

1997: Mika Noronen (G): Still has a chance to be the starting goalie. Will compete with Ryan Miller when things start up again. It is now or never for Mr. Noronen. Henrik Tallinder was Buffalo's 2nd round pick. Besides getting into trouble in Europe, Tallinder plays a safe game, nothing flashy. More of a 5th or 6th D man.

1998: Dmitri Kalinin (D): Unless Zhitnik comes back, probably Buffalo's top defenseman now. Kid can log a bunch of minutes and is more than adequate in each end of the rink. The 2003-04 season was a bit of a coming out party for Dmitri. Decent pick here. 2nd round picks were Andrew Peters, Norm Milley and Slava Kristek. Peters can be platooned as a 4th line winger looking to stir up trouble. Milley is most likely not going to break into any NHL roster. Kristek quit on the organization, is a head case and is in the Czech league.

1999: Barrett Heisten (F): Sabres never signed him. And, looks as though he is going to have a hard time ever making it to the NHL. Haven't followed much of anything on him. Bad pick. Again, 3 2nd round picks.....Milan Bartovic has speed and is decent defensively but his offensive game hasn't really come around. Hands of stone don't help. Bubble player to make the Sabres. Doug Janik has been with the Amerks seemingly forever. Most think he may have what it takes to be a 6th defenseman, but if not, a quality callup from Rochester. Mike Zigomanis was another player not signed, aka Fax Machine gone bad. Sabres didn't file the right type of contract with the NHL so Zig became a free agent. Heard he is doing pretty well in the Carolina system.

2000: Artem Kryukov (C): Wild selection by the Sabres. Had concussions, and was a real strange pick. Finally saw his first full season in the RSL. Sabres have said they want to bring him over to see what he has to offer. Gerard Dicaire.....2nd round defenseman. Sabres didn't offer a contract, and is with the Lightning organization.

2001: Jiri Novotny (C): The Amerks fans whipping boy. Novotny has shown a bit of life this year. Fans are waiting though for some more offense, and more intensity. Some blame it on the Sabres for bringing Jiri over to NA a year too early. Derek Roy was the first of 3 2nd round picks. Diminutive center with good skill and tenacity. Quality player in the OHL. Scoring well with the Amerks. Should have a roster spot on the Sabres when the league starts up again. Chris Thorburn, a crash and bang player with the Amerks. Jason Pominville....can light the lamp, but smallish size may be a factor in an NHL career.

2002: Keith Ballard (D): Traded away in the Chris Drury trade. Dan Paille was Buffalo's 2nd 1st round pick. He has shown a good defensive game with Rochester this year and has a couple hat tricks, although consistent offense is not here just yet.

2003: Thomas Vanek (LW): 30 goals in his first AHL season. The Sabres are going to need a sniper and it probably won't be long until Vanek is in Buffalo's lineup. Branislav Fabry was Buffalo's 2nd round pick. He plays in the Slovakian Jr. league and was on Slovakia's WJC team. Don't know a lot about him.

2004: Drew Stafford (RW): Has played well overall. Productive with the USA WJC team. Believe he has helped lead his North Dakota team to the Frozen Four. Michael Funk, the Portland defenseman lead his team this year in plus/minus. Haven't heard how he played during the year.


In Primeau's defense, there weren't a boatload of great players taken after him, so the Sabres get a pass here. Biron should have cemented the starting goalie spot down, but his days seem numbered in a Buffalo uniform.

The sour aftertaste of the Rasmussen selection is tempered some since the Sabres have fellow 96 draftees Briere and Dumont on the team. Now or never for Noronen. Kalinin was a fine selection, although a number of Buffalo's 2nd round picks in some of these drafts that Darcy Regier fell in love with getting have not panned out. The Heisten selection was bad. We are still waiting word on Kryukov. I think the Sabres organization may let Novotny develop for as long as it might take for him to arrive on the scene.

Overall there are hits and misses like any NHL franchise. Buffalo's most recent draft in 2004 is looking pretty nice, Vanek is over the 30 goal threshold in his freshman year in the AHL. Miller could very well solidify Buffalo goaltending for many years. The Zigomanis deal is still talked about some. Oh, and let's get some more defensemen in the system.

:lol

 

[Stammer Time*]

Tampa Bay Lightning draft history

Why not?

1992

(1) Roman Hamrlik - Probably the best defensemen in franchise history, traded to Edmonton because of salary for the Oilers busts.

(26) Drew Bannister - Not really a bust since he has 164 NHL games but has never been an impact defensemen either, traded 4 times in a year and a half.

(49) Brent Gretzky - Bust - Wayne's brother, spent just 14 games in the NHL, good minor leaguer though.

1993

(3) Chris Gratton - Proof that if you have size you will have atleast a solid career, had one 30 goal season before signing as a RFA with the Flyers which killed any confidence he had.

(29) Tyler Moss - Bust - Never played for the Lightning, has made a career out of being a 3rd stringer.

1994

(8) Jason Wiemer - Not quite a bust but not a good pick either, could have been a talented pest but problems with drinking led to him being traded to Calgary. Since 2000- 2001 season has played on 4 teams.

(34) Colin Cloutier - Bust - 53 career games in the AHL, 31 in the ECHL, 0 in NHL.

1995

(5) Daymond Langkow - Not a bad player, was traded to Flyers for Gratton because of salary, has had a solid career so far.

(30) Mike McBain - Bust - Not much to say here, 64 NHL games 7 points, traded to Montreal for Gordie Dwyer, spent some time playing in England, now in ECHL.

1996

(16) Mario Larocque - Bust - Played 5 games with Lightning in 98-99 scoring 0 points, signed with Buffalo in 2001, now playing in UHL where he has 271 PIMs.

(69) Curtis Tipler - Bust - He never signed, after juniors he played in the UHL for one season.

1997

(7) Paul Mara - Pretty good defensemen but hit a wall in 2001 and was sent to the IHL before he was traded in the Khabibulin deal.

(33) Kyle Kos - Bust - Never played in a NHL game, bounced around the AHL and ECHL, now in UHL, attitude was a major problem.

1998

(1) Vincent Lecavalier - One of the core players of the Lightning, Top line center, improved work ethic under Tortorella has really changed his game for the better.

(64) Brad Richards - Drafted because he was Lecavalier's friend from juniors, 2004 Conn Smythe winner. If 1998 was redrafted both Lecavalier and Richards would go top 5.

Of the 1998 draft only Lecavalier, Richards and Dmitry Afanasenkov were signed, but it is still the best draft in team history.

1999

(47) Sheldon Keefe - Bust - Headcase, David Frost was his agent, same agent who Mike Jefferson/Danton wanted to kill... Now with Coyoties.

(67) Evgeny Konstantinov - Bust- Played 2 games with Lightning, bounced around ECHL and AHL, was let go last offseason, work ethic a MAJOR problem.

2000

(8) Nikita Alexeev - Bust - Rick Dudley Tampa Bay's former GM loves his tall Russians and Alexeev was his pet project, former defensemen likely has no future with Lightning. Work ethic a major problem.

(34) Ruslan Zainullin - Not ready to call him a bust yet, still in Russia, rights were traded from TB to Phoenix to Atlanta and finally to Calgary.

2001

(3) Alexander Svitov - One of Dudley's big tall Russians, Traded for Darryl Sydor last January, likely a sold 2nd line center or great 3rd liner.

(47) Alexander Polushin - See what I mean about Dudley and Russians? Very talented, injuries have hurt his stock, will hopefully sign soon after the lockout ends.

2002

(60) Adam Henrich - First year in AHL, will likely be a solid player on 2nd or 3rd lines in the future.

2003

(34) Mike Egener - Leg injury has kept him out of his first season in AHL, likely a future Captain and fan favorite.

(41) Matt Smaby - Very tall, very good skater, has potential to become a solid 2nd pair defensemen.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

1993: Denis Tsygurov (D): 2nd rounder who was traded to LA to land Zhitnik. Guess it panned out a bit in the end....for Buffalo that is.

The Kings also got Philippe Boucher (always injured) and Grant Fuhr (4.04 GAA in 14 games), terrible trade.

 

[Starsdude]

Richard Jackman- 5th overall, 1996, although there wasnt much else in the 1st round that year.
John Erskine- 38th overall, 1998, just because of who went almost immediately after him(Vaananen, Fisher, even Ribiero).
Martin Vagner- 26th overall, 2002, we all know how that turned out.
Janos Vas- 32nd overall, 2002, Huge reach, cant even score in the Swedish Tier II league, although injuries have really hampered him. Harding, Kaygorodov, Anshakov, Hudler all went after him. Hell, we even picked him 10 spots before Daley.

Also add guys like Jancevski-carreer AHler and Polak. In fact unless theya re a too small Finn they are a bust

 

[Chaos]

Also add guys like Jancevski-carreer AHler and Polak. In fact unless theya re a too small Finn they are a bust

Polak is a little early to tell. He's still only 19 years old. Anyways, I'll do like everyone else(since 1993, when the Stars moved to Dallas:

1993

1st(9th)- Todd Harvey- Wouldnt label him a bust, as he has had himself a nice solid NHL career. Would have been a lot better had we traded him instead of Iginla to Calgary for Nieuwendyk though .
2nd(35th)- Jamie Langenbrunner- Definately not a bust, has had a very nice career and is a clutch playoff performer.

1994

1st(20th)- Jason Botterill- BUST. Great AHLer, horrible NHLer. Just recently retired due to concussion issues.
2nd(46th)- Lee Inman- Never even made it to the NHL, now playing somewhere in Austria. Pretty bad draft overall, with the exception of stealing Turco in the 5th round.

1995

1st(11th)- Jarome Iginla- One of the top players in the league today, would almost certainly go #1 overall if that draft were redone today.
2nd(37th)- Patrick Cote- BUST- Enforcer who managed a whopping 105 NHL games, most of them in Nashville.

1996

1st(5th)- Richard Jackman- Great talent, just never put it together, although his stretch in Pittsburgh could be a sign. However, when looking at that 1st round as a whole, it doesnt hurt quite as much.
2nd(70th)- Jon Sim- BUST- Great AHL scorer who just couldnt translate it into the NHL.

1997

1st(25th Brendan Morrow- Great pick where we got him, a player any team would love to have. Would go top 15 if that draft were re-done.
2nd(52nd)- Roman Lyashenko- Cant call him a bust, as he'd just be turning 26 in May if he hadnt committed suicide, and would probably still be playing in NY.

1998

1st(39th)- John Erskine- BUST- Hasnt really transferred his great defensive game to the NHL. Pick hurts more when guys like Vaananen, Fisher, and Ribiero were picked right after him.
2nd(57th)- Tyler Bouck- BUST- Never scored that well in juniors or the AHL, and is now playing in Finland. Made even worse that the pick acquired to pick him and Erskine were traded from NJ, with NJ picking Scott Gomez with out 1st rounder.

1999

1st(32)- Michael Ryan- BUST- Nice college scorer hasnt transferred that even to the AHL. At least we got Barnes for him however.
2nd(66)- Dan Jancevski- BUST- Career AHLer who cant seem to ever crack the Stars d-core.

2000

1st(25th)- Steve Ott- Managed to crack the lineup of a very good team at 20 years old. May never be the huge scorer he was in juniors, but he'll be a guy everyone hates to play against.
2nd(60th)- Dan Ellis- Would be backing up Marty Turco is the powers that be didnt have their heads up their asses. Also managed to steal Miettinen in the 7th round that year. Solid draft.

2001

1st(26th)- Jason Bacashihua- Very inconsistant goaltender who sometimes will play up or down to the level of the opponent. Traded him for Shawn Belle.
2nd(70th)- Yared Hagos- Hated the pick at the time, but have grown to love it. Wont be a big scorer, but will be a very good 3rd liner for years and years to come. Great pick in the 3rd round. Also managed to grab Jokinen in the 6th round. Very nice draft.

2002

1st(26th)- Martin Vagner- BUST- Everyone knows the story here. Wasnt signed, and fell all the way to the 9th round. Production has even managed to go down this year. No NHL future. Only consolation is that the compensatory pick we got for not signing him ended up being used on Grossman.
2nd(32nd)- Janos Vas- BUST- Nice talent, but injuries have killed him, as he cant even score in the Swedish Tier II league. Below average draft with the exception of Daley and Stephan.

2003

1st(33rd)- Loui Eriksson- Many people thought this was a reach, but he has really proven us wrong. Won ROY last year, and managed to increase his production(albeit 1 point) this year despite playing fewer games and being stuck behind NHLers. 1st/2nd line upside.
2nd(36th)- Vojtech Polak- Not ready to label him a bust, as he just has way too much talent for that. Played on 2 terrible teams in the Czech league this year. Needs to come over to the AHL to get quality icetime next year.

2004

1st(28th)- Mark Fistric- Injuries have limited him to just 15 games this year. However, he's one of the safer prospects out there, and is almost a sure bet to make it as at least a #5/6 d-man.
2nd(34th)- Johan Fransson- Great pick were he was picked, as he has top talent but fell simply because of some injury concerns and the fact he was a year older than most draftees. Top pairing potential.

 

[TML]

Luca Cereda.

 

[Olorin]

1993
Niklas Sundstrom (8)

Solid player, though he never produced as much offensively as originally hoped. I'd say he was an ok selection, though several players selected after him in the first round have had more successful careers.

Lee Sorochan (34) Bust.

1994
Dan Cloutier (26)

Good pick at the end of the first round.

Rudolf Vercik (52) Bust.

1995
Christian Dube (39) Bust.

As I recall, his selection was initially hailed as a steal. He found success in the AHL, but I think he bulked up too much and lost mobility. Now playing in Switzerland.

1996
Jeff Brown (22) Bust.

Daniel Goneau (48) Bust.

Ah, Goneau. Anyone else remember the hype he generated for a brief stretch of games? Now playing in France.

1997
Stefan Cherneski (19) Bust.

He shattered his kneecap once, then I think he either did it again or injured the same knee in another way. He was a promising prospect, sad to see his career end the way it did.

Wes Jarvis (46) Bust.

1998
Manny Malhotra (7) Bust.

His development was completely screwed up. He probably never would have been a tremendous offensive player, but his offense could have possibly been honed further had he followed an OHL-AHL-NHL development path. He was always a very classy person, I hope he does very well with Columbus.

Randy Copley (40) Bust.

1999
Pavel Brendl (4) Bust.

So much wasted talent.

Jamie Lundmark (9) Bust (just about).

Apparently he stopped playing the aggressive style of hockey that made him successful after his draft year. McGill is trying to get him to play with more of an edge in Hartford. I think he should be given one full NHL season before a verdict is finalized.

David Inman (59) Bust.

Good skills, no hockey sense.

2000
Filip Novak (64)

Missed a whole year of development with an injury. Too early.

2001
Dan Blackburn

Like Cherneski, he'll likely have to retire far too early in his career. At times he flashed great potential, and were he healthy I think he would have been the Rangers' starter for 10+ years.

Fedor Tyutin (40)

Very good pick. He showed a lot of positives last season, and should get top-4 minutes when the NHL resumes. I'd like to see him play with more intensity.

2002

Lee Falardeau (33)

He can't technically be called a bust yet, but he was an awful pick. If the Rangers were looking for a defensive center they could have chosen Jarret Stoll who went three picks later to Edmonton. He's been in the ECHL this season, with two AHL games.

2003

Hugh Jessiman (12)

He was ranked 4th on the Rangers draft board, meaning he was ahead of one of Staal, Horton, Fleury, or Zherdev. He had a so-so sophmore season. He worked very hard last summer to get into better shape and looked much stronger going into his junior season. He injured his ankle 4 games in and missed the bulk of the season. I'm interested to see how his development will progress.

Ivan Baranka (50)

Solid defensive defenseman. He's played with Everett the past two seasons and has done very well according to people who watch the team regularly. Kevin Constantine thinks highly of him. He seems like a safe player.

2004

Al Montoya (6)

Poor season. I would have prefered Olesz, but that's my opinion. He should return to Michigan next season to prove himself rather then advance to Hartford.

Lauri Korpikoski (19)

Ok first season as a pro according to thise who watch him in Finland, He should play a larger role next season with TPS and contribute more at the WJC.

Darin Olver (36)

Improved point-wise from his freshmen season. He should complete college before moving to the AHL unless he shows significant improvement.

Dane Byers (48)

I wish they had chosen someone with more upside, like Carl Soderberg, with this pick. He seems similar to players already in the Rangers system.

Bruce Graham (51)

I liked the Graham pick, he fills a system need for an offensively skilled center. He missed a large portion of the season with an injury, but according to those who follow Moncton he played fairly well.

Brandon Dubinsky (60)

He regressed statistically this season. I don't know much about him other then he is smallish, offensively gifted, and an agitator

 

[Hedberg]

Here is a more in-depth look at the Canucks picks in the top 2 rounds

1992
C Libor Polasek- BUST- Drafted only because he was big. Never played in the NHL. Still playing in the Slovak league
C Mike Peca- Only played a few games for the Canucks, but went on the win a gold medal with Canada in 02
G Mike Foutain- BUST- Got a shutout in his first NHL game, but only played 10 more. Released from the UHL earlier this year

1993
D Mike Wilson- BUST- Another guy drafted because of his size, but was too slow. He did manage to play 336 NHL games, none with the Canucks
F Rick Girard- BUST- Solid 2nd liner in the old IHL and Germany

1994
D Mattias Ohlund- Star defenceman. Great Pick
C Robb Gordon- BUST- Played only 4 NHL games, going scoreless. Retired in 2000
C Dave Scatchard- Good, solid checking line player. Wish the Canucks kept him

1995
D Chris McAllister- BUST- A poor mans Eric Cairns. Yes, he is that bad. Managed to struggle through 301 NHL Games
F Larry Courville- BUST- Plays in the ECHL. If he's lucky, he will be in a replacement NHL next year. 33 NHL Games

1996
F Josh Holden- BUST- Supposed to be a star centre. Ended up playing 60 NHL games with Vancouver, Carolina, and Toronto. Doing okay in Finland this year

1997
D Brad Ference- BUST- Similar pick to Chris McAllister. Choosing big, slow defenceman in the early rounds rarely works out (Keep this in mind Atlanta fans)
Played 245 NHL games, but can't be a point a game player in the FRENCH LEAGUE
D Ryan Bonni- BUST- Again, big, slow d-man. 3 NHL Games. Played this season in the DEL-2, UHL, and a few games with Milwaukee in the AHL
F Harold Druken- BUST- 147 NHL Games. At one time had potential, but sadly doesn't have the heart to be in the NHL

1998
D Bryan Allen- Good defenceman, but picked too high in the draft
F Artem Chubarov- Good checking centre

1999
F Daniel and Henrik Sedin- Both good 2nd line players

2000
F Nathan Smith- BUST- Horrible pick. Is a healthy scratch in the AHL at times. Played 2 NHL games

From 1992-2000 the Canucks drafted 12 busts out of 19 players

 

[Vatican Roulette]

I wonder who Vancouver fans would rather have, Nathan Smith or Nathan Barrett. Burke just let Barrett go, and he's outplayed Smith in the AHL by a good bit. Both are career minor leaguers though.

i'm glad a toronto fan can admit that, albeit a year or so late.

 

[nomorekids]

Nashville Predators-

1998-

David Legwand(2)- Not a bust

Some certainly seem to want to call him one(a contingent of Nashville fans included), but I think that a) he's still young, considering he was rushed in at 18, b)he's excelled in areas he was originally thought to be weak(defense, mainly) c) he's been a victim of a defensive-center system. I think that if Trotz ever goes or if he's traded to a team that allows its centers to shine, you're going to see Legwand explode into a dominant scoring center. It's weak evidence, but he was absolutely unstoppable in his time in Switzerland this year.

Denis Arkhipov(60)- Bust

Again, he's got his fans in Nashville, but I don't see him ever picking up the pieces again. He was drafted to give Nashville the ultimate 1-2 punch down the middle, and after an impressive 20 goal rookie campaign, his confidence was shattered after a DUI arrest that was made unnecessarily public in Nashville and the breaking up of the dominant "vowel line" in 2002. He's got all the skills, but his mental game is gone. I'd not be surprised to see him never return from Russia, where he seems to have refound his abilities.

late round surprises- Karlis Skrastins(230)

1999-

Brian Finley(6)- not a bust\too early to tell

I was all ready to call him a bust, but he's had a terrific year in Milwaukee, finally rebounding to live up to some of the hype that saw him touted as the best goalie in the OHL in the late 90s. I'd like to see how he improves his consistency, but things look better for him, at least for now.

Jonas Andersson(33)- BUST

Terrific junior scorer, injuries plagued him in the AHL and he never really fit in. Went back to Europe.

Adam Hall(52)- Not a bust

Adam is perhaps the Preds' most clutch scorer, and turning into a nice power forward. Does everything well, and if he converts to center which he's trying to do, he could be a very,very valuable player to the Preds.

Andrew Hutchinson(54)- Too early to tell

Has been one of the top offensive d-men in the AHL for two years, but needs to round out his defensive game, where he still makes a bunch of mistakes. Had a few nice cups of coffee in the NHL, including last year, where he scored 4 goals and 11 points in just 18 years in a third pairing role.

late round surprises- Martin Erat(191), Darren Haydar(248)

2000-

Scott Hartnell(6)- Not a bust

Was considered one of the safest picks in the 2000 draft and has actually shown that he's going to exceed expectations. Some felt he wouldn't be able to translate his junior scoring abilities, but is looking more like a Shane Doan clone every year..but is hitting his stride faster than Doan ever would. If he can stay healthy, he's going to be the Preds' best player, next season. He was already pretty much it in only just over a half season in 2003-2004

Daniel Widing(36)- Bust

Marginal scorer in Europe. Yawn. If we wanted a center, Vermette and Stoll were also available...not to mention Paul Martin

2001-

Dan Hamhuis(12)- Not a bust

Hammer had a rookie season that shocked everyone, considering he wasn't even supposed to make the team. He's dominating the AHL at both ends of the ice this year, and the things he's showing at 22 are scary. Reminds me favorably of Wade Redden, but I think he can be even better.

Timofei Shishkanov(33)- Too early\most likely not a bust

A bit inconsistent, but that's getting better all the time. Is too choosy with his shots at the moment, but he's got a cannon when he lets it go. Sick skills, and will likely continue his development and be a fine 2nd line scorer.

Tomas Slovak(42)- Bust

Looked promising in Kelowna, and we were shocked when he was traded to Colorado. Has since bounced between the AHL and the ECHL, looking underwhelming at both levels. Reportedly has quite the attitude. I'd be surprised if he was ever anything more than a spot NHLer

2002-

Scottie Upshall(6)- Too early to tell

Scottie's tendency to get injured is the only thing holding him back. He's got world class skills, a lion's heart and every intangible you could hope for. But can he stay healthy long enough to put it together?

2003-

Ryan Suter(7) - Not a bust

Dominant on a bad WJC team this past year, dominant on a good one the year before. Has earned his way up to top pairing on one of the best AHL teams in the league, mostly in a defensive role, though he sees plenty of PP time as well behind Hamhuis\Hutchinson.

Konstantin Glazachev(35)- Too early\Likely a bust

Supposedly one of the most skilled snipers in the draft, attitude problems caused his stock to fall. Now he's not even playing well in Russia, and chances are he'll never cross the pond.

Kevin Klein(35)- Too early

Milwaukee's most improved player from the beginning of the year to now. Plays both ends of the ice well, and has rounded out to be reliable in every situation. Becoming a fan favorite for Ads fans. Should be a nice #5 in the NHL, at the very worst...a reliable top pairing AHL guy\call up...but he's certainly capable of more.

Shea Weber(49)- Not a bust

Poile\Trotz promised that while he was relatively obscure..that was going to change. They caught wind of him while watching Slovak play in Kelowna...and when they drafted Shea, they told him "you just took Tomas's place on our depth chart". A monster defensively, his play is often compared to a less-honed Dion Phaneuf. If the draft were re-held, it's likely that he could have been picked in the first round.

late surprise- Lauris Darzins(268)

2004-

Alexander Radulov(15)- Too early\likely not a bust

His stock has risen a lot since the draft. His talent was never argued...but attitude\defense were questioned. He's proven that these concerns were ill-conceived. Has had a terrific rookie year in the Q, and should be even better next year in an even bigger role

late surprise- Denis Kulyash(243)

 

[Ban Hammered]

Here is a more in-depth look at the Canucks picks in the top 2 rounds

1992
C Libor Polasek- BUST- Drafted only because he was big. Never played in the NHL. Still playing in the Slovak league
C Mike Peca- Only played a few games for the Canucks, but went on the win a gold medal with Canada in 02
G Mike Foutain- BUST- Got a shutout in his first NHL game, but only played 10 more. Released from the UHL earlier this year

1993
D Mike Wilson- BUST- Another guy drafted because of his size, but was too slow. He did manage to play 336 NHL games, none with the Canucks
F Rick Girard- BUST- Solid 2nd liner in the old IHL and Germany

1994
D Mattias Ohlund- Star defenceman. Great Pick
C Robb Gordon- BUST- Played only 4 NHL games, going scoreless. Retired in 2000
C Dave Scatchard- Good, solid checking line player. Wish the Canucks kept him

1995
D Chris McAllister- BUST- A poor mans Eric Cairns. Yes, he is that bad. Managed to struggle through 301 NHL Games
F Larry Courville- BUST- Plays in the ECHL. If he's lucky, he will be in a replacement NHL next year. 33 NHL Games

1996
F Josh Holden- BUST- Supposed to be a star centre. Ended up playing 60 NHL games with Vancouver, Carolina, and Toronto. Doing okay in Finland this year

1997
D Brad Ference- BUST- Similar pick to Chris McAllister. Choosing big, slow defenceman in the early rounds rarely works out (Keep this in mind Atlanta fans)
Played 245 NHL games, but can't be a point a game player in the FRENCH LEAGUE
D Ryan Bonni- BUST- Again, big, slow d-man. 3 NHL Games. Played this season in the DEL-2, UHL, and a few games with Milwaukee in the AHL
F Harold Druken- BUST- 147 NHL Games. At one time had potential, but sadly doesn't have the heart to be in the NHL

1998
D Bryan Allen- Good defenceman, but picked too high in the draft
F Artem Chubarov- Good checking centre

1999
F Daniel and Henrik Sedin- Both good 2nd line players

2000
F Nathan Smith- BUST- Horrible pick. Is a healthy scratch in the AHL at times. Played 2 NHL games

From 1992-2000 the Canucks drafted 12 busts out of 19 players

Get ready for another Bust with Matt Gens from 2002...yes he was 9th round so probably not much was expected anyway.....but if his play at SCSU is any indication, the kid will be lucky to make it out of the UHL or ECHL, if he plays pro hockey at all

 

[nomorekids]

Get ready for another Bust with Matt Gens from 2002...yes he was 9th round so probably not much was expected anyway.....but if his play at SCSU is any indication, the kid will be lucky to make it out of the UHL or ECHL, if he plays pro hockey at all

I'm not sure if it's possible to be a "bust" in the ninth round. Most of those picks are reaches anyway, just taking any scraps that are left...though every once in a while you find a gem (Nabokov, Vokoun, Sullivan, Johnsson)

 

[Big McLargehuge]

D Brad Ference- BUST- Similar pick to Chris McAllister. Choosing big, slow defenceman in the early rounds rarely works out (Keep this in mind Atlanta fans)
Played 245 NHL games, but can't be a point a game player in the FRENCH LEAGUE

Ference was looking pretty decent until the whole Lemieux fiasco.

After Lemieux went ******* on him Ference's career fell like a rock.

 

[McDonald19]

Hamhuis, Gleason, Karlsson , Perezhogin perhaps ??

Definetly like Chistov more than Perezhogin.

Hamhuis and Gleason are going to be good defensemen for sure...but still I'd like to see if Chistov can reach his huge potential...

 

[Ol' Dirty Chinaman*]

Smith had 49 points in his draft year. His production went through the roof the next year when he had the extreme good fortune to end up on the best line in the WHL, with league scoring leader Layne Ulmer and Duncan Milroy. His production was being carried by those players in a huge way. He did a good job, but his production was in absolutely no way reflective of his talent.

How the Canucks picked Smith over Brian Sutherby is still a mystery to me. Both players projected into the same role in the NHL - #3 center. They played head-to-head in the same division of the WHL, and played against each other numerous times in the two years leading up to the draft. Even at the time, Sutherby was better at almost every skill a hockey player can have. Bigger, stronger, better skater, tougher, better defensively, more leadership, better shot. Every scouting service had Sutherby rated loads higher than Smith, who was a consensus 2nd-3rd rounder. And we pick Smith.

#23: N.Smith
....
#28: J. Williams

 

[Frolov 6'3]

2nd(70th)- Jon Sim- BUST- Great AHL scorer who just couldnt translate it into the NHL.

I don't think you can call anyone a bust who was picked in the 3rd round 70th overall.

 

[Chaos]

I don't think you can call anyone a bust who was picked in the 3rd round 70th overall.

Yeah I know...I was just listing the top 2 picks each year, like everyone else was. Just so happens he was in the 3rd round.

 

[417]

Definetly like Chistov more than Perezhogin.

Hamhuis and Gleason are going to be good defensemen for sure...but still I'd like to see if Chistov can reach his huge potential...

Nothing against Chistov, but if that draft is done over again, an argument can be made to take Perezhogin over Chistov IMO, I like Chistov alot though

 

[Bileur]

Hamhuis and Redden is a bad comparison.

 

[nomorekids]

Hamhuis and Redden is a bad comparison.

How? Having seen a lot of both, they seem similar, with Hamhuis being a bit more physical.

 

[Fighter]

1998

1st (5th overall) Vitaly Vishnevski...ok top 4 defensemen , inconsistent physical play, looks like he may be reaching his offensive potential. Interesting pick at 5th overall when he was rated in the 20s for the draft.

He was VERY physical in his first two years of NHL, he was among the leaders in the NHL for hits and had a good amount for a non-fighter d-man.
Now he has a more polite game with a new offensive touch which is good for us.
To me he was rushed, but his progress last year shows that he will remain in the NHL for many years and with a primary role on the Ducks line-up.

1st (5th overall) Stan Chistov...TBD...has all the talent in the world to make it in the NHL...Wouldn't trade him for any 2001 first rounder not named Kovalchuk, Spezza or Ruutu...like him better than Weiss, Svitov and Koivu...we'll see what happens in the next couple of years.

Agree completely on all points on Stan, he will rebound when NHL resume his sophomore slump.

 

[DJmastamind]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned Alex Svitov as a BUST for Tampa.
IMO Kris Beech is also a BUST for Washington...Lucky for them though they dumped him to PIT for JAGR

 

[Quiet Robert]

I'm suprised no one did the Habs yet and I have some time so here it goes; the 1st and 2nd round picks since 1992.

1992
Round 1-21st overall- David Wilkie. Half-Bust. He was decent, but didn't play long enough. He had good size, but could never really cut it.
Round 2-33rd overall- Val Bure. Grood pickup at 33. He played decent for the Habs but had his breakout after which is too bad. Still had a good career though.
Round 2-44 overall-Kelli Corpse. BUST. Never played a game in the NHL. Wasen't really a great pick.

1993
Round 1- 21st overall- Saku Koivu. Amazing pick. Heart of the Habs and a great player. Captain of the team and overall great player.
Round 2-47 overall- Rory Fitzpatrick. Really good AHL player, but never really did anything with the Habs. He's been good for Buffalo/Rochester for the past few years. Not really a bust because he's been servicable in the AHL.

1994
Round 1-18th overall. Brad Brown. Good size, but never managed to make an impact with the Habs. Can't say he's a bust because he's having a rebirth with Minnesota. He's turned into a pretty good defender.
Round 2-44th overall. Jose Theodore. Absolute steal at no.44. Great goalie for the Habs.

1995
Round 1-8th overall. Terry Ryan. BUST. Brutal pick considering the talen around him. Too bad, because he was talented.
Round 2- No pick.

1996
Round 1-18th overall. Matt Higgins. BUST. Not a very deep draft, and not much talent around him, but he's a bust. Never made an impact.
Round 2-44th overall. Mathieu Garon. Great pick. He's turning into a really good goalie. Good pick in the 2nd round.

1997
Round 1-11th overall. Jason Ward. His offensive skills haven't transalted to the NHL, but he works hard and is an effective checker. I have to say I expected more out of him, but I'm still very happy with the way he's developing.
Round 2- 37th overall. Gregor Baumgartner. BUST. Wasted pick. Never played an NHL game.

1998
Round 1-15th overall. Eric Chouinard. BUST. This was the one where weren't sure if it was him or Simon Gagné. Obviously Habs made the wrong choice.
Round 2- 45th overall. Mike Ribeiro. Great pickup. Had a breakout year last year. Great vision and playmaking skills. Will be nice to see how he plays in the futur.

1999
Round 1- No pick.
Round 2- 39th overall. Alexander Buturlin. Talented guy, but has yet to come over. I would like to see what he can do in NA, but it seems unlikely he will come over. Right now I have to say bad pick/bust.

2000
Round 1-13th overall. Ron Hainsey. An enigma. Is playing really well of late. It will be nice to see if he can finally get his game together and play at the NHL level. However, at 24 time is running out for him. He could be, at worst, a great AHL player though. Very talented.
Round 1- 15th overall. Marcel Hossa. Another enigma. Has all the tools, size, skill, skating etc...Just needs consistency. Again too early to tell, but his chances are running out.

For the others, it's a little too early to tell, but from 2001 to 2004 it looks pretty good so far.

 

[Kirk- NEHJ]

Nice job, QuietRobert.

A fair and balanced assessment.