Biggest busts of the past?

[mazmin]

Scott Scissons.... I think that was his name. I just remember having an Upper Deck hockey card with the top 6 picks of the 1990 draft on it. I think there was Jagr, Ricci, Nolan, Nedved, Prrimeau and Scissons on the card. Compared to the other five Scissons is a major bust.

Brian Lawton, Doug Wickenheiser, Alex Daigle also come to mind as the obvious.

 

[Diaboli]

Damn pnep, you must have a huge database!


Going up to the 1999 Draft, Sittler is the highest drafted player to never play a game in the NHL.

The following players have the pottential to tie or beat him:
Lars Jonsson (7th overall, Boston, 2000)
Mikko Koivu (6th overall, Minnesota, 2001)
Ryan Whitney (5th overall, Pittsburgh, 2002)
Thomas Vanek (5th overall, Buffalo, 2003)
Ryan Suter (7th overall, Nashville, 2003)

Of course Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin, Cam Barker, Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler, Al Montoya, and Rostislav Olesz haven't played any NHL games and still have a shot at the 'record'.

How can you call Mikko Koivu a bust? He chose to develop himself in the Finnish elite league. His last two seasons have been injury filled, and still he was the first line center of TPS, one of the best teams in Finland. Next time NHL is played, he'll play with Minnesota. Would you have called Tuomo Ruutu a bust, if he had began his NHL career one season later? Koivu is 21. Yeah, I think he's too old to develop. Nice going! How many of you have even seen him play before WC?

 

[Fincan]

How can you call Mikko Koivu a bust? He chose to develop himself in the Finnish elite league. His last two seasons have been injury filled, and still he was the first line center of TPS, one of the best teams in Finland. Next time NHL is played, he'll play with Minnesota. Would you have called Tuomo Ruutu a bust, if he had began his NHL career one season later? Koivu is 21. Yeah, I think he's too old to develop. Nice going! How many of you have even seen him play before WC?

He's not calling Koivu a bust. He is simply stating that these are the players that were drafted higher or at the same position who are yet to play a game and thus have the "potential" to equal or beat Sittler as a huge bust due to being drafted so high and never playing a game. The reason they have this potential is beause they are yet to play and no other factor. I dont think he assumes all of them, or maybe even any of them, will not play a game.

 

[ziggy]

Name some of the all-time prospects who never lived up to the hype.

The biggest flop in recent years has obviously been Alexandre Daigle.

I have a collection of hockey cards from about 10 years ago and he had like 15 cards in the pack just dedicated to hyping him up, it's funny looking back now.

I think you´re right - Daigle is the biggest bust since I´ve followed NHL hockey.
The kid was very, very hyped going into his draft year. He was supposed to be the next big thing coming out of the QMJHL since Mario Lemieux.
There were roumors that Ottawa played to lose the last games of the 1992/93 season, so that they would finish last overall. (It was a close call, San Jose finished with the same number of points, but with more wins.) It was said that several Senator players were ordered to lose games, in exchange for a roster spot the next year. All this prompted the NHL to introduce the Draft Lottery, which came in effect a couple of years later.
Daigle was - prior to ever skating in the NHL - signed to an, at that time, astonishing USD 12.000.000 deal, which made him the highest paid rookie ever. And that record stands, since that prompted the NHL to set a cap on rookie salarys.
And Daigle wasn´t a victim of injuries, he just fell very, very short on expectations.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Canuck21t]

Daigle is only 200 lbs! Lindros with is 230 lbs, is by far a biggest bust.... plus there where also many cards dedicated to him before he played in the NHL.

Oh please, give me a freaking break. Lindros put up huge numbers before his head injuries. How can you call that a burst? The only answer is that you don't know the meaning of the word "burst".

 

[thestonedkoala]

Didn't Daigle have a ton of pressure too on him?

"You're our savior, help turn around this team..."

That's a lot of pressure on an 18 year old kid...

And if you want to talk about busts talk about LeCavalier...I mean he was put in a similiar situation as Daigle but responded quiet well when the team built around him but floundered in his first few years...

1st year: 82 GP, 28 points
2nd year: 80 GP, 67 points
3rd year: 68 GP, 51 points
4th: 76 GP, 37 Points
5th: 80 GP, 78 points
6th: 81 GP, 66 points

Last two years were extraordinary for LeCavalier, who has played 427 games and has 327 points...but kind of underachieving for a guy that I believe was described as the Michael Jordan of hockey no?

Daigle has played more seasons in the NHL and more games 570 games with 299 points but his game has caught an upswing...