First round supposed "busts" that actually had good NHL careers

[25Bieksa3]

Not sure if he was brought up yet, but Ethan Moreau?

I think he had a pretty solid career and was a great checking line forward. However, he was drafted as a sniper and he was anything but..

 

[Hobnobs]

Aki Petteri Berg probably has the worst reputation for a decent player. Thats what happens when you play for the leafs...

 

[Plural]

Aki Petteri Berg probably has the worst reputation for a decent player. Thats what happens when you play for the leafs...

Yeah, he wasn't as bad as some make him out to be. He really was a decent D and had more than 600 games under his belt. Not too bad.

In the time he was drafted, 1995, the NHL had this crazy thing with big and strong defensemen.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I don't think there are many people who consider these guys busts.

I'm not considering them busts, I'm just going by what the thread is asking.

They've all had great careers which was asked, but it said people that were taken a little too high in the draft.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't take Jokinen 3rd, Redden 2nd and Morris 13th knowing what I know now. I'm not calling anyone on my list a bust, just a little too high for my liking

 

[feffan]

I'm not considering them busts, I'm just going by what the thread is asking.

They've all had great careers which was asked, but it said people that were taken a little too high in the draft.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't take Jokinen 3rd, Redden 2nd and Morris 13th knowing what I know now. I'm not calling anyone on my list a bust, just a little too high for my liking

Can´t agree with that. Even if I had complete knowledge of everybodys career:
* The only player clearly ahead of Redden is Iginla. People seeme to forget he was a top 5-15 D in the league for many seasons. Kiprusoff, Langkow, Doan, Savard and Sykora could all be argued. It´s what you prefer. A top 5 goalie for a few years. A 5-15 top D for many years. A top 15-30 forward for many years. I´d probably still take him second in a redraft (but I like my defenders ).

* Jokinen is a few spots off. Luongo, Morrow, Hossa and Campell ahead I guess. But he probably goes 7 in a redraft. Not that far off...

* There ain´t thirteen players in the Morris draft that beats him in his prime early 00´s or career. Funny enough, he was one big reach at the time. He would have gone around 10 if a re-draft was done today. And if the question was asked around 03/04 he would have a chance at nr.1... actually it was http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=39474

 

[Stephen]

Considering that Alexandre Daigle given a huge contract to provide Sakic/Yzerman type results on the ice for the Senators combined with movie star good looks and charisma off it, you're basically looking at a guy who was supposed to be a kind of Cristiano Ronaldo of hockey.

If it had all worked out, Daigle probably would be wrapping up his career right around now, with over 500 goals, 1200 points, maybe an Art Ross, and maybe a Stanley Cup or two from the 2004-2007 era.

The fact that he was a serviceable NHLer who scored a couple of 50 point seasons really doesn't come close to making him less of a bust in this regard.

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

I get the feeling that Zach Bogosian and Luke Schenn may be on this list someday.

 

[Stephen]

I get the feeling that Zach Bogosian and Luke Schenn may be on this list someday.

Luke Schenn is going to have a Luke Richardson career and people will give him too much credit for just being a warm body.

 

[FosterHewitt]

Scott Pearson probably fits the bill

 

[The Great Dame]

Steve Bernier comes to mind as a player who will be on this list

 

[Sadekuuro]

i'm tempted add scottie upshall's name, because every year i think he's retired or gone to europe and there he is on some terrible team's third line. but i'm not sure i've ever actually noticed him play, so i can't vouch for him having a *good* NHL career-- perhaps just a surprising long one (maybe like aki berg-- decently long career, but consistently terrible through the whole thing).

Upshall isn't terrible, he's just not good enough to stick in anyone's top six.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

If Bob Gainey had been promoted as someone who could put pts up instead of being a great checker-never scored 50 pts in career and never had 25 goal season.IM Being sarcastic but as a high 1st round pick you would have thought numbers would have been better

That's interesting Thom. Did Pollock expect big numbers from Gainey or did he just know he had a gem of a player anyway?

 

[DFC]

I myself used him as an example of someone who had a decent career. And I was not trying to change "bust" definition overall-just more the "went on to have a decent NHL career after falling" type of idea. That was just my example of what I was looking for, not to turn the thread into a "was Daigle a bust or not"discussion. The focus is on other players in draft history, not specifically Alex.

My idea for the thread was to focus more on the players and their career numbers and less on the "what they were supposed to be"-and the focus was on players in taken in the first round-notables taken in the 1-10 area.

I agree. Daigle was no Patrik Stefan. He had a solid NHL career. He didn't meet expectations, but he turned into a quality player. Unfortunately, we always remember him in relation to the expectations put upon him, which isn't really fair.

 

[Evincar]

I agree. Daigle was no Patrik Stefan. He had a solid NHL career. He didn't meet expectations, but he turned into a quality player. Unfortunately, we always remember him in relation to the expectations put upon him, which isn't really fair.

I think its fair and he isnt that much better than Stefan. His offensive totals are bad and was terrible defensively.

How exactly was he a quality player or how did he have a solid career?

A guy like Scott Gomez gets ridiculed a lot but Daigle makes him look like a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. There are a lot more examples of quality/solid career guys who were significantly better than Daigle.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

This screams Malhotra. Hyped offensive talent developed into premier defensive forward.
Same can be said about Rob Niedermayer drafted 5th overall as an offensive force, altough his development into defensive center is marked with concussion.

Malhotra was never touted as an offensive talent, but his defensive abilities were such that he was as close to a sure fire NHLer as you could have hoped to find. Scouts thought that if his offence eventually did come along, then he'd be a rich man's 2nd liner. Unfortunately, it never did, and he ended up being a very rich man's 4th liner instead.

I'll add Todd Warriner and Mark Bell. Both meh top 10 picks.

 

[Hobnobs]

Anders Eriksson should fit the bill of what the OP is looking for. Taken 22nd overall but never really blossomed in the HNL but did have a decent career.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

I think its fair and he isnt that much better than Stefan. His offensive totals are bad and was terrible defensively.

How exactly was he a quality player or how did he have a solid career?

A guy like Scott Gomez gets ridiculed a lot but Daigle makes him look like a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. There are a lot more examples of quality/solid career guys who were significantly better than Daigle.

I don't know the story on Stefan, but Daigle made it worse for himself by his lack of effort some nights, indifference and other extracurricular activities he seemed to be more interested in. I don't think he had a solid career. I think he tried harder in some seasons to become a better player, but his heart and head weren't in it. Actually, I was more impressed with his comeback with The Wild than at any other time in his career. At least he seemed focused.

 

[Hobnobs]

I don't know the story on Stefan, but Daigle made it worse for himself by his lack of effort some nights, indifference and other extracurricular activities he seemed to be more interested in. I don't think he had a solid career. I think he tried harder in some seasons to become a better player, but his heart and head weren't in it. Actually, I was more impressed with his comeback with The Wild than at any other time in his career. At least he seemed focused.

Yea the problem with Stefan wasnt lack of effort. That kid really tried his best. He just wasnt suited to play in the NHL.

 

[Killion]

That's interesting Thom. Did Pollock expect big numbers from Gainey or did he just know he had a gem of a player anyway?

He knew he had a defensively oriented gem of a forward, a shutdown specialist with exceptional smarts & savvy. There wasnt ever any thought or speculation given to the idea that Bob Gainey was ever going to be a sniper or major playmaker. He'd played Defense until 15 in Peterborough then was converted to a Forward in Jr.B. Played 3 years in his hometown under Roger Neilson with the Petes, grew up idolizing the Leafs of the 60's, guys like Horton, Pulford & Kelly etc.

 

[MaskedSonja]

I agree. Daigle was no Patrik Stefan. He had a solid NHL career. He didn't meet expectations, but he turned into a quality player. Unfortunately, we always remember him in relation to the expectations put upon him, which isn't really fair.

That's that my thought process as well pretty much, why I thought of him.

Now looking over the thread, there certainly seems to be difference of opinion on what is a "quality" career/player for players-and my qualifier was vague. My thought process on Alex for the thread went like this:

Top 10-15 draft pick: yes
High Expectations: Absolutely yes.
Did he meet those expectations: Obviously not at all.
Did he have a quality NHL career: now this is where maybe it was poor word choice on my part, but here was my reasoning. The guy played 600 games. First off how many NHL players who are drafted even get to 600 games? Now how many of those were first rounders in the top 15 who were considered not to have met high expectations? Alex failed to meet expectations placed on him and where he was drafted-that is undeniable. My point for him, and for the thread in general, is that after failing those expecations, going on to have a 600 game career and putting up almost 300 points anyways, I think is pretty good given all the qualifiers-hence my use of "quality". What his "motivation" was, or how "skilled" he was in reality as people debate, that wasn't what I was thinking-I was going with the whole top 15/expectations/games played/points ratio-in other words-the numbers.

TLR lol: top 15 pick, large,yet failed expectations, played over 600 games anyway with 300 points. Most of the names/ideas in this thread are pretty much along the lines I'm thinking of (with variations obviously in opinion of said names, but this is a discussion board after all ).

 

[MaskedSonja]

Just so it didn't get lost in the previous post lol:

I love the names and examples being used here-and the discussion on them is awesome, especially when names come up that say "now that's interesting, why do you think such and such?" and the reasoning for said answers.

There are so many people drafted in first round 15 that get the high expectations that end up not doing anything and out of the NHL soon after. It's nice to see the names here that push forward anyway and make a career out of it.

 

[MaskedSonja]

Anders Eriksson should fit the bill of what the OP is looking for. Taken 22nd overall but never really blossomed in the HNL but did have a decent career.

15 year NHL career not bad at all!

 

[Rexor]

Radek Bonk. Drafted 3rd overall in 1994 and never cracked 40 points in his first 5 seasons. Still managed to have a very decent NHL career with 497 points in 969 games.

Edit: OK, I didn't read the first post carefully, thought it was supposed to be a player who was considered a bust in the beginning but came to his own eventually. Still Bonk isn't the worst answer to OP's question. Maybe also Michael Frolík (10th overall) out of the younger Czech players. A very good 3rd liner who was being talked of as the next Jágr, playing as a 16 years old at the World Juniors and scoring highlight-reel goals there. Not exactly a name for the history section though.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Eric Nystrom was a bust relative to draft slot expectations, as he was picked 10th by Calgary in 2002, but still carved out a decent bottom 6 career

 

[WarriorofTime]

Daigle did not have a good career. He was gifted a lot of ice time and had some moderate production as a bad team scoring, 1-way, major liability elsewhere forward. It shows a bit of laziness to go "oh 616 games, a couple 51 point seasons, not bad". He only got so much opportunities as such a highly regarded prospect. His best season was the one with Lemaire on the Wild. The Senators tenure was a complete and abject failure.