Greatest season ever by a conventionally bad player?

[Yozhik v tumane]

The first one to spring to mind was Fernando Pisani’s 14 goal, 18 point postseason. I know nothing else about him though.

 

[mattihp]

Ian Moran scored 12 points in a season. The difference between the amount of talent and 12 points is the biggest ever in the NHL. It would be equivalent of Christian Laflamme winning the Norris.

 

[InglewoodJack]

Pouliot was a weird one. After his first gew games with the Habs i was sure he was going to be an elite player. Seems to have size, speed and skills. Never.panned out

I was never big on that trade because Latendresse was the definition of a guy who just gives you enough to get excited about his potential, and always seemed like he was a step or two away from figuring it out and then becoming a star. Of course that never happened, but when I saw his first season in Minny, I thought for sure he was going to be a 30 goal scorer for years to come.

That said, apparently the Habs had Pouliot as their #1 choice for the 05 draft with Price #2, so at least we only gave up a scrub for him instead of our franchise goalie.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Not a terrible player but Jiri Hudler exploded in I think it was 2015.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Andrew Hammond in his Ottawa days

 

[krutovsdonut]

warren young and bj macdonald come to mind, although bj had some years in the wha

 

[Thallis]

Matt D'agostini had a 21 goal, 46 point season once. His next best year was 21 points

 

[Dexter Colt]

Correct me if I'm wrong and I don't call him a bad player, but didn't Ray Sheppard score 50 goals right after Red Wings bought him for 1$. I can't remember where.

Kris Draper was obtained for futures ($1) from Winnipeg.

Sheppard was a decent scorer who had that one 50-goal season.

 

[MMANumminen]

Kris Draper was obtained for futures ($1) from Winnipeg.

Sheppard was a decent scorer who had that one 50-goal season.

I checked it and Sheppard was actually bought for 1$ but it was Rangers who bought him from Buffalo. He scored 47pts in 59 games for NYR and then got traded (dunno the price)to DET where he did 36, 32, 52 and 30G seasons

 

[Rorschach]

I remember Chris Kontos who basically was a non-NHLer and scored 9 goals in 5 games (I think) for LA in the 88-89 playoffs. During Tampa Bay's first year, he scored 27 goals in 66 games.

 

[Dexter Colt]

I checked it and Sheppard was actually bought for 1$ but it was Rangers who bought him from Buffalo. He scored 47pts in 59 games for NYR and then got traded (dunno the price)to DET where he did 36, 32, 52 and 30G seasons

Oh wow! Thanks for checking! I had totally missed this about Sheppard and imagined you must've mixed up the stories. You taught me a new thing and made me have one of these moments:

 

[alko]

Not NHL, but Scott Parker had a 30-goals season in WHL.

 

[Alwalys]

Probably not the worst, but Devin Setoguchi had a 30 goal, 65 point season. In reality, he was at best bottom 6 forward with PP upside.

nah he was a first round pick for a reason, he declined for other reasons.

 

[Billdo]

David Clarkson 2011-12

 

[Eye of Ra]

Imagine losing out on the biggest draft lottery in a decade because of this:

lmao he signed for malmö

 

[Albatros]

I remember Chris Kontos who basically was a non-NHLer and scored 9 goals in 5 games (I think) for LA in the 88-89 playoffs. During Tampa Bay's first year, he scored 27 goals in 66 games.

I'd argue Kontos was far from a conventionally bad player though, rather he had a very unconventional career. Was playing with Lemieux and especially Gretzky with notable success, yet couldn't carve himself an NHL career regardless. To Tampa he arrived from the Italian lower leagues, and after the successful NHL season he got his Olympic medal with Team Canada only to vanish again in the abyss of the Swedish lower leagues. That's where Tomas Holmström was discovered around the same time, maybe a bit similar player that made an enormously successful career.

 

[Hextallent63]

Rob Brown was not a "conventionally bad" player.

Here are some players he outscored in his final year in the Western Hockey League, who were the same age as him:
- Joe Sakic
- Theoren Fleury

That was 2 years prior to his big 1988-89 season as Mario's power-play partner.

Brown's longevity in the NHL had two things working against him:
1) he was a party-animal
2) he was tiny just as the era of big/Lindros-prototypes started

with all due respect to your opinion because you might know more then me about brown as a player, but dude blew, imo.

 

[The Panther]

I'd argue Kontos was far from a conventionally bad player though, rather he had a very unconventional career. Was playing with Lemieux and especially Gretzky with notable success, yet couldn't carve himself an NHL career regardless. To Tampa he arrived from the Italian lower leagues, and after the successful NHL season he got his Olympic medal with Team Canada only to vanish again in the abyss of the Swedish lower leagues. That's where Tomas Holmström was discovered around the same time, maybe a bit similar player that made an enormously successful career.

Kontos was the ultimate streaky player -- as in, he had 2 good streaks in his entire career:

Dec. 1982 to April 1989:
24 goals in 151 games

April 1989:
11 goals in 10 games (mostly playoffs)

October 1989 to spring 1992:
played 11 games only (3 goals scored)

October-November 1992:
18 goals in 18 games

After that, 9 more goals in 48 games, then never played NHL again.

 

[DaveG]

Chris Simon 99-00 for the Caps.

Beat me to it. That season by Simon always confused the hell out of me in retrospect. 29 goals and 49 points... from THAT guy? In the Dead Puck Era?

 

[The Kessel Run]

Jim Carey was very good. He was very good prior to the NHL and very good in the NHL. My memory is a bit foggy by now, so not sure if things started to go south for him due to the two less-than-stellar postseasons with the Caps or after his trade to the Bruins. Think he also had that inner ear injury that must've also been a factor.

He's more a very good player who fizzled out quick rather than an inherently bad player being a flash in the pan.

He was lights out for Portland before jumping up to the NHL.

 

[Albatros]

Kontos was the ultimate streaky player -- as in, he had 2 good streaks in his entire career:

Dec. 1982 to April 1989:
24 goals in 151 games

April 1989:
11 goals in 10 games (mostly playoffs)

October 1989 to spring 1992:
played 11 games only (3 goals scored)

October-November 1992:
18 goals in 18 games

After that, 9 more goals in 48 games, then never played NHL again.

Also had a 6-point game in 1988.

 

[Hatfield]

Beat me to it. That season by Simon always confused the hell out of me in retrospect. 29 goals and 49 points... from THAT guy? In the Dead Puck Era?

Think he was on the Oates line.

 

[MK9]

Idk, Cam Barker one year had good point totals didn’t he?

Thou shalt not utter that foul name amongst Wild fans please.

 

[Machinehead]

Scott Bjugstad scored 43 goals in 1985-86 and scored 33 goals not in 1985-86.

 

[SaucyCelly]

Chris Stewart 09-10 with the Avs.