Most Hyped/best prospect in draft History

blogofmike

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Dec 16, 2010
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Gilbert Perrault was probably the most hyped in the 70s, even more than Lafleur.

Among guys who weren't taken at the tippy-top of the Draft are Stephane Richer, who was hyped in Montreal as their next Lafleur, and Russians in general in 1988-89.
 

TheMoreYouKnow

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May 3, 2007
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It's probably Crosby, just because of the way the media has changed. Daigle and Lindros were hugely hyped as well, but in like 2001 you could read forum threads about that new sensation breaking records everywhere who's going to be as good as Gretzky. People didn't have access to the internet in 1991 or 1993 so you didn't have web hype. It probably also helped that every team had a chance to get Crosby so every fan base had reason to think about him.
 

Breakfast of Champs

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Apr 15, 2007
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yea I was thinking crosby probably had technology on his side. I am not old enough to remember lindros or anyone else's hype so I'm just wondering who people thought had the most legit chance of being the "next big thing" before their draft.
 

Habsfan18

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Having basically every single issue of The Hockey News from the summer of 1976 until present day (missing only 8 issues) I can say with certainty that at least from the pages of THN...nothing compares to the Eric Lindros hype in his draft year and the year(s) leading up to it.
 

Sens Rule

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Having basically every single issue of The Hockey News from the summer of 1976 until present day (missing only 8 issues) I can say with certainty that at least from the pages of THN...nothing compares to the Eric Lindros hype in his draft year and the year(s) leading up to it.

I agree, Lindros had more hype than Crosby. Also he had a whole extra year of hype missing his 18 year old year holding out.
 

BenchBrawl

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I would say Perreault , Lafleur , Lemieux , Lindros & Crosby.

I think Lemieux was definitely the most hyped , the machine hyping him might be weaker ( media ) but he was definitly the most promising prospect ever to the hockey public.Everyone in Quebec/Ontario knew who the big enormously talented center was and were anxious to see if Gretzky would get some competition , and he did.

To be honest they were all deserving of the hype , they did dominate the league.

The reason why Lemieux wast he most hyped was the same reason why Lemieux was the most TALENTED player ever , for a center he had no weaknesses , all his skills were 10/10 = shots , hands , deception , skating , hockey IQ , big body which was impossible to stop .Wow what an offensive machine this guy was.
 

Breakfast of Champs

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Couldn't agree with you more.

Being a big Lemieux fan I knew he was hyped a lot I just wasnt alive for it to really know what it was like. What were players like Daigle and Lecavalier hyped up to be? I know daigle was supposed to be good, and I remember reading that on lecavaliers draft day he was referred to as "the mj of hockey" by tampa's owner or something
 

Sens Rule

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Sep 22, 2005
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Couldn't agree with you more.

Being a big Lemieux fan I knew he was hyped a lot I just wasnt alive for it to really know what it was like. What were players like Daigle and Lecavalier hyped up to be? I know daigle was supposed to be good, and I remember reading that on lecavaliers draft day he was referred to as "the mj of hockey" by tampa's owner or something

Daigle was not thought of as anywhere remotely close to as good as these other players. He was hyped as the best player IN THAT DRAFT. In reality, and even at the time, I remember thinking that the hype for Daigle was in reality hype for Lindros. Lindros GOT SO HYPED that the next clear first overall pick was hyped more than he should have been. Tavares also got that kind of treatment like Daigle. He was not nearly as good as Crosby. He was a very solid player and a great scorer but he was not as good as his hype. The media got so used to hyping Crosby (and Ovechkin after the season started) that the next guy got more hype than he should have rightfully got.
 

Breakfast of Champs

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Daigle was not thought of as anywhere remotely close to as good as these other players. He was hyped as the best player IN THAT DRAFT. In reality, and even at the time, I remember thinking that the hype for Daigle was in reality hype for Lindros. Lindros GOT SO HYPED that the next clear first overall pick was hyped more than he should have been. Tavares also got that kind of treatment like Daigle. He was not nearly as good as Crosby. He was a very solid player and a great scorer but he was not as good as his hype. The media got so used to hyping Crosby (and Ovechkin after the season started) that the next guy got more hype than he should have rightfully got.

lol its funny you say that because I was just thinking about how as soon as crosby was in the NHL everyone was like "wow we need someone new to hype" and jumped all over tavares as "the next, next one" and was wondering if the same thing happened to daigle because of all the hype lindros had gotten not long before
 

SidGenoMario

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The only really big prospect I've seen since I've been old to enough to pay attention to this is Sid. And boy, was he hyped. I don't even see how it's possible to be more hyped than him.
 

Breakfast of Champs

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The only really big prospect I've seen since I've been old to enough to pay attention to this is Sid. And boy, was he hyped. I don't even see how it's possible to be more hyped than him.

I know i feel somewhat the same way, although I hear the Lindros hype was even bigger
 

Breakfast of Champs

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In order:

1) Crosby
2) Lindros
3) Ovechkin
4) Daigle
5) Lemieux

You really feel ovie had that much hype? IMO ovechkin was touted to be a great player but the words "next one" wernt used to describe him. He was also up and coming at the same time as crosby and was usually in the shadow of crosbys hype. Just my opinion though
 

Rhiessan71

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The only really big prospect I've seen since I've been old to enough to pay attention to this is Sid. And boy, was he hyped. I don't even see how it's possible to be more hyped than him.

Sid got a ton of hype but it paled to what Lindros received and that's saying something, considering the difference of availability in media/mediums 20 years ago.

Back then you actually had to buy and read newspapers, magazines and watch HNiC, TSN or the old Global Sports Line.
Old timers know what I'm talking about. ;)
 

Seanconn*

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Lindros. Ppl were goin on like hed change the game like gretzky did, sids hype was a tad more believable
 

Habsfan18

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I would say Perreault , Lafleur , Lemieux , Lindros & Crosby.

I think Lemieux was definitely the most hyped , the machine hyping him might be weaker ( media ) but he was definitly the most promising prospect ever to the hockey public.Everyone in Quebec/Ontario knew who the big enormously talented center was and were anxious to see if Gretzky would get some competition , and he did.

To be honest they were all deserving of the hype , they did dominate the league.

The reason why Lemieux wast he most hyped was the same reason why Lemieux was the most TALENTED player ever , for a center he had no weaknesses , all his skills were 10/10 = shots , hands , deception , skating , hockey IQ , big body which was impossible to stop .Wow what an offensive machine this guy was.

The thing with Mario, is during his draft year, scouts said he was either going to be an absolute superstar, or be a complete bust. There was no in between. Scouts questioned his drive to succeed and some questioned his attitude.

Mario, to me, turned out to be the most talented hockey player of all-time.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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The thing with Mario, is during his draft year, scouts said he was either going to be an absolute superstar, or be a complete bust. There was no in between. Scouts questioned his drive to succeed and some questioned his attitude.

Mario, to me, turned out to be the most talented hockey player of all-time.

I remember some talking heads saying the Pens should have taken the safer pick, Kirk Muller:laugh:
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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there may have been more media voices when crosby was 15-18, but relative to the hype of his peers, i think it still has to be lindros. at least within the span of my memory, which is too short to remember mario.

he was supposed to gretzky with mario size and messier toughness and meanness. which, in 1990-'91, was the perfect player. gretzky was gretzky. messier was a recent MVP and captained a cup winner without gretzky. mario had just won the conn smythe and was arguably at his absolute peak.

and all the controversy surrounding lindros helped keep his name in the papers and on everyone's tongues. holding out with the greyhounds, publicly declaring that he wouldn't play for quebec before the draft, the accusations that he called a french teammate a "frog," that was huge news. the biggest controversy surrounding crosby was cherry blasting him for being a "hot dog." doesn't compare.

and plus, even if there was more media when crosby was coming up, people talked about lindros more in day to day conversation. there was a stretch run to follow, where people watched quebec trying to out-lose toronto. hell, considering how long the lindros hype cycle ran before the '91 draft, there was a whole season to watch who would finish last. would it be quebec, winnipeg, vancouver, the islanders, or the devils? in some ways, the hockey vacuum that was the lockout insulated crosby's draft, even though there were a lot of questions about how the league would decide that year's draft order.

one last thing about lindros is the newly booming hockey card market. a new brand (score) based its entire line around lindros. and another new brand (upper deck) largely made is mark on weaseling around lindros' exclusive contract with score. this has no bearing on who was the better player or prospect, but i think it made a lot of difference with regard to hype, at least to people of my age at the time.
 

SidGenoMario

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Apr 10, 2009
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Kovalchuk was supposed to be the best Russian prospect ever, Ovechkin was just supposed to be a really good player that you can build a franchise around.
 

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