Players that you thought would make it but never did for some reason.

[TheBakester66]

Shout Outs to some of the names other people mentioned: Pavel Rosa (what a European stud), Brett Sterling (I had him and Kane making the 2010 US Olympic squad in 2008), Robbie Schremp (eh, at least i knew he had attitude issues all along, and he's really not been that bad in retrospect), Pavel Brendl and Denis Shvidki. It seems like 1997-2001 are littered with High flying euros that were drafted when the game was changing but before the GMs really knew it. Many of the busts fall into this category.

For me, Sergei Mozyakin, 9th round draft choice for columbus in 2002, is my biggest dissappointment. Not because he never panned out, because he did, big-time, as one of the most consistent RSL/KHL scorers of the past decade, but because he had the talent to be an elite scorer at the NHL level, and never gave it a shot.

Alexei Cherepanov (RIP) was the next Bure, but we know why he never panned out.

Janne Pesonen (9th rounder by Ducks in 2004) is another Euro stud that i really thought would be an impact top 6 player, and goes AAAA on me.

Josh Holden is certainly another one.

Zdeno Ciger I always thought would have had a more impactful career, though he did have two very solid seasons.

Miroslav Zalesak (4th rounder by Sharks 1998) should have been an NHL stud winger, a 60+ pt guy even in those tough years, not sure why he never panned out.

 

[Scouter]

Shout Outs to some of the names other people mentioned: Pavel Rosa (what a European stud), Brett Sterling (I had him and Kane making the 2010 US Olympic squad in 2008), Robbie Schremp (eh, at least i knew he had attitude issues all along, and he's really not been that bad in retrospect), Pavel Brendl and Denis Shvidki. It seems like 1997-2001 are littered with High flying euros that were drafted when the game was changing but before the GMs really knew it. Many of the busts fall into this category.

For me, Sergei Mozyakin, 9th round draft choice for columbus in 2002, is my biggest dissappointment. Not because he never panned out, because he did, big-time, as one of the most consistent RSL/KHL scorers of the past decade, but because he had the talent to be an elite scorer at the NHL level, and never gave it a shot.

Alexei Cherepanov (RIP) was the next Bure, but we know why he never panned out.

Janne Pesonen (9th rounder by Ducks in 2004) is another Euro stud that i really thought would be an impact top 6 player, and goes AAAA on me.

Josh Holden is certainly another one.

Zdeno Ciger I always thought would have had a more impactful career, though he did have two very solid seasons.

Miroslav Zalesak (4th rounder by Sharks 1998) should have been an NHL stud winger, a 60+ pt guy even in those tough years, not sure why he never panned out.

I somehow don't think Mozyakin would do well in NA.

 

[TheBakester66]

I somehow don't think Mozyakin would do well in NA.

I mean if you look at his World Championship numbers they aren't great, and he never played in the Olympics for Russia, so i can certainly understand an argument in that direction. Either way it's a shame he never at least gave it a shot.

 

[gifted88]

Marcel Cousineau

 

[pld459666]

So this thread is like another one I saw but instead of players you were surprised that made it, mines the exact opposite, players you thought would make it but never did.

Just simply write down the players name and why you think he never got to the NHL.

Like for example every year especially this year I thought Alex Giroux would make it but never seams to be able to even on Edmonton he couldn't.

Also im not sure if i should be posting this in the prospects board, please tell me if I'm not.

For me, this reeks of Jamie Lundmark.

has the physical tools, but was never able to put it together.

 

[Ol' Jase]

Jani Rita.

 

[ocarina]

I hate to say this but Nikita Filatov and Grachev are getting closer and closer to this list. Another failed season. Very dissapointing. There is time, but there's been no progress, just regress.

Eh, Grachev really started to score more toward the end of the season, so there is reason for optimism with him.

 

[voxel]

he's been in the NHL for 4 seasons now and showed little progress, I say if after your 3rd year especially for forwards if you haven't shown much progress then you can become a candidate for busting, I will give him 1 more year, it sounds like Oilers fans won't mind at all if they take Nugent-Hopkins, they then see Gagner as expendable.

Gagner is miles better defensively than in his rookie season. No more behind the back no look passes and he's stronger on the boards.

 

[voxel]

Rob Schremp is one for me. Even when he played in the NHL, he produced pretty well on some poor teams. It looks like he'll get a shot in Atlanta but that guy lives on the bubble I guess.

When he was on the Oil - he could barely skate (for an NHLer). When I saw him on the Isle I was astounded at his improvement (still not that fast/agile).

 

[TheBakester66]

I remembered another guy that i always thought would be something special, Peter Sejna. Stud at Colorado College. Too small i guess for the NHL...

 

[Joey24]

bryan berard

what the two eyed Bryan Berard or the 1 eye Berard? Seriously the fact that he came back and payed meaningful hockey after his injury shows how talented the guy was.

 

[shello]

I always thought David Toews would make, probably only thought that because of his name.

 

[Kangaroux]

Maxime Ouellet. I honestly thought he was going to be the guy to stop the Flyers goaltending carousel, but the search continues.

 

[Reaper45]

Petr Kanko. Kid had skills, but issues too.

 

[Grapes99]

Brad Larsen - played for the Swift Current Broncos and was captain of Team Canada World Jrs back in 1997

 

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

Todd Robinson.

Was only a kid back then but his skills were obvious. Knees and size held him back. I think if he had the season he did in '98 in 2008, he would have made it. Seems like the type of player who would benefit from todays rules in the NHL.

This. He was one of my favorite players on that Memorial Cup team. Funny to look at his career numbers and he has been over a PPG every year since 1994 no matter the league, except for his two short stints in the AHL which still weren't bad.

I also thought Jason LaBarbera would do much better in the NHL. He's done alright, and has even held down a #1 job a few times, but with his size and decent mobility, I thought he'd be a solid starter for a long time.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

He is still playing in Czech Extraleague.

Sorry I should have clarified...that was a brain fart on my part. Meant to say six points later he was out of the NHL

/northamericanbias

 

[Scouter]

Gagner is miles better defensively than in his rookie season. No more behind the back no look passes and he's stronger on the boards.

Miles better defensively hey, he had the worst +/- on the team at -17.

 

[TheBakester66]

Jean-Francois Damphousse anyone? He was supposed to be the savior of multiple teams. Actually had really strong AHL numbers, just never got a shot and retired early. Anyone know why he retired at 26? Or why he never got a shot after the lockout?

 

[StormSurge9]

I went previously with a Red Wing in Grigorenko, and I'll give you another Red Wing that also wasn't able to play due to a devastating injury.

Jiri Fischer

Fischer as you may remember, went into cardiac arrest on the bench during a game in 2005. And then continued to suffer heart problems which ended his career. He was big and was on his way to becoming a very good shut-down dman.

 

[Garyboy]

Geoff Peters, Shane Nash, Andrei Petrunin, Dan Tkazcuk, Oleg Kvasha, Stanislav Chistov.

 

[Ishdul]

Really, #6 overall, put up 118PTS in 53 games in his draft year, can only manage around 40 in the NHL, has been a minus player his whole career, gets a chance to play with talent like Hall and Eberle, still can only get around another 40 point season, smells busty to me.

And I don't know what planet you are living on, but 40 point less than 20 goal seasons are not considered good for top line forwards.

1. Not even on this year's Oiler team was he a top line forward.
2. Hall and Eberle are rookies. Hall was a pretty good rookie who got injured and Eberle was a good rookie who also got hurt.
3. It's still silly to call Gagner a bust. He was the 6th overall pick in a weak draft and he's producing like a 2nd liner on a horrific team, and he's still really young. Van Riemsdyk, who was drafted #2 overall in the same draft, has put up 40 points on a far more talented team and yet no sane hockey viewer would have called him a bust even before the playoffs (and now they're calling him the next big power forward).
4. Gagner put up those 42 points in 68 games, which would put him slightly ahead of 50 point pace.
5. Who the hell cares what he put up in Junior? Why would that be held against him? Why are you trying translate stats on a stacked OHL team into stats on a miserable NHL team?

 

[calcal798]

Has Justin Pogge been said?

I hope noone needs an explanation

 

[I am the Liquor]

Jani Rita.

Ditto.

Still pisses me off.

 

[GDU]

Gilbert Brule.

Yeah he's "made it" but he has played no where near his potential. He was such a force on the Giants that I thought he'd be a 30-40 goal scorer in the top 10 in points

Also Petr Nedved

lol what?