Players who struggled early in their career, who you KNEW would get it right...

[Puckhead]

It really pains me to admit it, seeing as I don't like the Senators very much, but when they chose Meszaros, I thought they hit a home run. I realize that he was a 1st rounder, but I thought he was the best D available. I think the fact that he not only has made the team, but is a top 4 guy, seeing action in all situations is incredible. Yes, any player would look better when playing with that kind of talent, but, I think that while Ottawa will do all it can this summer to resign Redden and Chara, The loss of one will be lessened because they have Meszaros.

 

[Greek_physique]

Right
C.Conroy -- He needed a change of scenery with the Blues, and he got that chance to play top line minutes with Calgary.

Wrong
R.Fata - With his speed and scoring touch in the minors, I thought he'd be perfect for the NHL.

Total Bust
D.Tkaczuk - I saw this guy play with my cousin in the Jrs (before he went to Barrie) and he was outstanding. He was 14yrs old playing with people 16-17 years old. And now he is no where to be found.

Other mention:
A.Hilbert - Not sure where to put him, cuz he is starting to produce in Pittsburgh

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

Ferraro twins, Zdeno Chara, Zdeno Ciger.

 

[Puck Dogg]

Right:

Michael Nylander, C. Wasn't impact player with Calgary or Hartford. I knew he would get it together at some point of his career. I think playing with Sykora and Jagr you can now say that.

Olli Jokinen. It was always a mystery why he had so subminal numbers in LA. I watched him since his early days in Finnish league and I always tought he was at least second-line center for any NHL team.

Igor Larionov. He wasn't quite the impact player Canucks expected. After three medicore seasons with the team and a season in Swiss league he returned to San Jose and from there the transfer to Detroit saved his career.

Sami Kapanen. 9 and 25 NHL points in his two first seasons and struggling with injuries. He finally started to show his talent when Whalers moved to Carolina.

Wrong:

Ari Ahonen, G. 1st round Devil draft pick is still AHL goalie after several years. It's very unlikely that he will get a shot in NHL as a starter.

Michel Riesen, LW. The "most gifted Swiss player ever" played whooping 12 games with Oilers before going back to Swiss elite.

Eric Perrin, C. He was terrific in Finland and I tought he was going to be decent NHLer- maybe even pairing with his former mate Martin St. Louis. This season also in Swiss elite, next destination Germay and DEL league - or that's what I've heard.

Jere Karalahti. I expected him to emerge he's career in Nashville to become a better-than-average defenseman. Like Finnish version of Al Iafrate. But that never happened.

Evgeni Ryabchikov, G. 1st rounder. I never saw him, but I heard good things about him. He never got it together to make further than handful of AHL games.

Jiri Hudler, C. Seems to be stuck in AHL. Hasn't really got a shot of NHL hockey with the Red Wings.

Tomek Valtonen, LW. Is a Holmstrom- style grinder, although not as good as a crease monkey. I always thought he would be suited for North American style of play, but he's still in Finland with Jokerit Helsinki.

 

[budscweizer16]

Right:
Havlat - knew there something there when i watched him play, and hes one of my favorite players
Ryan Miller - always just had a good feelnig bout him
Pitkanen - guy is amazing to watch

Could go either way:
Boucher - good when placed on a good team
Dagenias - suprised that this guy dosent do more
Plekanec



Wrong:
Allison
Stillman
Petrov


Ill prob add a couple more when i think of them

 

[Blackjack]

Along with Marchment, he's one of the few players that I am GLAD is out of the NHL for good.

Cheap little **** ended Bure's career with a disgustingly cheap hit.

I don't remember the hit in question, but Bure's knees were done before Danton ever stepped onto NHL ice, if Danton put the final nail in the coffin, that is too bad.

Danton played dirty sometimes as most 4th liners do, but I don't recall him being a headhunter or doing the Marchment knee thing.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Someone mentioned Gamache. The only way he becomes the next Martin St. Louis is if his skating and strength improve. He's got the hockey smarts, but his skating isn't very good and as a result he's knocked off the puck easily b/c he's so small.

Tkaczuk - part of one of the most useless trades in NHL history: Turek for Braithwaite, Szuper, Tkaczuk and Varlamov. None of those 5 players did much after that trade (Braithwaite was a passable backup at best, Turek played his way onto the bench behind Kiprusoff; Szuper went back to Europe pretty quickly, Tkaczuk was dumped by the Blues a year after the trade and Varlamov was dumped shortly after) and they were all out of the NHL in 3 years. Even the draft picks (Igor Shastin for Calgary, Grant Jacobsen for St. Louis) have busted out.

 

[Carnattitan]

More wrongs than rights I'm afraid...

Wrongs (and really wrong)

Kevin Hodson
Pavel Brendl
Peter Sarno
Alexei Smirnov
Jarrod Skalde
Dominic Roussel
Dan Cleary
Tommy Soderstrom
Jussi Markkanen
Nick Stajduhar
Cameron Mann
etc. as there are many more

Rights

Henrik Lundqvist
Marty Turco
Jonathan Cheechoo
Manny Legace
Ryan Smyth
and a few more.... I think

 

[Vikke]

Headless Chickens: It's not like Lundqvist ever has struggled, right?

 

[Carnattitan]

True, but I first spotted him before I even read his name on any boards...

And heck, I had to put something in my "rights" column didn't I?

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

wrongs...

Brendl
Jason Ward
Rita
Brad Boyes

Players people have been hating on or just are darkhorses who WILL succeed.

Martin St.Pierre
Andre Kostitsyn
Ron Hainsey
Yann Danis
Jiri Hudler
Robert Nilsson
Alexei Emelin
Sergei Shirokov
Aleksander Suglobov

 

[hockeyfan125]

another right for me:

Andrej Meszaros.

First game as a Giant I knew the Sens STOLE him.

 

[KRM]

Henrik Lundqvist.

 

[Douggy]

I never thought Kyle Wellwood would stick in the NHL and I thought Rico Fata would be a star.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

Right:
-Marc Savard: Why did the Flames trade him?
-Martin St. Loius: See above.
-Martin Straka: Having a good season for the Rangers, I knew he could play well outside of Pittsburgh and wasn't over the hill.
-Ales Hemsky: I remember the first time I watched him I knew he was a future star.

Wrong:
-Alex Selivanov. I thought he could have been a lot better in my opinion but was too inconsistent.

 

[HOCKEY_GURU]

i think the Original posts intent was that players who struggled early on or had a slow start (perhaps for a season or 2) ....struggled enough for people to start doubting they will be impact NHLers, and turned it around and became dominnant NHL' ers....so i dont think Datsyuk counts as to he looked good in the NHL right away.... to me a classic fit would be someone like O. Jokinen.... ....as for who i think could still turn it around...(too mnay to research /mention) ..i will take a stab at Leopold, as to he hasnt shown the offence we thought by now we'd see.. but i see no reason why he wont put it together someday...I could also see Kobasew improving on a year by year basis.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

The previous poster is right about the original intent of the post but I'm enjoying all of the responses.

I have a bias towards smaller, skilled players so the players I am right on tend to fit that mold. On the flip side, I thought I saw something nobody else did in Todd Robinson who lit up the WHL for, I think Portland, but was about 5'5. I thought he could make it anyway, clearly he couldn't.

I was definitely excited about Brian Gionta since 1997, I saw this coming.
Flipside: I thought it would work out for Steve Kariya.

I was positive on Martin St. Louis
I also thought that Valerie Karpov would light it up for the Ducks.

but anyway, thanks for the replies, keep 'em coming.

 

[David]

Hits

Jose Theodore - it took a while to get there but has always been a winner and I knew he would be a star...just didn't figure he would fall so quickly!

Brian Gionta - little Theo Fleury clone!!! Way to go little big guy!

Tim Connolly - if he wasn't rushed and without his concussion problems, he may have been the closest thing to Denis Savard since ...Denis Savard...and he started on his way this year!

Mike Ribeiro - I thought that he would be much better than now actually.

Pierre Marc Bouchard - sees the ice so well

Jay Bouwmeester - starting to show what he will become in the future! Not Bobby Orr but his style of play is still the closest thing to number foura Bobby Orra that I've seen.

Ryan Miller - sure took his sweet time getting here

Miika Kiprusoff - knew he was gonna be good but didn't know THIS good!

Daniel Briere - waiting for him to bloom was like waiting for flower to blooom in the middle of winter...but he finally did!

Cory Stillman - I thought that he would blossom into a player similar to Joe Sakic...he blossomed but not quite Joe

John Leclair - even Jacques Demers once said that he could be as good as Kevin Stevens...but he actually was better...and no drug or problems with prostutes either!!!



Misses

Miiko's brother Marko Kiprusoff - drafted by Montreal as defenseman

Oleg Saprikin - talented but consistancy still a big problem

Sergei Krivokrasov - so much talent but just couldn't get it done

Pat Peake - were injuries really his problem or he just didn't have what it took?

Dimitri Afanasenkov - see Saprikin

Josh Holden - I thought for sure that he could be another Jeremy Roenick

Pavel Brendl - how can he not be a star?

Jamie Rivers - I thought for sure that he was gonna be the next great rushing defenseman



Kinda Hits

Adrian Aucoin - what a shot he has!

Stephen the Shadow Lebeau - small but crafty and talented

No Panic Yanic Perrault - thought that he would make a splash a la Briere there for a while



And Under the "Too Bad" Catgory

Bryan Fogarty - what a waste of talent!