Prospects that you were 100% sure were busts that turned out pretty well?

[nbducksfan19]

Perlini.

 

[JJTT]

Markus Granlund

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Not "busts" (simply because they were both late rounders) but I didn't think either Dzingel or Wideman would be NHLers. Dzingel is clearly an NHLer and should be for at least several more seasons; Wideman was really starting to impress me at the start of the season before he was injured, so I'm interested to see if he can cement himself as a high-end bottom pairing DMan over an extended period of time.

 

[Jayevs]

Darnell Nurse is the big one for me, I didn’t think he had the offensive IQ to be consistent top 6 dman let alone top 4.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Dubois turned out better than I thought

 

[Addison Rae]

Yeah it's Brandon Carlo for me thought he would be an absolute dud that wouldn't sniff the NHL, he's already a quality NHL defender.

 

[Addison Rae]

Darnell Nurse is the big one for me, I didn’t think he had the offensive IQ to be consistent top 6 dman let alone top 4.

Yup, Nurse is another one for me didn't like the way he was tracking up until this year where by all accounts he's been excellent for the Oilers this year.

 

[Addison Rae]

Markus Granlund

He's really a nothing player, has 10 points in 42 games despite playing on Vancouver's number 1 power play unit for the past ~5 weeks. He looks like replacement level junk right now.

 

[DesmondDekker]

Jonathan Marchessault.

 

[fredligh]

Not bust but i thought Filip Forsberg was just a highlight reel player, but i was wrong.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Thought Coututerier would be nothing more than a decent 2C. Playing well this year!

 

[Kamiccolo]

Drouin. Didn't like his game in the QMJHL, he came up, then got sent the AHL, barely produced. I was sure he was a bust.

 

[mcpw]

Matt Tkachuk has never been the best player on his line. Thought of him as a first round talent with a possible NHL future, but nowhere close to top5 in the draft.

 

[JJTT]

He's really a nothing player, has 10 points in 42 games despite playing on Vancouver's number 1 power play unit for the past ~5 weeks. He looks like replacement level junk right now.

Well considering I thought he was never going to play a game in the NHL, 200+ games already is pretty good.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

Maybe too early to say how DeBrincat will turn out, but so far he is doing far better than I thought.

 

[Flameshomer]

This thread lacks Jankowski

 

[Szechwan]

Carlo is a good one.

Didn't expect Monahan or Gaudreau's offense to translate so quickly. I knew they were talented but I expected them to have to toil in the league for years before breaking out.

Even as a Canuck fan, I was very cautious about Brock Boeser. Average skating in the NCAA, seemed overly reliant on his shot, didn't separate from defenders very well, wasn't amazing on the boards, decent playmaker but rarely looked like the driver of offense on his line..

Almost all those things are still true, yet he's dominating. Still can't quite figure it out, but I'm very happy to be wrong.

 

[Chan790]

I was certain that Mitch Marner was going to have a short, mediocre NHL career because his game wouldn't translate against bigger, faster players than his OHL competition and would be far-and-away the worst of the Strome/Hanifin/Marner tier of that draft.

I got that one wrong.

 

[MatthewFlames]

Jankowski, ... Faksa

Jankowski was a common member of the 'he's a bust club' from the moment he was drafted. Watching him now, the patience was worth it.

Faksa should be mentioned multiple times in this thread really - not very many people thought he would become an NHL'er in his draft +1 and +2 years - yet he's an impact 3rd liner in Dallas and I still think there is a little more upside to come offensively.

 

[King'sPawn]

Blake Wheeler

 

[mrhockey193195]

Not going to lie, I thought Stamkos would be a 20-20 player.

 

[Fantomas]

Seth Jones. I didn't think he had it in him tbh.

 

[Lays]

Jankowski was a common member of the 'he's a bust club' from the moment he was drafted. Watching him now, the patience was worth it.

Faksa should be mentioned multiple times in this thread really - not very many people thought he would become an NHL'er in his draft +1 and +2 years - yet he's an impact 3rd liner in Dallas and I still think there is a little more upside to come offensively.

It may be just me but I haven’t been a fan of Jankowski since he was drafted and 13 points in 34 games as a 23 year old doesn’t exactly scream waiting so long was worth it. I’ve watched him probably like 6-8 ish times this year and I don’t see what’s so special about him nor have I ever. I see a future 3C when I think of him and I also thought that before the season. Maybe I didn’t catch him on good nights? Idk

Nurse was a good one mentioned, I was never exactly a fan of him either but he really proved me wrong this year so far

 

[NotProkofievian]

Pastrnak. He was a swift and brutal lesson for me. The lesson being ''maybe check to see if a player set a record in his draft year or not before calling them David Bustrnak. Maybe.''

 

[Tube Skates]

Andreas Athanasiou. Mid rounder. Was small on draft day. Bounced around the O. Thought he was a wasted pick. Has played over 100 games now. has speed and is a bit of a scoring threat. HM to Marty Frk. Thought he was doomed playing poorly in the ECHL.