The All-Time Hype Draft

reidy

@reidjjackson
Since the NHL Draft began, there always seems to be a player or two every season who gets hyped as a "franchise talent," "generational talent," or something similar.

So here's the idea. I've compiled a list of some of the most-hyped players PRE-NHL in the league's history. I want you guys to pick them in the order they'd be drafted, taking into account:

- They are all 18
- Any injuries / poor performance in their future do NOT come into play

Remember, you're basing this draft based on HYPE ONLY. Alexandre Daigle was a huge bust, but at the time, he was supposed to be the next Gretz.

List:


Bobby Orr (Not drafted, but hyped to high heaven when he came into the league)
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Dale Hawerchuk
Bobby Carpenter (SI's Can't Miss Kid)
Bryan Lawton
Pierre Turgeon
Wendell Clark
Joe Murphy
Mike Modano
Mats Sundin
Jaromir Jagr (5th overall, but I've heard he was the consensus #1 in 1990)
Eric Lindros
Alexei Yashin
Alexandre Daigle
Ed Jovanovski
Bryan Berard
Chris Phillips
Joe Thornton
Vincent Lecavalier
Patrik Stefan
Dany Heatley
Ilya Kovalchuk
Jason Spezza
Rick Nash
MA Fleury
Alexander Ovechkin
Evgeni Malkin
Sidney Crosby
Erik Johnson

That's 30.

Remember, you're drafting based on THEIR POTENTIAL AT THE TIME OF THEIR DRAFT YEAR ONLY, NOT ON SUBSEQUENT RESULTS.

So hockey historians, have at it.
 

Northern Dancer

The future ain't what it used to be.
Mar 2, 2002
15,199
13
5 K from the ACC
Since the NHL Draft began, there always seems to be a player or two every season who gets hyped as a "franchise talent," "generational talent," or something similar.

So here's the idea. I've compiled a list of some of the most-hyped players PRE-NHL in the league's history. I want you guys to pick them in the order they'd be drafted, taking into account:

- They are all 18
- Any injuries / poor performance in their future do NOT come into play

Remember, you're basing this draft based on HYPE ONLY. Alexandre Daigle was a huge bust, but at the time, he was supposed to be the next Gretz.

List:


Bobby Orr (Not drafted, but hyped to high heaven when he came into the league)
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Dale Hawerchuk
Bobby Carpenter (SI's Can't Miss Kid)
Bryan Lawton
Pierre Turgeon
Wendell Clark
Joe Murphy
Mike Modano
Mats Sundin
Jaromir Jagr (5th overall, but I've heard he was the consensus #1 in 1990)
Eric Lindros
Alexei Yashin
Alexandre Daigle
Ed Jovanovski
Bryan Berard
Chris Phillips
Joe Thornton
Vincent Lecavalier
Patrik Stefan
Dany Heatley
Ilya Kovalchuk
Jason Spezza
Rick Nash
MA Fleury
Alexander Ovechkin
Evgeni Malkin
Sidney Crosby
Erik Johnson

That's 30.

Remember, you're drafting based on THEIR POTENTIAL AT THE TIME OF THEIR DRAFT YEAR ONLY, NOT ON SUBSEQUENT RESULTS.

So hockey historians, have at it.

Based on this list and based solely on what they were in junior hockey, without a doubt (imo) Eric Lindros would have been # 1.
btw. Wendel Clark I believe was not rated # 1 his draft year, Craig Simspon was
 

HFNHL Canadiens

Registered User
Aug 12, 2004
2,225
6
Guelph
you may want to add Jay Bouwmeester, I believe he was the consesus #1 pick but fell to 3 on draft day, because of a trade Florida made.
 

barfy2000

Registered User
Jun 23, 2005
1,784
1
Whitby, Ontario
Again, he was a #1 pick, and the best player from his draft year. I'm assuming he was the most hyped player from that year.

If I had left him off, I'd imagine every single Leafs fan would be upset.

Considering he was the first European to ever be drafted first overall, I'd say there was a fair amount of hype surrounding him.
 

albertGQ

Registered User
Jul 1, 2005
536
4
Calgary
Since the NHL Draft began, there always seems to be a player or two every season who gets hyped as a "franchise talent," "generational talent," or something similar.

So here's the idea. I've compiled a list of some of the most-hyped players PRE-NHL in the league's history. I want you guys to pick them in the order they'd be drafted, taking into account:

- They are all 18
- Any injuries / poor performance in their future do NOT come into play

Remember, you're basing this draft based on HYPE ONLY. Alexandre Daigle was a huge bust, but at the time, he was supposed to be the next Gretz.

List:


Bobby Orr (Not drafted, but hyped to high heaven when he came into the league)
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Dale Hawerchuk
Bobby Carpenter (SI's Can't Miss Kid)
Bryan Lawton
Pierre Turgeon
Wendell Clark
Joe Murphy
Mike Modano
Mats Sundin
Jaromir Jagr (5th overall, but I've heard he was the consensus #1 in 1990)
Eric Lindros
Alexei Yashin
Alexandre Daigle
Ed Jovanovski
Bryan Berard
Chris Phillips
Joe Thornton
Vincent Lecavalier
Patrik Stefan
Dany Heatley
Ilya Kovalchuk
Jason Spezza
Rick Nash
MA Fleury
Alexander Ovechkin
Evgeni Malkin
Sidney Crosby
Erik Johnson

That's 30.

Remember, you're drafting based on THEIR POTENTIAL AT THE TIME OF THEIR DRAFT YEAR ONLY, NOT ON SUBSEQUENT RESULTS.

So hockey historians, have at it.

No offense, but if that list is supposed to be in order, it is a terrible list. I would say its something like this.

Keep in mind, my list is from 1989 and beyond since I became a fan in 1989, so I know I omitted Bobby, Wayne and Mario. And this is only considering their draft year since someone like Dan Cleary was really hyped as a 15 year old, but by the time we reached his draft year, he slipped considerably. Same with Sergei Samsonov and Mike Ricci.


1. Eric Lindros
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Alexander Ovechkin
4. Evgeny Malkin
5. Alexandre Daigle
6. Joe Thorton
7. Ilya Kovalchuk
8. Jason Spezza
9. Vincent Lecavlier
10. Jay Boumeester
 

knifer

Registered User
Sep 4, 2006
1,257
326
yk
top 5 that ive witnessed.

1. Eric Lindros
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Malkin
4. ALex Daigle
5. Alexander Ovechkin
with spezza/bouwmeister right behind.
 

PeteLaframboise

Registered User
Sep 11, 2006
220
0
I'd like to add two of my own :
Slava Kozlov ( the russian Mario Lemieux )
Daniel Cleary ( remember them sayin he was the kid with the most talent of his draft, Thornton, Marleau and Hossa were in that draft.)
 

Form and Substance

Registered User
Jun 11, 2004
5,670
0
In my lifetime

1.Eric Lindros (possibly exacerbated by the draft day debacle)
2.Sidney Crosby (Gretzky's predictions in 2002-2003)
3.Alexander Ovechkin (setting the hockey world on fire after the U-18s)
4.Alexandre Daigle (I'm a Quebecquer so of course we've heard more of him)
5.Evgeny Malkin (America odyssee, some pundits saying he was better than Ovechkin)
6.Jason Spezza (About as muh hype as Tavares now)
7.Ilya Kovalchuk (came on strong in his draft year)
8.Joe Thornton (Still remember the hype, was supposed to be like Lindros)
9.Paul Kariya (deafening hype surrounding him + the olympics)
10. Vincent Lecavalier (I used to play in Ile Bizard)

Bouwmeester should get a mention as well. Making the WJC squad immediately brought to the fore Orr comparisons which have since been unfounded, but that won't prevent him from being an elite defenseman in the league.
 

reckoning

Registered User
Jan 4, 2005
7,012
1,251
Jaromir Jagr (5th overall, but I've heard he was the consensus #1 in 1990)

From what I remember, the top 4 that year were considered far ahead the rest of the field. Especially Ricci who was hyped heavily (have no idea why he slipped to #4; he played great that year). Ironically that same draft year all the experts were saying that Trevor Kidd was undoubtedly the best available goalie. Some kid in Quebec named Brodeur turned out somewhat better.

Even though he didn`t go #1, Brian Bellows was hyped a lot in his draft year; the Hockey News had him on their cover midway through the season, something they rarely did for players still in junior.
 

Sens Rule

Registered User
Sep 22, 2005
21,251
73
If you have Bobby Orr on this list you must have Gilbert Perrault, Denis Potvin, Marcel Dionne and Guy Lafleur on the list and probably some others.

Lindros and Crosby had the most hype but that was due more to the massive increase in the media/sports coverage ESPN and TSN and such.

Starting from Bobby Orr's time through Sidney Crosby if all these players were 18 years old and exposed to the same media exposure in the same draft I think it would go like this:

1) Mario Lemieux - Scouts that watched him would have been in awe of his size and skill. Questions about his attitude when he was a teenager wouldn't matter because he would appear to be the most talented player in history.
2) Bobby Orr - Scouts would have saw his speed, strength, skill and attitude
3) Eric Lindros - His sheer Physical dominance combined with his skill would see him picked ahead of Gretzky and others who turned out greater.
4) Sidney Crosby - His amazing skills and thick frame would have seen him drafted this high despite his shorter stature
5) Wayne Gretzky - Might have gone higher except some scouts still doubted his size and slight build.
6) Denis Potvin - Defenceman that could truly do everything perfectly
7) Guy Lafleur - He was drafted as a 20 year old. Still he accomplished a ton as an 18 year old and would go this high I think.

After that it would be a crapshoot but many on the list of 30 would not even be considered to be taken this high and were just top 3 picks in weaker draft years.
 

arrbez

bad chi
Jun 2, 2004
13,352
261
Toronto
From what I remember, the top 4 that year were considered far ahead the rest of the field. Especially Ricci who was hyped heavily (have no idea why he slipped to #4; he played great that year). Ironically that same draft year all the experts were saying that Trevor Kidd was undoubtedly the best available goalie. Some kid in Quebec named Brodeur turned out somewhat better.

1990 was a great draft in general, a ton of talent from top to bottom
 

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