Unexpectedly Good Players

[Bouboumaster]

Brendan Gallagher:

- Scores about 30 goals a year
- Legendary pest
- One of the most hard working player in the league
- Without a doubt the next captain of the most prestigious hockey team (I mean, who else would it be, but him? It's gotta be him right?)
- Drafted at the end of the 5th round, rank 147

 

[Nsjohnson]

Jared Spurgeon (yes I know his scouting report was good to begin with but who bets a midget actually makes a #1 D on an NHL team?)

Others

Johnny G for the same reasons. Yes I get it, he's elite for what he does but I just didn't think it would translate to his production that he's had so far.

John Carlson. 2008 wasn't a great but not bad draft, and I just didn't see him becoming the D he is.

Joe Pavelski but I should know better being a 2003 draft alumni.

I'll get hate for this but Austin Matthews. And he's not just good, he's great (Tony The Tiger voice).

 

[untouchable21]

Khabibulin comes to mind. Drafted 204th in the 9th round of 1992.

I believe I remember reading he was Russia’s 3 rd or 4th string goaltender for the World Junior Championships

 

[Cheapshot]

Henrik Lundqvist, drafted 205 overall in 2000, I mean before he went on that streak between 2003-2005 I’m not sure anyone thought he would be that good and even then would anyone even have thought he would have been as good as he turned out to be? Not everyone wins a cup but man it sure would be a shame to not see him get his.

 

[nbwingsfan]

123rd pick Conor Garland is the Coyotes' best player. I'm afraid the little shrimp is going to get squashed and that will be the end of it, though.

I'm amazed the work hes put in to get into the NHL. Despite his insane talent (back to back 120+pt seasons i the Q) I thought there was no possible way he makes the NHL. Slow for his size, a bit of a puck hog who tried the fancy plays, had no shot to speak of, a nuisance to coaches and didnt know what defensive play was.

His first season in the AHL seemed to prove this but then he just kept improving massively and changed his game entirely. Good on the kid.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Victor Olofsson was a 7th round pick but has a top 5 shot in the world and is one of the biggest PP threats in the game

 

[Tom Polakis]

I'm amazed the work hes put in to get into the NHL. Despite his insane talent (back to back 120+pt seasons i the Q) I thought there was no possible way he makes the NHL. Slow for his size, a bit of a puck hog who tried the fancy plays, had no shot to speak of, a nuisance to coaches and didnt know what defensive play was.

His first season in the AHL seemed to prove this but then he just kept improving massively and changed his game entirely. Good on the kid.

All of that is spot on. I saw him at a "Red vs. White" Coyotes prospects game, and he really stood out in all of those good and bad ways. I told everyone who was impressed by him that there's no way this kid ever makes the NHL.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Jared Spurgeon (yes I know his scouting report was good to begin with but who bets a midget actually makes a #1 D on an NHL team?)

Others

Johnny G for the same reasons. Yes I get it, he's elite for what he does but I just didn't think it would translate to his production that he's had so far.

John Carlson. 2008 wasn't a great but not bad draft, and I just didn't see him becoming the D he is.

Joe Pavelski but I should know better being a 2003 draft alumni.

I'll get hate for this but Austin Matthews. And he's not just good, he's great (Tony The Tiger voice).

..in what world is Matthews unexpected? He scored 4 goals in his first game.

 

[BurgoShark]

JG has always been a great player. Maybe he's just more in the spotlight now getting the respect he's always deserved. How he's playing isn't new, though.

I would say JGP is a great example of a unexpected gem. He wasn’t a high draft pick, and when he was first recalled hardly anyone expected it. He was recalled ahead of other players the fans were begging to see in the NHL (Stone, Hoffman, Prince, Da Costa, Puempel) because apparently he was just playing too well in the AHL for the team to ignore.

 

[Nsjohnson]

..in what world is Matthews unexpected? He scored 4 goals in his first game.

Before he ever played his first NHL game I was not convinced he would be just as great as he is. I never questioned he'd be an NHLer, I just was not convinced he would be as good as he is. And he really is amazing.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Neil Pionk!

 

[Kyndig]

7th round Olofsson for the Sabres as others have said, he went from struggling to score in the SHL one year to leading goal scorer in the SHL. Came over and tore up the AHL and is now leading the Sabres in points and goals.

I generally don't pay attention to other teams but every time we play the Devils I'm really impressed with Bratt (6th).

 

[pi314]

John Marino for the Pens. I know he gets talked about a lot, but before last season he wasn't even on the radar to make the team. More of a "We need some players for the AHL too" type of pick up.

Teddy Blueger is another that is just always doing the right thing on the ice.

Jake Guentzel too.

I was not expecting him to be a bum.

But I also was not expecting an all star caliber player who plays even bigger in the playoffs.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Heh. Let's not talk about Detroit.....It gets even worse if you go back in time.

Lidström as a 3rd round pick turned out pretty well also. Hasek as a 10th rounder had a pretty good career as well.

Colin Blackwell, Jesper Fast, and Anton Stralman for the Rangers.

No mention of Fox?

Henrik Lundqvist, drafted 205 overall in 2000, I mean before he went on that streak between 2003-2005 I’m not sure anyone thought he would be that good and even then would anyone even have thought he would have been as good as he turned out to be? Not everyone wins a cup but man it sure would be a shame to not see him get his.

Meanwhile Fleury - and especially Dipietro - were 1st round picks. Ouch. Even more funny Dipietro was picked 1st in the same draft year as Lundqvist was picked in the 7th round. Only 10 more years for the Islanders to pay for that buyout.

 

[Reality Czech]

Current late round picks who have had solid careers, Pat Hornqvist, Freddy Andersen, Ondrej Palat, Anton Stralman, Justin Braun and Erik Haula. Retired players, Robitaille, Zetterberg, T. Fleury, Gilmour, Brett Hull and Datsyuk,

Some current undrafted players who have had solid careers. Sergei Bobrovsky, Mark Giordano and Torey Krug. Recent retirees include Marty St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Brian Rafalski.

Side note, Tim Thomas was a 9th round pick. Belfour and Cujo were also undrafted and signed as FA's.

I'm surprised no one mentioned Marty St. Louis until the 4th page, he's the first guy that came to mind. Steve Sullivan had a pretty damn good career for a 9th round draft pick.

 

[Buck Naked]

Meanwhile Fleury - and especially Dipietro - were 1st round picks. Ouch. Even more funny Dipietro was picked 1st in the same draft year as Lundqvist was picked in the 7th round. Only 10 more years for the Islanders to pay for that buyout.

And this is why we'll probably never see a goalie inside the top 10 again. Most teams won't even go for one during the first round unless they're drafting by need. They're so unpredictable.

 

[Albatros]

Hard to see how Fleury would have been a bad pick.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Hard to see how Fleury would have been a bad pick.

He's had a good career, but drafting him as the #1 was kind of ridiculous.

 

[izzy]

Patric Hornqvist

drafted last overall in crosbys draft year

he then spent years playing on his wing

 

[Albatros]

He's had a good career, but drafting him as the #1 was kind of ridiculous.

I'd still take him over the next several though. Staal would have been a good one too, but can't really argue with that omission when you go on drafting Crosby and Malkin.

#2 Eric Staal
#3 Nathan Horton
#4 Nikolai Zherdev
#5 Thomas Vanek
#6 Milan Michálek
#7 Ryan Suter
#8 Braydon Coburn
#9 Dion Phaneuf
#10 Andrei Kostitsyn

 

[Chimpradamus]

I'd still take him over the next several though. Staal would have been a good one too, but can't really argue with that omission when you go on drafting Crosby and Malkin.

#2 Eric Staal
#3 Nathan Horton
#4 Nikolai Zherdev
#5 Thomas Vanek
#6 Milan Michálek
#7 Ryan Suter
#8 Braydon Coburn
#9 Dion Phaneuf
#10 Andrei Kostitsyn

That was a weak draft. Sure, that leviates pressure from drafting Fleury as the #1. It also shows how weak the NHL scouting was.

 

[kings11]

Jared Spurgeon (yes I know his scouting report was good to begin with but who bets a midget actually makes a #1 D on an NHL team?)

Others

Johnny G for the same reasons. Yes I get it, he's elite for what he does but I just didn't think it would translate to his production that he's had so far.

John Carlson. 2008 wasn't a great but not bad draft, and I just didn't see him becoming the D he is.

Joe Pavelski but I should know better being a 2003 draft alumni.

I'll get hate for this but Austin Matthews. And he's not just good, he's great (Tony The Tiger voice).

2008 draft wasn't great but not bad??? WTF are you talking about?I hope you're being sarcastic

 

[LAKings88]

Roy and Walker were on no one’s radars.