Nucker101
Foundational Poster
- Apr 2, 2013
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It came back in 2004, didn't work out. They wanted Crosby, who didn't want them.. Even with a $7,5mil ELC..I don’t follow basketball so I can’t compare. But it was a rival league of the NHL in the 70s and quite a few star players played in the WHA instead of the NHL - Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and even young Wayne Gretzky. The league doesn’t exist anymore since it merged with the NHL in 1979. Teams like the Oilers or Whalers (today’s Canes) were first WHA teams before they joined the NHL.
That seems to be the story with a number of these guys. Rafalski, Torey Krug, not exactly giants. Visnovsky was eventually drafted, but he was 23 years old by then. But then again, size also wasn't always enough - Zdeno Chara was only drafted in his second year of eligibility.It would be interesting to hear the backstory on some of these players. This story mentions that St. Louis was a very good college player. GMs must have fixated on his diminutive size to pass him over in all the rounds.
Martin St. Louis and the 10 Best Recent NHL Players That Went Undrafted
Except the opposite for Brett Hull who was too BIG.That seems to be the story with a number of these guys.
I don’t think undrafted Bobby Orr is THAT far behind undrafted Gordie Howe.THE GOAT.
Never has there been such a clear separation between the #1 and 2 best players in any sport.
Besides Gretzky, it’s Martin St. Louis for sure.
It would be interesting to hear the backstory on some of these players. This story mentions that St. Louis was a very good college player. GMs must have fixated on his diminutive size to pass him over in all the rounds.
Martin St. Louis and the 10 Best Recent NHL Players That Went Undrafted
I wouldn’t, and honestly don’t think anyone should have him above him tbh.I'd put Adam Oates in there above St.Louis.
Oates has more assists than St.Louis has points.
Yeah, but that was in special circumstances. For players who truly went undrafted, the first that comes to mind is Marty St. Louis (also a Hall of Famer) and then Brian Rafalski.
Did every team pass up on Gretzky and not think he could've been the MJ of the NHL?
I wouldn’t, and honestly don’t think anyone should have him above him tbh.
St. Louis has him beat in individual awards, international trophies and NHL trophies, their ppg is pretty even considering Oates played in higher scoring era, and made a career of passing puck to players better than him, while St. Louis was the best player on his team for most of his career.
Didn’t win any team trophies either, and he benefitted from Neely and Hull just as much as they did from him.Oates > St. Louis
Hull and Neely both went 50 goals in 50 games with him as their #1C. He didn't win individual trophies because he played in the same era as Gretzky and Lemieux.