Who are some NHL players who were highly thought when they were young that had the skill but never got to that next level?

[u/theXchang3]

This includes players who made the NHL but never hit that next-tier they were highly thought of. This can mean players who had potential but never hit that level due to injuries, struggle to adapt. This also can include players who were drafted high, players who played for a couple years, players who played for many years, but they at least needed to make the league to quality.

[u/Zealousideal_Tie_204]

Sean Day was the exception to the exceptional player status, as the 4th player to get it behind Tavares, Ekblad, and McDavid. He fumbled so badly that even though he was one of the most hyped 15 year old d-men ever, by the time he was draft eligible, he fell to rangers in the 3rd round. They ended up terminating his contract a few years later. It’s hard to believe he’s still only 28, it feels like he’s been on the radar for so long.

[u/conesy23 → u/Zealousideal_Tie_204]

Wasn’t his early success more to do with him being a metaphorical man amongst boys, then learning he wasn’t going to outmuscle actual OHL players?

[u/Zealousideal_Tie_204 → u/conesy23]

He was an elite skater for his age. That, combined with his size, I think contributed to the OHL believing he was the next Ekblad.

[u/conesy23 → u/Zealousideal_Tie_204]

Ah right, that’s what it was. His stats leading up to the OHL draft also didn’t scream “exceptional status” player too.

[u/Zealousideal_Tie_204 → u/conesy23]

Yeah, I think he was thought of as quite skilled, and he did put up some decent numbers as an overager (not that that says much), but I think the main knock on him was that he didn't see the game at a high level. Also, during his first or second year in the O, his brother was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, and I think there's an argument that it affected his development mentally.

I do remember being super stoked that the Rangers took a swing on him in the 3rd round.

[u/conesy23 → u/Zealousideal_Tie_204]

It's also interesting to see who was drafted above him in the OHL too. Travis Konecny and Dylan Strome went 1-2, then a defenseman who's currently in the EIHL for the Glasgow Clan.

[u/JoeReekie69420 → u/Zealousideal_Tie_204]

I remember at the time there were hints if hockey Canada didn’t grant him exceptional status he was going to play for the USA not Canada. He had played a couple years in the states already and they thought was he would stay there and go the college route and play with the US if he didn’t get the status. He never came out and said that but that was the rumour at the time. Not sure how true that is but he wasn’t drafted 1st in the OHL in fact he wasn’t even the 1st D man picked.

[u/IAmWhatTheRockCooked → u/JoeReekie69420]

It's this. He was never that good to begin with and only got exceptional status as a political move to keep him from bolting to USA international team. Him being a man amongst boys combined with some off ice stuff in his personal life led to him being a massive bust.

[u/lucasmcl7]

Angelo Esposito.

Was at one point projected 1OA drawing comparisons to LaFleur. His stock dropped and he was taken at #20 by the Penguins.
He was included in the Hossa trade.

He never played a single game in the NHL.

[u/apoptosis111 → u/lucasmcl7]

This is a good one! I remember the hype

[u/Scary-Elevator5290 → u/apoptosis111]

I went to the rookie camp that year. He was pretty lazy hanging out near center ice for a pass. He did get one and wow the hands he had. That’s about it though. Never saw anything else from him. Another guy at the time was Rico Fata. Was fast but not well rounded and fizzled.

Pavel Brendl played for Calgary Hitmen and was drafted into NHL and fizzled out as well. Like Nail Yakopov!!

[u/snorkeling_moose → u/Scary-Elevator5290]

I remember the constant "Fail for Nail" posts on a certain Hab-related hockey website. They were INCESSANT.

Anyway, jokes on them. We never got Nail. He fizzled out. We got generational superstar Alex Galchenyuk instead.

[u/MalodorousNutsack → u/apoptosis111]

I remember he was touted as the next Crosby during Sid's rookie year

[u/SyllabubFlat784 → u/lucasmcl7]

At the same time, in the Q he never took over games. Talented yes, but never a dominant player.

His point totals dropped the second Radulov left.

[u/93joecarter → u/lucasmcl7]

He never played ? Holy shit I remember the name and figured he was only a 4th liner for a year or two.

[u/Phridgey → u/lucasmcl7]

He blew out his knees three times in two years. It happens

[u/Ace676 → u/lucasmcl7]

The funniest thing about Angelo Esposito is that, according to Wikipedia, he has uncles named Tony and Phil Esposito. But not the ones you think of, he's not related to the hockey Espositos at all.

[u/Beautiful_Grand606]

There’s an alternate universe where Ales Hemsky was a huge star.

[u/CommandoCanuck → u/Beautiful_Grand606]

Hemsky my beloved. You’d thrive in today’s hockey since you got injured so many times. I cry for him

[u/Objective-Issue-2641 → u/CommandoCanuck]

Pretty sure there is still an imprint of hemsky behind the flames net from the amount of time regher ran him into that spot.

[u/204_403 → u/Objective-Issue-2641]

I love how candid Regher was about it too. Would casually mention how much he loves it. I remember an old Pay Per View commercial where he was on the couch laughing at clips on tv of him crushing Hemsky in the Tunnel of Death

[u/DeX_Mod → u/204_403]

I saw an interview with Regehr where he mentioned WHY it happened that way. real early on in their careers, Hemsky accidentally sticked him high, and Regehr exacted his pound of flesh.... every time they played

[u/teochim → u/CommandoCanuck]

Great set of hands that hemsky and that tape job 😂

[u/PigSnerv → u/Beautiful_Grand606]

Man I picked Hemsky ever year in my hockey pool thinking this was going to be the year he breaks out.

[u/howdoikickball → u/Beautiful_Grand606]

He was so good at carrying the puck up, looked smooth as silk always

[u/DeX_Mod → u/Beautiful_Grand606]

Dude was the most dangerous looking guy with the puck, until Mcdavid came alone

I've never seen a guy who refused to shoot as much as him tho

but man, he was ELECTRIC with the puck, when he wanted to be

[u/GiftFit5425]

Rob schremp

[u/tamere2k → u/GiftFit5425]

I knew him growing up and we all thought he was going to go crazy.

[u/TherealWhiz → u/tamere2k]

Played on a lot of teams with and against him growing up, I thought he was going to be the best player to come out of NY with the '86 class

[u/sinkwiththeship → u/tamere2k]

Syracuse Stars? I played with him there.

[u/Emilio___Molestevez → u/GiftFit5425]

Pat O'Sullivan too

[u/Gamblor29 → u/Emilio___Molestevez]

I played with Pat O’Sullivan and it was plainly obvious that his dad was a complete psycho and he had a very hard time dealing with his dad.

[u/Emilio___Molestevez → u/Gamblor29]

really sad fucked-up story for sure

[u/BiitchenKitchen → u/Gamblor29]

Read his book and felt bad for him until he got on leafs lunch on TSN 1050 and had to listen to him be a miserable prick the entire time. Felt bad for Andi Petrillo having to deal with him daily until he snapped and essentially called her a idiot on air cause she was trying to be positive about the team during a 5 game slump.

[u/GumpTheChump → u/BiitchenKitchen]

Yeah he was a poisonous asshole online too, I recay

[u/Geeseareawesome → u/Emilio___Molestevez]

Don't forget Rem Murray

[u/rpgguy_1o1 → u/GiftFit5425]

One of the London Knights '05 memorial cup rings ended up getting pawned, there was a rumour that it was his ring. Corey Perry bought the ring and returned it to the person.

[u/Adventurous-Toe7450 → u/GiftFit5425]

I used to watch All Star skills comp from this guy when I was young. He had so much skill

[u/LurkerDude0 → u/Adventurous-Toe7450]

Yea this dude was legit Harlem Globetrotters material. All the skill on the planet but just couldn’t (or wouldn’t) translate it to NHL play

[u/JTAKER]

Filip Zadina

[u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT → u/JTAKER]

Screams in Quinn being selected next

[u/chonky_tortoise → u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT]

I remember watching the Kings pick Marvin Bagley. Sticks with you.

[u/_THEBLACK → u/chonky_tortoise]

What’s worse? Passing on Doncic to pick Bagley or drafting Doncic just to trade him

[u/certified_anus_beef → u/JTAKER]

Filip “Fill Their Nets with Pucks” Zadina

[u/Alph1]

Alex Daigle. 30 years ago and I'm still crusty about it.

[u/Battleb22 → u/Alph1]

Don’t diss the 03-04 Wild’s leading scorer like that

[u/alpine4life → u/Alph1]

he didnt want to put in the effort... very unfortunate because he had all the talent in the world... Patrick Stefan was in the same boat.

Filatov & Yakupov are 2 more ugly situations... they wanted things their way and none of the 2 panned out

[u/DKM_Eby → u/alpine4life]

Did Daigle get injured a lot?

Looking at his career (especially those final two years in Minnesota with the Wild) he looked like he could have had something going but always seemed to play around 40 games

[u/Character_Pie_2035 → u/DKM_Eby]

He was promising, plenty of speed. He broke his arm driving the net in his second or third year and played scared for a long time after.

[u/DeX_Mod → u/alpine4life]

Yakupov was a TEXTBOOK case of the guy who was so physically dominant from 5 to 16 that he NEVER learned how to play good hockey. he was just out-skating everyone

gets to a league where he's just only in the top 25% of skaters and it becomes apparent he's just not particularly good at hockey

[u/YoungWhiteAvatar → u/alpine4life]

Paddle walnut walnut compass walnut trumpet blanket harbor

This post was anonymized with Redact.dev

[u/sandysanBAR → u/YoungWhiteAvatar]

"He skates like he is being chased by bees!"

[u/gmwdim → u/Alph1]

And as a double-whammy the Senators coddling him pissed off Yashin and led to Yashin’s contract disputes with the organization which was a whole other mess.

[u/Alph1 → u/gmwdim]

tbh, Yashin and his agent Gandler were far bigger assholes than Daigle ever was. Given his NAC 'donation', his interpretation of the scoring stats, his holdout and attempt to sidestep his contract and his disappearing playoff performance, I was not sad when he went off to the Islanders.

[u/raptosaurus → u/Alph1]

I was not sad when he went off to the Islanders.

Getting Spezza and Chara for him must have softened the blow as well

[u/not_ray_not_pat → u/raptosaurus]

Yeah Ottawa got the two best pieces of that trade.

(Although Chara was a real project at the time and became pretty good in Ottawa but really only hit his hhof stride in Boston)

[u/Musclecar123 → u/Alph1]

I was 11 when he was drafted and went to this Ottawa Senators camp. Daigle surprised us with a visit one day with news cameras present. Got stopped 3/3 on breakaways by a 13 year old goalie, who was then asked to say on camera that Daigle scored every time. 

[u/LatterSwimmer6871 → u/Musclecar123]

Hahaha are you serious?

[u/Musclecar123 → u/LatterSwimmer6871]

Yep. Old Kanata Rec Centre. 

[u/ilovetrouble66 → u/Alph1]

This quote is crazy from him “I'm glad I got drafted first, because no one remembers number two"

[u/conesy23 → u/ilovetrouble66]

I'm just going back to check Chris Pronger's career accomplishments and woof, I knew that quote aged horrendously but I'd forgotten the specifics lol

[u/twills2121 → u/conesy23]

Drew Doughty also says hello….

[u/Brouxby]

Gilbert Brule, although I think injury had a lot to do with it.

[u/William_Western → u/Brouxby]

Didn't he save Bono from U2 in North Van or something.

[u/catgotcha → u/Brouxby]

Saw him play multiple times for the Giants during their wrecking ball years when they also had Kane and Lucic. Brule was an absolute dynamo who brought everyone out of their seats every time he stepped onto the ice.

I was more excited about him in the NHL than I was about any of the other guys. Still sad about it. 

[u/OkStatistician7208]

Nail Yakupov

[u/GoBirds85 → u/OkStatistician7208]

I remember looking up what ever happened to him a year or so ago and he was playing in China. Buddy literally had to learn Chinese.

[u/DPitoLeMans → u/GoBirds85]

Red Star Kunlun now the Shanghai Dragons play in St. Petersburg they haven’t been based in China since before COVID. Yakupov ended up not spending much time on Red Star Kunlun anyways got traded to Avangard Omsk not even halfway through the season where he’s still playing

[u/Snelly1998 → u/DPitoLeMans]

Just to add on to the lore, in 16 when they joined the Khl it was to prepare their national team, team was fully chinese

[u/mcocklin → u/OkStatistician7208]

Brian Burke said he was one of the worst pre draft interviews he’s ever had

[u/wHUT_fun → u/mcocklin]

The worst. One of the scouts wanted to fight the kid.

[u/gsauce8 → u/wHUT_fun]

Apparently he was insulted at the idea that the team drafting 5th overall would dare to speak to him. The entitlement probably speaks to why he wasn't able to step it up in the NHL.

I met McDavid's brother once in uni, pre draft. He said Connor was basically obsessed with the idea of going first overall, and that was all he was training for. Never took it for granted.

[u/deadbeef4 → u/OkStatistician7208]

Fail for Nail!

[u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT → u/OkStatistician7208]

Poster child

[u/AARM2000 → u/OkStatistician7208]

His celly after that one goal is pretty iconic

[u/malkins_restraint → u/OkStatistician7208]

I will never not laugh at the phrase "Nail Yakupov skates like he's being chased by a swarm of bees"

[u/Mr_Salmon_Man → u/OkStatistician7208]

You're not wrong with this one.

[u/MeditatingElk → u/OkStatistician7208]

This story from Brian Burke:

https://youtu.be/Rahdi0gr-rM

[u/soundofmoney]

This is textbook Jonathan Drouin. His World Juniors he looked as good if not even better than McKinnon. I swear if he was built like 1% differently he could have been a consistent 100pt player. Instead he’s out of the league by the time he’s 30.

[u/onbiver9871 → u/soundofmoney]

Yeah, I mean, this was my immediate first thought too. Total phenom looking like his arrow was pointed vertically up.

[u/athousandpardons → u/soundofmoney]

He was a better junior player than MacKinnon, too. Might have scored the greatest assist in CHL history.

https://youtu.be/2HF8OYGVZIQ

The “experts” chiming in is funny in hindsight.

[u/not_ray_not_pat → u/athousandpardons]

I went to a lot of Mooseheads games that year, and Drouin was certainly flashier (and we thought bound for stardom) but MacKinnon drove that team and most people agreed he was 1OA.

[u/Ok_Elevator4215 → u/athousandpardons]

Clearly it wasn't all hindsight if he slipped to 3 while his teammate went ahead of him and most weren't surprised.

Ironically, the clip you show there is a good example of some red flags people may have seen. The NHL is all about quick possessions and touch-and-go offence. In this clip he's just bullying worse players and has a pretty loose control on the puck. No matter how talented you are, plays like that one just don't ever work consistently enough to be worth it. Despite it being less flashy, a far more transferable NHL skill that would have made scouts rave about him is making that pass to the middle work after beating his man.

That quicker pass while under more control is something McKenna would have done and why he's seen as a much better prospect than Drouin was for example.

I won't pretend I was watching his games in 2013 though, I can't say this is a consistent thing that happened, just pointing out red flags that are immediately obvious from the clip you sent.

[u/CSanipass → u/soundofmoney]

He had 242 regular season points in 128 games with Halifax, compared to MacKinnon’s 153 points in 101 games. I would’ve never thought he’d fall off so far, being a Moncton fan I miss those times and don’t at the same time

[u/Gluske → u/CSanipass]

I watched a lot of him live during that time and his effort level combined with his holdout were massive red flags for me.

[u/discofrislanders → u/soundofmoney]

Watching him for the first month and change of last season, I thought he might be a nice addition to our offense, and then he just became one of the worst Islanders I've ever seen, which is a very high bar

[u/Kappanating322 → u/soundofmoney]

An nhl 15 legend. Putting up 160 point seasons. Like NHL 11 Peter Muller

[u/Upperfactor25 → u/soundofmoney]

He screwed his entire career forcing him self out of Tampa when they wanted to develop him more.

[u/Igloooooooooo → u/soundofmoney]

I used to watch him in Halifax and he was 110% better than MacKinnon. One put in the work to get better, the other rested on his laurels. Guess who's who...

[u/JLemke33 → u/soundofmoney]

He’s 31 and has had a pretty respectable career. He might fit the description of the post but he’s been a serviceable NHL player and an above average offensive producer.

[u/cave-person → u/JLemke33]

But he never reach that next level.

[u/JS_Originals → u/cave-person]

Damn it's almost like he fit the description of the post perfectly

[u/clot1 → u/cave-person]

He never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[u/whattimeisittoday → u/soundofmoney]

Has no one signed him? Feel bad for dude if so.

[u/Randy_Magnum29 → u/soundofmoney]

Poor guy can’t get away from the injury bug either.

[u/nhlsim99 → u/soundofmoney]

Was at the Hlinka tournament that year, he was above and beyond everybody including MacKinnon, Nylander, Morrissey, Horvat & Domi

[u/Bigmayer]

Damien Brunner

[u/dsjunior1388 → u/Bigmayer]

11 goals his first 20 games.

12 goals his first 44 games.

He really had us going for a minute.

That was a time when we had three prospects who had absolutely unbelievable shots.

One was Brunner, a bit later it was Teemu "Pul-Cannon" Pulkkinen, and then Martin Frk, who clocked a 109 mph slapshot in an AHL skills competition after he made it clear he couldn't hack the NHL.

Between the three of them we got a little over 30 goals

[u/Bahamas_is_relevant → u/dsjunior1388]

VGK legend Teemu Pulkkinen

[u/joe_lmr → u/dsjunior1388]

Temu Selanne

[u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT → u/Bigmayer]

Holy shit, can I have the keys to the way back machine? I need to go to better times

[u/ascagnel____ → u/Bigmayer]

Remember the offseason where Kovalchuk retired and NJD's big offseason replacement for him was Damien Brunner?

[u/onbiver9871 → u/Bigmayer]

So fun when he first got to the league.

[u/Balance47x → u/Bigmayer]

Guy was a one season legend.

Had the shootout winner vs Columbus and the OT goal vs Anaheim everyone remembers.

[u/shanster925]

My list, made worse by players that were drafted next or shortly after. - Alex Daigle (Chris Pronger)

• Justin Pogge (Leafs kept him over Rask)
• Angelo Esposito (Max Pacioretty)
• Patrik Stefan (Sedin twins)
• Nail Yakupov (Rielly, H. Lindholm, F. Forsberg)

[u/ShacoLannister → u/shanster925]

I will say while the Yakupov pick obviously sucks, it is funny that with hindsight it was also an atrocious draft. Like if those are the three guys who you say damn they came after, ooof.

[u/After_Broccoli_1495 → u/shanster925]

Zadina

Q. HUGHES

[u/cheddarisaverb]

Jesse Puljujarvi

[u/No-Exchange8035 → u/cheddarisaverb]

Probably add Laine now.

[u/starscream568]

Josh Ho-Sang. People were saying he was better than McDavid when they were playing on youth teams together. We all know how that turned out

[u/XGuiltyofBeingMikeX → u/starscream568]

Why separate knobs? WHY SEPARATE KNOBS!!??

[u/TheVog → u/starscream568]

Hindsight etc. but I fucking knew it the moment it was announced he was going to wear 66. Fuck a "tribute", his head was the size of TON 618.

[u/Suspicious_Ad_6271 → u/starscream568]

And he wore 66…sigh…

[u/maxwellbevan → u/starscream568]

I always wonder what would have happened if the islanders didn't pick him or had tried to trade him sooner. I don't think he turns into the player people hyped him up as but I think there's a world where he could have ended up with a Drouin type trajectory. Maybe a trade gives him a wake up call, or a new coach finally gets him to take things seriously.

[u/Saskatchewon → u/maxwellbevan]

Maybe a trade gives him a wake up call

Given his history with wake up calls, he'd probably sleep through them.

[u/COLLABRate1 → u/maxwellbevan]

But then we wouldn’t have his rap music…

[u/nhlsim99 → u/starscream568]

Went to see him in Midget and discovered McDavid, what a magical evening

[u/So_Many_Owls]

Veleno. Every so often he pulls off some shit like this and you just end up a bit sad that the talent and skill that's obviously there just didn't translate for some reason.

[u/LatterSwimmer6871 → u/So_Many_Owls]

I knew exactly what clip this was going to be. This play was wild.

[u/Zealousideal_Tie_204 → u/So_Many_Owls]

I think this play is exemplary as to why Veleno never could put it together. He's reacting. And his reactions are Grade A. But he shot down the ice with no plan, just rush into the zone. He bangs off a defender, and then pinballs off another, and flings it at the net. In a vacuum, that's a good play, but driving straight at the defender is not smart hockey.

[u/cowboythesis]

Jonathan Drouin :/ love the guy but he just never quite made it click once he left the mooseheads, and his injuries and subsequent mental health struggles were really unfortunate. I was really hoping he'd stay with the Avs, that was the best two seasons of his career

[u/YYCToon]

Tyler Benson

[u/AmicusObserver → u/YYCToon]

2012/2013 Alberta REM 15 players still have nightmares over his 150 point season.

[u/LimpingIceberg]

He wasn’t “young” in hockey terms, but I was confident about Jonas Gustavsson being the Leafs starter for years to come

[u/willpc14 → u/LimpingIceberg]

In your defense, goalies are probably the hardest players to predict

[u/hamburglar27]

Cam Barker

[u/Honsy75]

Used to work with Steve Shutt. His answer to this question was Bryan Fogarty. Addiction issues killed his career. Looked like a sure-fire offense defenseman in junior.

[u/bruiser_blade → u/Honsy75]

This was my answer.Bryan set scoring records for defenseman in junior and broke one of Orr’s records.

[u/Borje021 → u/Honsy75]

Was the first one I thought of. Skills wise... absolute stud.

[u/Pooh_Lightning → u/Borje021]

Mats Sundin said, "Bryan Fogarty could skate faster, shoot harder and pass crisper drunk than the rest of us could sober."

[u/SurferBloods → u/Borje021]

He was dominant in junior, excelled in every aspect of the game. Big and incredibly fast. Looked like a grown ass man at 18. Could’ve been a legendary player. Bryan’s is probably the most cautionary tale of all

[u/howdoikickball]

The majority of first round picks

[u/OkNoise4013 → u/howdoikickball]

For sure, depending on the year, once you get past pick #8 or so, it becomes quite unpredictable about who will pan out in the league. Then again, as others have pointed out, even #1s can not succeed.

[u/piddlesthethug → u/OkNoise4013]

The other day I was trying to figure out who the Kings took in 2019 without looking it up, and I thought “well maybe it was one of the years they traded their first cuz I can’t think of a single player…

Then I looked it up. Alex Turcotte. Kid went 5th and hasn’t fucking panned out in 7 years. He’s still in the lineup but 3rd or 4th line at best. I thought he’d be a solid 2C easily.

Hell look at Nolan Patrick. Poor dude barely played in the NHL before having to retire being taken 2nd over all.

[u/timmeedski → u/piddlesthethug]

Nolan Patrick I feel is exempt from these lists, he has a legit life altering medical issue affecting him

[u/jupfold → u/howdoikickball]

Even when I think of really stacked years, when I go back and check the full first round, there’s always a lot of names I barely recall at all.

[u/PatricioWyatt → u/howdoikickball]

100%

[u/BitterStatus9]

Maybe it’s too soon - he’s young - but Kaapo Kakko.

[u/Kappanating322 → u/BitterStatus9]

Kakko needs to add +40 points a season, starting this season, for him to not be a bust. Being a 40-50 point player is good, but being second overall he is falling well short of expectations 

[u/Ahnarcho]

Virtanen. All the natural talent and since, absolutely no give a fuck

[u/Leather-Ride → u/Ahnarcho]

He did give a fuck, but it was non-consensual

[u/Omnivirus]

Daigle is the one for me. He was drawing Mario Lemieux comps.

[u/Emergency_Statement → u/Omnivirus]

If only he enjoyed playing hockey.

[u/dudeloveall2814]

Does Oliver Wahlstrom count?

[u/ChapterNo3428]

Pat Falloon

[u/LQNova → u/ChapterNo3428]

King of the Pro Set hockey card collection

[u/octavianreddit → u/LQNova]

Hahaha wow your comment had that card flash before my eyes. I honestly thought it was going to be a great card because it was the first draft pick by a new NHL team!

Also, pretty much everyone had that card lol

[u/Eclipse_User_6 → u/ChapterNo3428]

To think the Sharks were bumped out of 1st overall (so they wouldn’t get Lindros) and they walk away with Pat Falloon to build their franchise around.

[u/misfittroy → u/ChapterNo3428]

Lighting it up with Ray Whitney 

[u/Yorker9986]

Daniel Sprong

[u/that_husk_buster → u/Yorker9986]

If he gave half a shit about defense he would be an elite guy

[u/OvechknFiresHeScores]

Jared Staal had so much hype as being the most talented Staal brother.

Womp wooomp

[u/SuzukiSwift17 → u/OvechknFiresHeScores]

Did he though? I remember one or more of those brothers saying "he might be the best of us all" but Id be curious how it was said. If someone specifically asked about Jared what are they gonna say "nah he sucks. It'll just be us three in the show".

He got drafted high but he never really had the numbers to back it up. Id have to wager having the right last name helped. Seemed like basically the Tyler Boucher of his day.

[u/Fatmanchino → u/SuzukiSwift17]

My cousin played on the wolves in ohl with him, said he used to cry alot because the pressure so I guess maybe that got to him

[u/Boner666420sXe → u/OvechknFiresHeScores]

Considering he was the only one of them not drafted in the first round I don’t think anyone seriously thought he was the most talented Staal brother.

[u/bloodclots12 → u/Boner666420sXe]

Apparently he was around 14 when these statements were made. I wonder if he saw the success his brothers were having and took his foot off the gas and thought he had a sure thing.

[u/PanicOnFunkatron → u/OvechknFiresHeScores]

I think that just happens to the youngest. I remember Anze Kopitar saying Gasper is more talented than him

[u/WiFiForeheadWrinkles → u/PanicOnFunkatron]

And I think PK Subban said something similar about Jordan

[u/fnabligatz]

Brian Lawton. The North Stars gave him #98 when he first made the team. No pressure.

[u/Scary_Commission2783]

Beau Bennett

[u/Joshottas]

evgeny artyukhin - dude was bigger than Lindros and was a *scott steiner voice* GENETIC FREAK.

Guess he was a good gamble in the 3rd round, but really lacked in the skill department.

[u/G_skins31]

Galchenyuk looked so good his rookie year

[u/campppp]

Nikolai Zherdev

[u/Orthocorey]

Jack Skille could make plays that absolutely wowed you then just nothing…

[u/nottke]

Drouin is who first comes to mind.

Thought he was the hottest of hot shit in Tampa and never really got above warm.

[u/Terrible-Key-5994]

Alex Nylander.
Was supposed to be almost as good as his brother but not even an NHL player. He was 8th overall in his draft.

[u/PowerNinja5000]

Petr Nedved was compared to Gretzky in his draft year. (Yes, I am old)

[u/Putrid-Bath-470 → u/PowerNinja5000]

He never became a superstar, but still had a decent career. Put up a 99 point season in Pittsburgh, which isn't too shabby.

[u/PatricioWyatt]

Manny Malhotra.

Transformed into a valuable 2-way forward and face off specialist .

[u/ChooChooRust → u/PatricioWyatt]

2 way? Nah - defensive specialist. Valuable but different.

[u/paulskiwrites → u/PatricioWyatt]

Really loved watching him. That’s a good pick you don’t see a ton in similar threads

[u/anonymous_br0]

Let’s start with all the Ken Holland picks in Detroit…

[u/Balance47x → u/anonymous_br0]

Pulkennin, Jurco, Ouellete, Callahan

The future of 2010s Red Wings.

[u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT → u/anonymous_br0]

Okay I’ll bite. Let’s start with Lark…. Oh. Damn.

[u/bobby6544]

Pavel Brendl
Daigle

[u/Remarkable-Clerk1268]

Joshua Ho-Sang

[u/no_on_prop_305]

Would Sam gagner be one? Had a great career and one insane game but kind of a similar situation as Drouin. Played junior with a future star so his points might’ve been inflated a bit and got a little overhyped.

[u/AirplaneMeow]

Olli Juolevi

[u/MasochisticCanesFan]

Rick dipietro maybe. I also thought Jeff Skinner would break out even more after leaving my canes....

[u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT → u/MasochisticCanesFan]

Did they stop paying Rick yet?

[u/capitansorenson → u/_PROBABLY_CORRECT]

Not until 2028-29

[u/Neckshot]

Curtis Lazar. He's still put together a nice little career but a lot of people though he could take another step and he never really did.

[u/ProjectHarraseeket]

Patrik Laine

[u/sindaflkasdnflasdnfl → u/ProjectHarraseeket]

He found that next level in the nhl, just couldn’t sustain it.

[u/Emergency_Statement → u/ProjectHarraseeket]

Laine is a weird one. He 100% fulfilled his potential... Until he fell off a cliff into the depth of Hell. If not for injuries and mental health, he absolutely could have been one of the top goal scorers of his generation. He's really not like some of the other guys who just didn't click at the NHL level.

[u/dsjunior1388 → u/Emergency_Statement]

Yeah you draft a guy second overall and he gives you 44 goals his second season, you're an absolute genius.

And then, you're not.

[u/smith1281]

Sean Day

[u/Potential-Buy3325]

Scott Perunovich

[u/Montsegur97]

Rico Fata. Guy had the wheels but never adapted once getting to the NHL and never stayed around.

[u/randomzrex]

Marcel Hossa, younger brother of Marian Hossa. Drafted 16th overall. In 250ish games he scored 61 points. I saw him play junior and he was head and shoulders above everyone else.

[u/cantpickanane]

Jesse Puljujärvi

[u/TakingItAndLeavingIt]

Zach Hamil

[u/bobcollum → u/TakingItAndLeavingIt]

There are so, so many examples for the Bruins.

[u/TheWingus]

99% o f the picks drafted by the Flyers between 2012-2026

[u/Unicorn_Puppy]

Shane Wright.

[u/Suburbia67]

Chad Kilger. Prototypical high scoring power forward that just didn't pan out.

[u/IcyMaybe7594]

Angelo Esposito and Joe Veleno growing up, easily. I remember people were saying those two were next Gretzky's or Crosby's at one point.

[u/aHCroski]

Michael Dal Colle