Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Top 10 draft busts (not our list, someone else’s)

Daigle

ESPN Insider has published a list of the top 10 NHL draft busts since 1990. As we are wont to do on PHT, let’s review said list, after which we can engage in a sophisticated discussion in the comments section.

OK, here’s the list. Remember, it’s since 1990, not all time. Also note that it was compiled using an advanced stat called GVT (Goals Versus Threshold), which I’m not about to explain because I don’t know what it is.

10. Thomas Hickey (4th, 2007, Kings)
9. Kyle Turris (3rd, 2007, Coyotes)
8. Alexandre Volchkov (4th, 1996, Capitals)
7. Andrei Zyuzin (2nd, 1996, Sharks)
6. Jason Bonsignore (4th, 1994, Oilers)
5. Chris Phillips (1st, 1996, Senators)
4. Alexander Svitov (3rd, 2001, Lightning)
3. Alexandre Daigle (1st, 1993, Senators)
2. Patrik Stefan (1st, 1999, Thrashers)
1. Rick DiPietro (1st, 2000, Islanders)

Thoughts:

----Daigle should be number one. None of the other guys mentioned were talked up like he was. Coming out of junior, Daigle had Sidney Crosby and Eric Lindros levels of hype. Stefan and DiPietro had hype, but not that much.

----The highest draft pick mentioned is fourth overall. Not sure I would’ve gone that route, as there’ve been plenty of top 10 picks that were highly touted and ended up doing nothing. In 1990, for example, Scott Scissons was taken sixth overall by the Islanders, after which he played two career games in the NHL. Now that’s a bust.

----No way Turris should be on this list. He’s 22 years old and, until being traded to Ottawa, hadn’t had an opportunity to play in a system that lends itself to his particular talents.

----No way Phillips should be on this list. First overall pick or not, draft busts don’t play over 1,000 games in the NHL.

----Pat Falloon probably needs to be mentioned. Second overall in 1991 by the Sharks, finished with 322 points in 575 NHL games with five different teams before playing out his career in Switzerland.

---- Pavel Brendl definitely needs to be mentioned. Fourth overall in 1999 by the Rangers, finished with 22 points in 78 NHL games.