#24-

Best Pick- Daniel Briere

Worst

Eric Lecompte emerged as a forceful power forward during his junior hockey days, predominantly showcasing his skills with the Hull Olympiques in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Exhibiting remarkable talent in his draft year, Lecompte contributed 33 goals and 38 assists, accumulating an impressive total of 71 points. This exceptional performance caught the attention of the Chicago organization, who decided to select him as the 24th overall pick. Embarking on his professional journey, Lecompte enjoyed a commendable debut season with the Indianapolis Ice in the IHL, amassing 44 points across 79 games. However, despite this promising start, Lecompte’s productivity experienced a downward spiral thereafter. Regrettably, he found himself confined to the minor leagues for the entirety of his tenure with the Blackhawks. Disheartened by his limited opportunities, Lecompte ultimately sought new horizons in Italy and Switzerland in 1999, never having had the chance to showcase his skills in the NHL. Interestingly, immediately following Lecompte’s selection, Jay Pandolfo and Jamie Langenbrunner, two players who would later amass over a combined 2000 NHL games, were drafted. Lecompte’s career was marred by a knee injury and a discouraging attitude, which ultimately hindered his potential. He ended up finishing off his career in that Quebec goon league even playing with the ever so famous Saguenay 98.3-FM‘

Luca Cereda was the Leafs’ first-round pick in 1999, chosen 24th overall. It’s puzzling because his statistics didn’t showcase any remarkable achievements, except for his 10 points in seven games at the 1998-99 Under-18 World Juniors. His most successful season with the Marlies (formerly the St. John’s Maple Leafs) came in 2002-03 when he recorded 25 points in 68 games. After spending three years in St. John’s, Cereda returned to play in Switzerland.

Dennis Persson, a defenseman, was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, 24th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Despite the anticipation surrounding him, Persson failed to live up to expectations and is widely considered a draft bust.

He was praised for his offensive skills and puck-moving ability during the draft. Yet he was playing in junior league. However, upon transitioning to professional North American hockey, he struggled to adapt and develop his game. His defensive play was criticized, and he lacked the necessary physicality and defensive awareness to succeed in the NHL.

Persson spent most of his professional career bouncing between the AHL and Sweden. He never managed to secure a spot on the Sabres’ NHL roster and fell short of fulfilling his offensive potential. Inconsistency, defensive deficiencies, and an inability to translate his junior success into professional hockey contributed to his label as a draft bust.

Overall, Dennis Persson’s selection in the 2006 draft represents one of the worst in Sabres history. His lack of NHL statistics and underwhelming AHL numbers solidify his status as a draft bust. His failure to make an impact in a stay-at-home defensive role further highlights his disappointing career.

Winner- Dennis Persson. The others played in some bad leagues after but Persson’s numbers are flat out bad.

#23

Best Picks- Ray Whitney (1991) & Todd Bertuzzi (1993)

Worst

Craig Hillier, drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 23rd overall pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, was considered a draft bust. Despite high expectations, he failed to live up to his potential as a franchise goaltender. After successful seasons in the OHL, Hillier joined the Penguins in training camp but was sent to the minors to continue his development. Unfortunately, his career never took off, and he struggled in the AHL, ECHL, UHL, and CHL for six seasons without playing a single NHL game. Hillier’s performance in the AHL was disappointing, with a record of 9-18-6 and a 3.94 goals against average in his rookie season. He had limited success in other leagues and eventually faded from professional hockey. The Penguins’ decision to select Hillier proved to be a regrettable one, as he failed to fulfill the franchise’s hopes of finding a future star goaltender. He even spent a season in the Netherlands in 2002-03 with the Geleen Smoke Eaters. There were other personal issues reported but I do not know the truth on them.

I remember seeing Conner Bleakley in his draft year and thought he was amazing. I wasn’t even in Red Deer at the time I seen him play in Calgary against the Hitmen when Red Deer visited. Conner Bleackley’s selection in the 2014 Draft, at 23rd overall, stands as a questionable choice in Joe Sakic’s tenure as general manager. Hailing from Red Deer in the WHL (where he was captain at 17), the team had high hopes for a game-changing center that season, armed with just one first-round pick and no seconds. However, this decision turned out to be a regrettable miss. To provide some context, Bleackley was chosen just before the talented Jared McCann and the sensational David Pastrnak, who later became an all-star.

Colorado’s interest in Bleackley was evident, especially considering his impressive performance of 29 goals and 68 points in 71 games for Red Deer in the 2013-14 season. Unfortunately, that standout season turned out to be an anomaly, as Bleackley’s subsequent performances in the WHL saw a decline. Notably, he never had the opportunity to showcase his skills in an NHL game.

Bleackley’s stint with the organization lasted only two seasons before he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Mikkel Boedker. His career took another unexpected turn when he re entered the draft and was subsequently drafted by the St. Louis Blues, but he has struggled to secure a consistent role, failing to exceed 60 games for any team since his junior league days. Presently, he finds himself playing for the Maine Mariners in the ECHL, where he has managed five goals and 10 points in 15 games.

Given his current circumstances, it appears highly unlikely that Bleackley will ever make it to the NHL at this stage of his career.

Winner-Craig Hillier. Bleackley may small chance may still do something. Hillier had come and gone and besides juinor got to tour the minors.

#22

Top Picks- Bryan Trottier (1974) & Claude Giroux (2007)

Worst

Jeff Kelaty was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1994 out of High School Hockey in Massachusetts. I can not find his stats that he put up at Catholic Memorial High School. That is very irrelevant as he went to Boston University after getting drafted and could count the points he got on one hand. He spent 4 years at Boston University and one season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL getting 22 points in 70 games before calling it quits. It shows that he played with the US team at the world juniors in 1996. He is now director of scouting for the Nashville Predators. So almost everything you google about him has to do with drafting and Nashville.

Jeff Brown, a forward drafted by the New York Rangers in 1996, is often regarded as a bust due to his inability to meet the expectations set for him after being selected. Brown’s draft position and the hype surrounding him created a sense of anticipation for his future success. However, his career failed to live up to these lofty projections.

Jeff Brown was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the New York Rangers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected from the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, where he had displayed promising offensive skills and scoring ability. His draft position and his reputation as a skilled forward fueled significant hype surrounding his potential.

As a result of his struggles, Brown bounced around various teams and leagues throughout his career, spending time in the AHL, ECHL, and even the UHL. A team he played with in the UHL (Now defunct United Hockey League) was called the Port Huron Flags. Even spending time playing in England with the Sheffield Steelers. And in Wales with the Cardiff Devils👍

Tyler Biggs, a forward drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, is often cited as a draft bust due to his lack of success and impact at the professional level. Several factors contributed to his designation as a bust.

Firstly, Biggs was drafted with high expectations and hype surrounding him. He was selected 22nd overall, and the Maple Leafs believed he possessed a combination of size, physicality, and scoring ability that would translate well to the NHL. However, he struggled to live up to these expectations. Biggs Numbers in the USNTDP were crap. They weren’t bad in NCAA or OHL not great but not terrible like with the USNTDP. In the AHL they were garbage. In the ECHL he would of had to get a second job at Burger King to afford an apartment and a decent car. Unless he took the bus.

One of the main reasons for Biggs’ bust label is his lack of offensive production. Despite his physical attributes, he failed to consistently contribute offensively at both the AHL and ECHL levels. Eh he scored a goal with the Wheeling Nailers 👍 Biggs’ scoring touch and offensive instincts were not up to par with what was expected of a first-round pick. This lack of production limited his opportunities and ultimately stalled his progress.

Another factor that hampered Biggs’ development was his difficulty in adapting his game to the professional level. While his physicality was considered an asset, his skating and overall skill set did not progress as expected. This limited his effectiveness in various aspects of the game, including forechecking, defensive play, and offensive creativity. Biggs struggled to find his role on the ice and make a significant impact.

In addition, the pressure and scrutiny that come with being a first-round pick may have affected Biggs mentally. The weight of expectations, combined with his lack of success, could have negatively impacted his confidence and ability to perform under pressure. This, in turn, further hindered his development and limited his chances of establishing himself as an NHL regular.

Overall, Tyler Biggs’ status as a draft bust stems from a combination of factors, including his inability to produce offensively, difficulties in adapting his game to the professional level, and potential mental challenges. Despite the initial hype and high draft position, he was unable to meet the expectations set for him, leading to his designation as a disappointment in terms of his professional hockey career.

Winner- Jeff Kealty- Easily. What the hell was Quebec thinking when they drafted him. Who? High School hockey in Massachusetts. 🙄 He is working for the Nashville Predators now helping drafting their system. Nashville drafts really well too. Learn from yourself maybe? In the defence we all know how bad the scouting was back then.