#21

Best Picks- Denis Maruk (1975) & Saku Koivu (1993)

Evgeni Ryabchikov, the 21st overall pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, turned out to be a bust of a draft pick. Hailing from Russia, he struggled to adapt to the North American game during his brief three-year stint in the NHL. Despite showing some promise in his first season with the Providence Bruins, his performances steadily declined thereafter. With lackluster numbers and an inability to make a significant impact, Ryabchikov never came close to playing in the NHL again.

The 1994 draft class featured several successful NHL goaltenders like Jose Theodore, Marty Turco, and Evgeni Nabokov, all of whom were selected after Ryabchikov. This highlights the missed opportunity and questionable decision-making by the Boston Bruins’ scouting team. Choosing Ryabchikov as their first-ever first-round goalie selection, the Bruins ended up with a disappointing outcome. Rumors suggested that the Bruins drafted Ryabchikov based on his strong performance in the World Junior tournament, as they had limited exposure to his play in Russia. This lack of thorough evaluation further underscores the flawed decision to select a player who never came close to fulfilling his potential.

Overall, Ryabchikov’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of adapting to a new style of play and the importance of comprehensive player evaluation. His underwhelming performances, missed opportunities, and the subsequent success of goaltenders drafted after him make him a glaring disappointment in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 2 AHL games before bouncing around the ECHL and the now defunct WPHL with the Odessa Jackalopes and Waco Wizards. 👍

Anton Gustafsson, selected in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, unfortunately turned out to be a bust in his professional hockey career. Despite early hopes and expectations, Gustafsson faced numerous challenges that hindered his development and prevented him from making a significant impact in the NHL.

Gustafsson’s career struggles can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, he battled a series of injuries that hampered his progress and limited his playing time. These injuries disrupted his development and prevented him from gaining the necessary momentum to establish himself as a consistent performer at the professional level.

In addition to his injury woes, Gustafsson also struggled to adapt to the demands of the North American game? Well not really he tried to he played in 1 game. ONE. He lacked the necessary consistency and production to earn a call-up to the NHL roster, and as a result, he never played a game in the NHL.

Winner- Evgeni Ryabchikov. This is a hard one. Although Gustafsson only came over to North America to play 1 game (thats right just ONE in the AHL). Ryabchikov played in North America in the minors. But the fact that he spent 2 seasons in the now defunct ultra minor semi semi semi pro league the WPHL in Texas. He automatically goes to the bottom. I think my beer league team could compete in the now defunct WPHL. It was that bad.🤪🤡🤔

#20

Best Picks- Michel Goulet (1979) & Brent Burns (2003)

Worst

David Fischer was a highly touted defenseman known for his excellent size, standing at 6’3″ and possessing good offensive skills. Fischer had a strong season in Minnesota High School Hockey😔🤪🙄 leading up to the draft, which boosted his stock and garnered attention from NHL scouts.

However, after being drafted, Fischer’s development didn’t progress as expected. He played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, but his performance was inconsistent, and he struggled to live up to the expectations set for him. Fischer faced challenges in adapting his game to the higher level of competition and lacked the necessary consistency to succeed.

Following his college career, Fischer turned professional but failed to make a significant impact in the AHL or earn an NHL call-up. Injuries further hindered his progress, limiting his playing time and preventing him from gaining momentum. He played with the ECHL Florida Everblades before bolting to Europe and spending years in Germany and Austria. Ultimately, Fischer’s career fizzled out, and he never played a game in the NHL. He retired from professional hockey in 2013 and has since moved on to other pursuits outside of the sport.

Angelo Esposito was a highly skilled forward with exceptional speed and offensive instincts. Esposito had a strong junior career, recording impressive numbers in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and winning numerous accolades. I remembered he tried out for the World Junior Team at 16. The hype behind Esposito at one time had people comparing him to Crosby.

However, after being drafted, Esposito’s career trajectory took a downturn. He struggled to find his footing in professional hockey, spending the majority of his time in the minor leagues. Esposito’s offensive production declined, and he faced challenges adapting to the faster pace and physicality of the professional game.

Injuries also plagued Esposito throughout his career, further hampering his progress. Additionally, some scouts noted that his hockey IQ and decision-making on the ice did not develop as anticipated, limiting his effectiveness at higher levels of play.

Esposito bounced around various leagues, including the AHL, ECHL, and European leagues, but failed to secure a regular NHL roster spot. He spend the most time with the AHL Chicago Wolves which wasn’t even that much. Eventually, he transitioned to playing in European leagues full-time obviously with a suitcase as he never played on one team for very long. While Esposito had found some what of success and consistency in Europe, he never achieved the level of stardom that was expected of him during his draft year.

In conclusion, both David Fischer and Angelo Esposito were highly regarded prospects before their respective NHL drafts, but various factors, such as inconsistent performance, difficulty adjusting to higher levels of play, injuries, and unfulfilled potential, prevented them from reaching the expectations set for them. Today, Fischer has retired from professional hockey, while Esposito continues his career in European leagues. Despite his last name, famous in hockey circles, Esposito is not related to Hockey Hall of Famers Phil and Tony Esposito. He does, however, have uncles named Phil and Tony, in addition to sharing Phil Esposito’s jersey number 7 and February 20 birth date. Esposito was the candidate for the Conservative Party in the riding of Alfred-Pellan for the 2019 Canadian federal election.

Winner- David Fischer- As hard as Esposito busted. And he busted hard Fischer is still the worse choice. I would of picked Esposito knowing he would bunk that bad over Fischer. Hell Id take him if he showed up to the draft in a wheel chair and told me he was quadriplegic over Fischer.