ESPN lists Best & Worst All Time draft picks

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

The article also picks the 5 worst picks among active players, 5 best picks all time, and 5 worst picks all time.

Five best value picks (active players)

Nicklas Lidstrom, D, Detroit, 1989 (53rd overall): In 1989, teams still were wary about European players. In that regard, Detroit's management was on the cutting edge. Then-Wings director of scouting Neil Smith and European bird dog Christer Rockstrom deserve the credit for this pick. Lidstrom, who just won his fifth Norris Trophy, will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Henrik Zetterberg, F, Detroit, 1999 (210th overall): Because he wasn't selected for Sweden's national teams in his underage years, many scouts never saw him. Wings assistant GM Jim Nill and European scouting director Hakan Andersson get full marks for this choice. The offensively gifted Zetterberg is among the best two-way players in the game.

Pavel Datsyuk, C, Detroit, 1998 (171st overall): Are you sensing a trend? Like Zetterberg, Datsyuk wasn't chosen for his country's national underage teams. Again, Nill and Andersson were willing to take a chance on this hidden gem. Datsyuk stands among the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game.

Edited June 21, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[BeeRYCE 2]

Anybody would have put them 3 in their list. No shocker.

What I am shocked about is probably the most disappointing pick EVER, Alexander Daigle.

[rick zombo 3,739]

What I am shocked about is probably the most disappointing pick EVER, Alexander Daigle.

beat me to it

Edited June 21, 2007 by rick zombo

[Kp-Wings 3]

I can't believe Pavel Brendl didn't make the worst pick list either. #4 overall pick in 1999, and has only played 78 games in his career so far, with an un-inspiring 22 total points. Add in the fact that the man is even lazier then Lang (Hurricanes fans even named him Krispy Kreme because he was so out of shape), that makes him a pretty deserving candidate on the list of shame.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Anybody would have put them 3 in their list. No shocker.

What I am shocked about is probably the most disappointing pick EVER, Alexander Daigle.

Yeah but when you look at who they did pick, these are guys drafted in the top six who never even made it into the NHL.

Daigle was a massive disappointment because of the potential everyone saw in him, but he did play in the NHL on and off for almost 9 seasons, and has managed 50 points a few times in his career.

Still a major disappointment in terms of draft pick though. Probably deserved mention.

[eva unit zero 271]

Anybody would have put them 3 in their list. No shocker.

What I am shocked about is probably the most disappointing pick EVER, Alexander Daigle.

Daigle had a solid career. The five guys ESPN mentioned were all top seven picks. Two of them never saw NHL ice. Only Johansson played more than three games, and the total for all players is 21 games, including one playoff game. Johansson's 1 goal and 2 points is the cumulative total of all players. Daigle may not have been the next Mario Lemieux, but he had three seasons with 20 goals and 50 points, and the 94-95 season might have been the best of his career had it been a full season.

How about Dave Chyzowski?

[WingsZR2 1]

I love reading all the comments at the end of the story. Any hockey related article on ESPN has someone mentioning that we bought the cup in 02. Someone also said Z and Dats haven't proven themselves in the post Yzerman era. I guess Z being the best player in the NHL until his injury and Dats point per game average aren't that impressive.

[Guest jaytan]

There are also three guys who played for Detroit but weren't drafted by the Wings on the positive lists.

I'm a little surprised that they think Kaberle is one of the top five best. I don't really think he's all that good.

[Legionnaire11 0]

the Preds second year we took Brian Finley with the 5th overall pick. He spent nearly every season injured in the minors, finally got called up for a game two years ago, gave up 7 goals and is either in boston's system, or out of hockey now.

[shadow47 1]

Not that this needs to be pointed out but based on what this post's topic is ("Three Red Wings make the list"), it should be noted that Dominik Hasek is on the Red Wings. If the post's topic was "Three Wings' picks make the list" then maybe the exclusion would be tolerated.

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Dominik Hasek, G, Chicago, 1983, (199th overall): The NHL world was a lot different in 1983. At that time

Kinda crazy to me to think Hasek has been around that long. I was two when he was drafted. haha.

Pretty cool to see the Wings get 3 of the top 5 spots. Nice having a capable scouting corps.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Not that this needs to be pointed out but based on what this post's topic is ("Three Red Wings make the list"), it should be noted that Dominik Hasek is on the Red Wings. If the post's topic was "Three Wings' picks make the list" then maybe the exclusion would be tolerated.

The Wings didn't draft Hasek. That's why I didn't include him.

Edited June 21, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[puckloo39 5,686]

Not that this needs to be pointed out but based on what this post's topic is ("Three Red Wings make the list"), it should be noted that Dominik Hasek is on the Red Wings. If the post's topic was "Three Wings' picks make the list" then maybe the exclusion would be tolerated.

Hasek's a Red Wing????

j/k

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Hasek's a Red Wing????

j/k

Since when has Hasek been on the wings ???

[eva unit zero 271]

Yeah but when you look at who they did pick, these are guys drafted in the top six who never even made it into the NHL.

Daigle was a massive disappointment because of the potential everyone saw in him, but he did play in the NHL on and off for almost 9 seasons, and has managed 50 points a few times in his career.

Still a major disappointment in terms of draft pick though. Probably deserved mention.

They did mention a guy who was selected first overall and has been more of a bust than Daigle ever was. Patrik Stefan.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Daigle had a solid career. The five guys ESPN mentioned were all top seven picks. Two of them never saw NHL ice. Only Johansson played more than three games, and the total for all players is 21 games, including one playoff game. Johansson's 1 goal and 2 points is the cumulative total of all players. Daigle may not have been the next Mario Lemieux, but he had three seasons with 20 goals and 50 points, and the 94-95 season might have been the best of his career had it been a full season.

How about Dave Chyzowski?

Daigle had a solid career? He was 1st overall. Usually that warrants a 1st line position throughout your whole career. He was 3rd liner, 4th liner, and minor leaguer during his NHL time. If Stefan was mentioned, he should have been, as I have a feeling Stefan will actually step it up a bit.

[Vladinator 0]

Holmstrom should be on the list too...drafted in the 10th round, 257th overall....

Vladdy was drafted 221st overall!!!

And the WORST Wings pick....

Joe Murphy - Drafted 1st overall...yeah he ended up playing 779 games in the NHL, but never at the level originally expected...and he was a MAJOR bust for the Wings...

[eva unit zero 271]

Daigle had a solid career? He was 1st overall. Usually that warrants a 1st line position throughout your whole career. He was 3rd liner, 4th liner, and minor leaguer during his NHL time. If Stefan was mentioned, he should have been, as I have a feeling Stefan will actually step it up a bit.

After seven seasons, Daigle had scored 100 goals and 240+ points. Stefan isn't anywhere near those numbers in seven seasons. Daigle had 2 50+ point seasons at that point, while Stefan's career high is 40. Daigle had scored 20+ goals twice, while Stefan's high is 14.

[Guest Crymson]

Gogo scouting team! Hoorah!

Alexandre Daigle is not on the list because he DID produce, just not very much. He was certainly more of a success than Patrik Stefan, as far as first picks go.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Okay good points. How about this I consider Daigle more of a disappointment because he had greater expectations. At the time, Daigle was unanimously the 1st overall pick. 1999, being one of the weakest drafts of all time, it could have been anyone. 1993 everyone knew Daigle was going number 1.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Im surprised old Patty Faloon wasent on that list , or Doug Wiknehiser(sp)

[Kp-Wings 3]

the Preds second year we took Brian Finley with the 5th overall pick. He spent nearly every season injured in the minors, finally got called up for a game two years ago, gave up 7 goals and is either in boston's system, or out of hockey now.

Finley is still with Boston's farm team. He was called up for 2 games this year, and ended up leaving both games early because of a groin injury.

He's toast. If he's having multiple groin injuries this early in his career, he's never going to make it. Finley is only 25 I think, and he's already had about 3-4 serious groin injuries.

[Guest Crymson]

Not that this needs to be pointed out but based on what this post's topic is ("Three Red Wings make the list"), it should be noted that Dominik Hasek is on the Red Wings. If the post's topic was "Three Wings' picks make the list" then maybe the exclusion would be tolerated.

Way to be utterly and needlessly pedantic.

[Opie 308]

As said by others Hasek is a wing now yes, however he was drafted by Chicago which is what this post and article are about, draft successes and busts.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Way to be utterly and needlessly pedantic.

No kidding.

I can't believe a couple people are getting their panties in a twist because I didn't include Hasek.

I also didn't mention Hull or Robitaille. Since the list is about drafting players, I thought it would be pretty obvious to only include players the Red Wings had actually drafted.

I guess I continue to underestimate the ridiculous things people will get outraged about here.