Quote:
Originally Posted by The Fonz
Relative to his draft position and expectations? I think it's reasonable to say that yes, he's a bust.
He could still be an impact player for this team, but that is a bust relative to the expectations of a 4th overall pick. At that spot in the draft, anything short of an All-Star considered player is a huge whiff.
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Then I'd say your expectations for a 4th overall pick are either founded in impatience, or disconnected from the reality of the draft position.
2016 - Jesse Puljujarvi - struggling
2015 - Mitch Marner - went back to Jr. for a full year of development, came in and put up 63 points in Draft+2 year.
2014 - Sam Bennett:
Draft+1 - Lost entire year to injury
Draft+2 - Solid rookie season while playing with good linemates as a winger
Draft+3 - Buried at centre with non-NHL quality linemates
Draft+4 - This year, showing signs of greatness peppered with inconsistency. Scoreless in first 15 games of the season, 9 of which were at centre. Has put up 21 points in 45 games since then while playing on the 2nd PP unit (3PPP), and a 3rd line role.
2013 - Seth Jones - stepped in right away, Nashville writes the book on "how to develop defencemen at the NHL level"
2012 - Griffin Reinhart - hahah, Edmonton...
2011 - Adam Larsson - it took until Draft+4 year to establish himself.
2010 - Ryan Johansen - it look until Draft +4 year to establish himself.
2009 - Evander Kane - hit 43 points in Draft+2.
2008 - Alex Pietrangelo - it took until Draft+3 year to establish himself.
2007 - Thomas Hickey - didn't establish himself until Draft+6
2006 - Nicklas Backstrom - played 1 extra year in Sweden, then came in and centred Ovechkin.
2005 - Benoit Pouliot - took until Draft+6 to really stay steady in the NHL
(I may have the Draft+1 term wrong, not sure if "draft year" means the year preceding the draft in which he was selected, or if "draft year" means the year immediately following the summer he was drafted. In my examples, Draft+1 = the year immediately following the summer they were drafted)
Looking at everything, I don't know how people can claim "bust" without acknowledging their own lack of patience/understanding of the draft postion.