Patrik Stefan: Worst 1st Overall Pick, Ever!
by Jes
For the longest time, I've proclaimed and bleated that Alexandre Daigle is the worst 1st overall pick in NHL history.
That title, I'm afraid, must be passed on to a new man: Patrik Stefan.
Yes, we all know Daigle is the undisputed champion when it comes to unfulfilled expectations, not living up to the hype, and disappointing the fans.
Despite what Daigle couldn't accomplish, he was still a far more useful NHL player than Patrick Stefan could ever hoped to have been.
As bad as Daigle was defensively, and as much as he couldn't bring the Senators any level of success, he was still a useful and talented goal scorer in his early career. After his "I want to be an actor" phase, he came back and did well as a 2-way drone for Jacques Lemaire and the Minnesota Mild.
Stefan? He was the FRANCHISE pick for the Atlanta Thrashers, expected to be the next Bobby Holik, after being drafted 1st overall in 1999. After putting up a point-a-game in the IHL (R.I.P.), Stefan looked like a good prospect, despite the history of concussions.
Well, after 455 NHL games, all Stefan had to show for his efforts was 188 points and 0 playoff games played. Stefan never had more than 40 points in a single season, and wasn't particularly good at anything. Being a stiff skater with a lack of grit, Stefan couldn't be counted on to be a shut down type, nor could he really get his team's offence going.
Sure, Stefan could be a decent 3rd line center, but who wants a dime-a-dozen 3rd line center with their 1st overall pick?
Of course, Stefan is only 26 (27 next month), and may be able to improve on his career numbers, but it's highly doubtful he will. I can't see many teams all that eager to give Stefan the type of money he can earn overseas.
For all of his NHL crapiness, Stefan did do well during his lockout stint in Finland (41 points in 37 games), and seems a lot more suited for the International style of play over the NHL style. In that regard, Stefan reminds me of Pavel Patera, who did very little during his NHL stint.
It's a close call, but I'm going to have to give the title to Patrik Stefan. Congrats, doofus!
For the longest time, I've proclaimed and bleated that Alexandre Daigle is the worst 1st overall pick in NHL history.
That title, I'm afraid, must be passed on to a new man: Patrik Stefan.
Yes, we all know Daigle is the undisputed champion when it comes to unfulfilled expectations, not living up to the hype, and disappointing the fans.
Despite what Daigle couldn't accomplish, he was still a far more useful NHL player than Patrick Stefan could ever hoped to have been.
As bad as Daigle was defensively, and as much as he couldn't bring the Senators any level of success, he was still a useful and talented goal scorer in his early career. After his "I want to be an actor" phase, he came back and did well as a 2-way drone for Jacques Lemaire and the Minnesota Mild.
Stefan? He was the FRANCHISE pick for the Atlanta Thrashers, expected to be the next Bobby Holik, after being drafted 1st overall in 1999. After putting up a point-a-game in the IHL (R.I.P.), Stefan looked like a good prospect, despite the history of concussions.
Well, after 455 NHL games, all Stefan had to show for his efforts was 188 points and 0 playoff games played. Stefan never had more than 40 points in a single season, and wasn't particularly good at anything. Being a stiff skater with a lack of grit, Stefan couldn't be counted on to be a shut down type, nor could he really get his team's offence going.
Sure, Stefan could be a decent 3rd line center, but who wants a dime-a-dozen 3rd line center with their 1st overall pick?
PLAYER GP G A PTS
Alex Daigle 616 129 198 327
D. Wickenheiser 556 111 165 276
Brian Lawton 483 112 154 266
Patrick Stefan 455 64 124 188
Of course, Stefan is only 26 (27 next month), and may be able to improve on his career numbers, but it's highly doubtful he will. I can't see many teams all that eager to give Stefan the type of money he can earn overseas.
For all of his NHL crapiness, Stefan did do well during his lockout stint in Finland (41 points in 37 games), and seems a lot more suited for the International style of play over the NHL style. In that regard, Stefan reminds me of Pavel Patera, who did very little during his NHL stint.
It's a close call, but I'm going to have to give the title to Patrik Stefan. Congrats, doofus!
Labels: Alexandre Daigle, NHL Busts, NHL Entry Draft, Patrik Stefan
posted by Unknown at
09:00
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home