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Andy's biggest draft bust of all time from each of the 32 NHL teams. Andy names the biggest NHL draft busts in league history ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
With the 2026 NHL Draft just hours away, let's spotlight some of the most infamous draft picks of NHL history. While these players were unable to live up to their high expectations for various reasons, they remain quite unpopular among the 32 fandoms.
In this piece, we will look to name each NHL team's biggest draft bust of all time.
Let's dive in!
Anaheim Ducks
Alexei Smirnov
Smirnov was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The Soviet native would make his NHL debut with the then-Mighty Ducks during the 2002-03 season but would tally just five points (three goals) over a 44-game stint. During this debut season, he would tally 19 penalty minutes with a -1 rating.
He would appear in just one other NHL season (2003-04) and log just eight games played with one point.
Boston Bruins
Zach Hamill
One of the most infamous draft busts in recent history. Hamill entered the 2007 draft as one of the top offensive prospects in the class, coming off a WHL campaign in which he was awarded the Bobby Clarke Trophy. However, this elite play did not transfer to the NHL. The Bruins would select him eighth overall, in front of players such as Logan Couture and Ryan McDonough.
With the B's, Hamill would appear in just 20 games (over three seasons) and total just four points (all helpers). Zach Senyshyn from the 2015 NHL Draft is also a worthy name for this spot, given that the team could have selected Kyle Connor or Matt Barzal instead.
Buffalo Sabres
Alexander Nylander
Unfortunately, this is one of the teams that has many worthy candidates, especially from the last 20 years. However, when looking at draft capital to select the given player, Alexander Nylander will take the cake. Nylander joined the Sabres as the eighth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
With the Sabres, he would suit up for just 19 games over three seasons and score three goals. He would then bounce around to many other NHL clubs, with his last NHL appearance coming in the 2024-25 season with the Maple Leafs.
Calgary Flames
Daniel Tkaczuk
The former sixth overall pick will get the nod for the Flames. The Flames selected Tkaczuk sixth overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft out of Ontario, Canada. However, the top prospect would only spend one professional season at the NHL level before eventually taking his career to Europe.
Over his lone season in Calgary, Tkaczuk would tally 11 points in 19 games (four goals) with a +1 rating.
Carolina Hurricanes
Igor Knyazev
The Hurricanes thought they selected a future centerpiece of their defense in Igor Knyazev with the 15th overall selection in the 2001 NHL Draft. However, the former highly touted prospect out of the Soviet Union would fail even to take the NHL ice and stands as one of the clear top busts in team history.
Knyazev would spend two seasons with their AHL affiliate and tally 14 points over 140 games played.
Chicago Blackhawks
Cam Barker
The Blackhawks had the third overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft and whiffed when selecting defenseman Cam Barker. Entering the draft, the Manitoba native was projected to be one of the game's best young blueliners and a centerpiece of this team for decades to come. However, Barker would never live up to this hype over his five-year stint in Chicago.
With the Blackhawks, Barker would post a -14 rating with 80 points over 200 games. The Blackhawks would have far better protection if they had taken the next two players off the board, Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd.
Colorado Avalanche
Duncan Siemens
It was a tale of two first-round picks for the Avalanche in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. With the second overall pick, they found their long-term captain, winger Gabriel Landeskog. However, a few picks later (at No. 11), they made a selection they regretted for years: defender Duncan Siemens.
The 6-foot-3 blueliner would appear in just 20 total games for the Avalanche over his entire NHL career and struggle in spot starts, potting a -7 rating with just two points.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nikita Filatov
Without a doubt, winger Nikita Filatov will represent the Blue Jackets on this list. Filatov was viewed as the top-ranked European skater ahead of the 2008 NHL Draft, according to many high-profile scouts, but was unable to make an impact in the NHL. Through just three seasons in Columbus, Filatov would tally 13 points over 44 games.
The Soviet native would eventually see his relationship with the club sour in Year 4 and was shipped to the Senators for a brief stint before returning home to the KHL.
Dallas Stars
Scott Glennie
Entering the 2009 NHL Draft, Scott Glennie was viewed as one of the top prospects in the class following his dominant showing in the WHL, which saw him total 18 points over 12 postseason games in his final season. The Stars would select Glennie with the eighth overall pick in the 2009 draft to be their future top-line winger.
However, the Brandon Wheat Kings product would end up playing just one game with the Stars (and in his entire NHL career). Later in the opening round, the Stars could have found proven goal scorers like Chris Kreider or Marcus Johansson.
Detroit Red Wings
Filip Zadina
While Fred Williams (fourth overall pick) makes a strong case, their most recent bust, Filip Zadina, will earn the slight edge. Zadina entered the class as one of the top pure goal scorers, but fell well short of these expectations once he reached the NHL. With the Red Wings, Zadina would score just 28 goals over 190 contests.
The winger would eventually have his contract bought out and join the Sharks in 2023-24, and has not played in an NHL contest since.
Edmonton Oilers
Nail Yakupov
When a first overall pick does not live up to expectations, he will undoubtedly hold the spot on this list. Likely the most infamous "bust" of all time, Nail Yakupov would join the Oilers with the first pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. While the young winger showed some promise in his debut season (31 points in 48 games -- lockout year), his career would take a sharp fall.
Over his last three seasons with the Oilers, Yakupov would total 80 points over 204 games with a rough -84 rating. He would then continue his career in St. Louis before playing his final season with the Avalanche.
Happy Birthday @Nail10_1993
Nail Yakupov scores at 19:55 of the 3rd period to get the game even.@Nail10_1993 #Oilers#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/wNblPNmkGB— Vintage Oilers (@VintageOilers) October 6, 2024
Florida Panthers
Petr Taticek
One of the easiest choices on this list. Representing the Florida Panthers will be center Petr Taticek. Taticek was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft ahead of many players who went on to enjoy lengthy NHL careers, such as Cam Ward, Alexander Semin, and Alex Steen.
Taticek would appear in just one season as a Panther (2005-06 campaign) and play in just three games. He would log just three shots on goal and never get on the scoresheet.
Los Angeles Kings
Wayne McBean
While this selection was disappointing in its own right, the Kings actually traded up to select him, which makes it even worse. In the 1987 NHL Draft, the Kings would send a handful of assets to move up to the No. 4 slot to take defender Wayne McBean. The Alberta native would spend only a year and a half with the Kings and have little success.
Through 60 games, McBean would total just six points with a rough -23 rating.
Minnesota Wild
A.J. Thelen
This was one of the easier selections on this list. The Wild selected blueliner A.J. Thelen with the 12th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. However, the defenseman would never play a single game for the Wild, nor even step on an NHL rink during his entire professional career.
Just a few picks later, the Wild could have found foundational pieces for their roster, such as center Travis Zajac, winger Drew Stafford, or defenseman Mike Green.
Montreal Canadiens
David Fischer
The most infamous early round bust in team history. The Canadiens selected defenseman David Fischer with the 20th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, ahead of a group of players who went on to enjoy outstanding NHL careers, such as Patrice Bergeron, Claude Giroux, and Semyon Varlamov.
What made this selection even more is that Fisher never took the ice for the Canadiens. Following the draft, the recruit returned to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota and would never even sign an entry-level contract with an NHL club.
Nashville Predators
Brian Finley
The early picks of the 1999 NHL Draft included some busts (including one who would later appear in our ranking). However, at the No. 6 spot, the Predators selected defenseman Brian Finley as the first goaltender off the board. Finley was a well-regarded prospect in his class, spending time with Team Canada at the World Juniors and playing at a high level in the OHL.
However, with the Predators, the Ontario native would appear in just two total NHL games and posted a 0-1 record before eventually joining the Bruins.
New Jersey Devils
Mattias Tedenby
The Devils picked toward the back end of the opening round in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and selected winger Mattias Tedenby out of Sweden. The European native flashed high-end upside in the junior leagues but was never able to see his skill set transfer to the National Hockey League.
With the Devils, Tedenby would spend four seasons (one of the highest totals on this list) but would not contribute much in the offensive zone, scoring just 10 goals while posting a -20 rating.
New York Islanders
Dave Chyzowski
When looking at the Islanders, two choices come to mind: left winger Dave Chyzowski or netminder Rick DiPietro. While DiPietro was selected with the first overall pick and failed to meet those expectations, the netminder battled numerous injuries throughout his career, which gives him a bit of leeway on this list.
As a result, the former first overall pick from the 1989 class will hold the spot. The winger was selected ahead of NHL legends, which makes this selection still sting, as Bill Guerin was selected in the opening round. Later in the class, Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom went off the board.
Chyzowski would spend five seasons with the Islanders (118 games) and totaled a mere 31 points with a -30 rating.
New York Rangers
Hugh Jessiman
One of the most infamous selections in team history. The Rangers took a massive swing and miss with the 12th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft when they called winger Hugh Jessiman to join their club. This selection was made just a few picks ahead of franchise icons such as Zach Parise, Dustin Brown, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry in one of the deepest opening rounds in NHL history.
Jessiman would never even suit up for the Blue Shirts and would play in just two total NHL games (both with the Florida Panthers) and not get on the scoresheet in either.
Ottawa Senators
Alexandre Daigle
This selection changed the course of NHL history. Center Alexandre Daigle was viewed as a can't-miss generational prospect entering the draft, and the Senators opted to sign him to a massive five-year, $12.5 million contract before even stepping on NHL ice.
However, given that the Quebec native failed to meet these expectations, the league opted to implement hard caps on ELC (entry-level contracts) going forward.
With the Senators, the forward would appear in 301 games but would fall well short of the massive expectations he had, scoring just 74 goals over this stretch with a -137 rating.
Philadelphia Flyers
Jay O'Brien
While some may point to Nolan Patrick (a former second-round selection), given the numerous injuries he endured in his career, he will get a pass on our list. Instead, center Jay O'Brien of the 2018 NHL Draft will represent the Flyers on this list. O'Brien was selected with the 19th overall pick ahead of players like Kirill Marchenko, K'Andre Miller, and Alexander Romanov.
O'Brien would never suit up for an NHL game in his professional career, making this first-round selection a complete whiff.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Derrick Pouliot
Without a doubt, defenseman Derrick Pouliot will represent the Steel City. Pouliot was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft in a defensive-heavy round, as Morgan Rielly, Hampus Lindholm, Matt Dumba, and Ryan Murray all went ahead of Pouliot.
However, a few picks later, the Penguins could have found winger Filip Forsberg or even taken a swing at young netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy to form a formidable netminding duo with Marc-Andre Fleury. With the Penguins, the highly touted blueliner would win a cup (2015-16), but only appeared in 67 games and held a -11 rating with 14 points.
San Jose Sharks
Teemu Riihijärvi
The Sharks have many worthy candidates, especially when looking at their selections from the early 2000s drafts (Mike Morris, Lukas Kaspar), but the most infamous "bust" in team history is the former 12th overall pick from the 1995 NHL Draft, Teemu Riihijärvi.
The Finnish native did not even step on an NHL rink in his career despite the high draft capital. Instead, the Sharks could have selected winger Petr Sykora.
Seattle Kraken
Shane Wright
Given that this team does not have the longest history to label any players a "bust," we will instead identify an early disappointment. The Kraken selected Shane Wright with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to be the face of their franchise for years to come. However, the Kingston product has yet to come close to those expectations.
In 2025, Wright totaled just 27 points over 74 games. The year prior, he showed slightly more upside, tallying 44 points (19 goals) over a 79-game stint. This selection is starting to look like a reach, as Cutter Gauthier, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Frank Nazar were all on the board at this point in the draft.
St. Louis Blues
Marek Schwarz
The 2004 NHL Draft saw many future Hall of Famers go off the board in the opening picks, such as Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. However, at the No. 17 slot, the Blues made one of the most infamous selections in their team history, taking netminder Marek Schwarz out of the Czech Republic.
Schwarz would spend his entire NHL career with the Blues, but not in a positive light. The goaltender would appear in just six NHL games over three seasons and post a 0-2 record with an .809% SV%.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Alexander Svitov
The Lightning selected forward Alexander Svitov out of the Soviet Union with the third overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Going after players such as Ilya Kovalchuk and Jason Spezza, Svitov not only had high expectations to live up to the names ahead of him, but also to become the face of Tampa Bay hockey.
The 6-foot-3 forward failed to do both as he would only spend two seasons with the Lightning. As a member of the club, Svitov would score just four goals (in 74 games) with a mere 11 total points.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Biggs
When a team uses a first-round selection on a player who does not even step on an NHL rink, they make for an easy choice on this list. The Leafs selected winger Tyler Biggs with the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Biggs was taken above several wingers who carved out productive careers, such as Rickard Rakell and Phillip Danault.
In fact, the Leafs even traded up to select Biggs at this spot, making this selection age even worse.
Utah Mammoth
Kyle Turris
Given that the Utah franchise is just a few seasons old, it does not have enough history to declare any of its early round selections a bust. Instead, we will look to the franchise's original name, the Arizona Coyotes, which will give Kyle Turris a spot on this list. While Turris did not have a "disappointing" NHL career by any stretch, his time in Arizona was a major flop.
Drafted by the then-Phoenix Coyotes, Turris would spend only 137 games with the club and tallied just 46 points before being traded to the Senators, where he would find his stride at the NHL level.
Vancouver Canucks
Jason Herter
The Canucks have two "worthy" selections for this list, Jason Herter and, more recently, defenseman Olli Juolevi. However, given that we gave Islanders netminder DiPietro and Flyers center Patrick a "pass" due to their extensive injury histories, we will give the same to the fifth overall pick, Juolevi, who battled lengthy injuries during his NHL career.
Instead, Herter will get the nod. Herter joined the Canucks with the eighth overall pick in the 1989 NHL Draft and was expected to be a focal point of the defense. However, the blueliner would never suit up for the Canucks and would make his lone NHL appearance during the 1995-96 campaign with the Islanders.
Vegas Golden Knights
Cody Glass
The Golden Knights have often traded many of their highly drafted players in several packages to acquire high-end assets, like the Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty trades. However, among "busts," the team's first draft pick, forward Cody Glass, will earn the spot on this list.
Glass joined the Golden Knights with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Portland Winterhawks product would total just 22 points over 66 games with the Golden Knights before heading to Nashville. He currently plays for the Devils and could be turning the corner after tallying a career-high 19 goals in the 2025-26 season.
⚔️ Knights Rising ⚔️
Nothing but high praise for Cody Glass from his teammates and coaches 👍 pic.twitter.com/xn15Gw92zc
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 25, 2021
Washington Capitals
Greg Joly
The infamous Greg Joly will represent the Capitals on this list. Joly had lofty expectations entering the NHL as he was not only the first overall pick in the 1974 NHL Draft, but was also the first pick in this team's entire history. Entering the draft, the defender was dubbed "the next Bobby Orr" by the club's GM, a statement that did not age well.
Joly would spend just two seasons in the nation's capital, appearing in 98 games and totaling 33 points with a rough -116 rating. He would later take his talents to Detroit, where he spent seven seasons.
Winnipeg Jets
Patrik Stefan
When the first overall pick does not live up to expectations, they will, of course, represent their respective team. The then-Atlanta Thrashers selected Patrik Stefan with the first overall pick in the 1999 NHL Draft, ahead of future superstars such as Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.
Stefan would spend six seasons with the Thrashers and finally make a significant impact at the NHL level. The center would total a mere 177 points over 414 games while holding a -41 rating.
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