NHL player who started worst at beguinning of his career

[Rocket 0]

Are there guys in the nhl who came from minor leagues and had bad statistics

and made it anyhow to well considerd NHL players?????

[Alias81 0]

Here's a list of Nhl players past and present that were never drafted, it includes Gretzky but hey?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_undrafted_NHL_players

[D aka speck 0]

there's a few names on there that did pretty good for themselves in the NHL.

nice find.

[Medic 0]

I doubt that many draftee's have "bad" stats, but there are many cases of marginal players who took longer to develop and were drafted lower as long shot prospects. If you consider their stats to be "bad", then yeah, there are lots.

[Viking 1]

Olli Jokinen, Zdeno Chara, Martin St. Louis, Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Tim Thomas.

[QandA 0]

Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier?? They started off slow in the NHL but both were first round pics and played the next year or two in the big league. Yes they did start bad but emerged as they should of.

[Drewhunz 3]

Sergei Zubov, Shane Doan.

[cityofwalrus 0]

I think saying Thornton, Lecavalier, Jokinen, Chara in this catagory is kinda a stretch... yeah they didn't dominate thier first year but they were highly-touted and a big name already. I think the guy is talking about players that weren't really highly touted and became big name players by good performances.. i'd like to add some goalies to the list:

Niklas Bäckström, Miikka Kipprusoff, Vesa Toskala, Evgeni Nabokov, Manny Legace, Martin Gerber, Ilya Bryzgalov, JS Giguere(in a way), Manny Fernandez, Cristobal Huet, David Aebischar, Jose Theodore, Marty Turco, Olaf Kolzig, Ryan Miller (Drafted late), etc...

[TBLfan 25]

About 15 months ago any Boston fan would have said Tim Thomas... Right about now they have started to agree with me that his success was just a fluke.

Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier?? They started off slow in the NHL but both were first round pics and played the next year or two in the big league. Yes they did start bad but emerged as they should of.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Marty is definitely one of those guys that no one expected anything out of. Argueably Johan Holmqvist is another, I don't believe so. The Lightning have made a home for some of these types of playersl St Louis, Danny Boyle(easily the most underrated player in the league), Shane O'Brien, Eric Perrin(him even scoring points is a far stretch from what you'd imagine he'd do), Ryan Craig(not a great year but some of the best hands in the league).

Oddly enough the Lightning also had once of the most overrated players coming into the league: Chris Dingman. haha, sorry whenever I say Chris Dingman(haha) I have to laugh.

It seems as if a LOT of these guys that weren't drafted or were drafted late were goalies, I think it has something to do with potential and the fact that sometimes it's hard to distinguish a guy that has potential versus a guy that just isn't going to make it. It's just not as apparent in the goalie world sometimes.

[TheSnake22 0]

Markus Naslund. so glad we traded him for Alex Stojanov... what a steal... We (Penguins) also gave up a little early on Glen Murray (after Boston had given up on him before later reacquiring him), Patrick Lalime (probably a good thing) and Martin Straka, who we also reacquired...

[tlminh 0]

Sean Avery

[Jason Harris 31]

I read that when Terry O'Reilly showed up at his first training camp, the other players snickered along the lines of "Are you kidding me???" He was such a hard worker, however, that he became the unquestioned soul of the team about 6-8 years later. Then two years ago he had his number retired.

[DamnLocust 0]

Sean Avery

He had a good half year. I wouldn't put him on this list... yet.

So often it's more a matter of opportunity than anything else. Avery's a perfect example of this. In Detroit and LA, he was playing 3rd-4th lines and was relegated to simply the agitator role. In NY this past season, he was bumped up to the 2nd line, and got PP and PK time. His output and impact on the team increased drastically.

[Rocket 0]

Wow, lots of names.

But what I meant is players who played over 5 or 6 years at CHL,UHL level and made it aged 28,29 to the NHL and played there until 35,36... successfully

Nobody will know this name here but this could be one of those players.

JAKUB FICENEC CZE he probably will never play on NHL level but if he´d get a real chance at a trainings camp, maybe in a weaker team, he could play like

MAREK ZIDLICKY (this could be such an example, too)

[Chadd 916]

Hasek

[Wayne 0]

Kris Draper, everyone knows his story, traded for $1. (not sure if that was 1 USD or CAD, he was traded from Winnepeg afterall).

I'd say he has done pretty well for himself, 3 cups, representing Canada in the World Cup and World Championships with gold medals.

[Rocket 0]

Year Draper is as special player in every aspect.

I think there is nearly noone around who don´t like him.

I think his biggest plus is that he fits in every hockey team in the world!

[tlminh 0]

Sean Avery

He had a good half year. I wouldn't put him on this list... yet.

So often it's more a matter of opportunity than anything else. Avery's a perfect example of this. In Detroit and LA, he was playing 3rd-4th lines and was relegated to simply the agitator role. In NY this past season, he was bumped up to the 2nd line, and got PP and PK time. His output and impact on the team increased drastically.

In LA he just didnt get along with the coaching staff. However, he was the ONLY guy on the kings that gave 100% 100% of the time. He's just filled with energy and I was sad to see him leave.

[Sven 1]

JAKUB FICENEC CZE he probably will never play on NHL level but if he´d get a real chance at a trainings camp, maybe in a weaker team, he could play like

Unfortunately, he has a weak slapper.

[chippa13 1844]

I read that when Terry O'Reilly showed up at his first training camp, the other players snickered along the lines of "Are you kidding me???" He was such a hard worker, however, that he became the unquestioned soul of the team about 6-8 years later. Then two years ago he had his number retired.

His number went to the rafters more as a ticket stunt than organization recognition of his contributions. In the years 75-00 the B's retired just 2 numbers, Orr and Espo. Suddenly, when they can't pay fans to come to the Fleet they put up 3 in 3 years.

Year Draper is as special player in every aspect.

I think there is nearly noone around who don´t like him.

I think his biggest plus is that he fits in every hockey team in the world!

Too bad his gloves are sewn to his sleeves, just like Maltby's.

[Wayne 0]

Too bad his gloves are sewn to his sleeves, just like Maltby's.

Draper, I understand, he is a speed guy, not a fighter. But you've got a point with Maltby...

[Chadd 916]

Too bad his gloves are sewn to his sleeves, just like Maltby's.

Draper, I understand, he is a speed guy, not a fighter. But you've got a point with Maltby...

Neither one is a fighter and both agitate but never have to face the consequences of their actions.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Briere.

[Rocket 0]

JAKUB FICENEC CZE he probably will never play on NHL level but if he´d get a real chance at a trainings camp, maybe in a weaker team, he could play like

Unfortunately, he has a weak slapper.

;) You are joking!, He´s called HammerJakub.

He rgulary wins the shot competition at DEL Allstar Games with far over 100 mph

when he´s perfect in anything, it is shooting

[Sven 1]

JAKUB FICENEC CZE he probably will never play on NHL level but if he´d get a real chance at a trainings camp, maybe in a weaker team, he could play like

Unfortunately, he has a weak slapper.

;) You are joking!, He´s called HammerJakub.

He rgulary wins the shot competition at DEL Allstar Games with far over 100 mph

when he´s perfect in anything, it is shooting

Congratulations, you know how to find sarcasm/irony.

But seriously, i personally think he could have a shot at the NHL.