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The NHL draft is a great time for teams to turn their franchise around. Fans have seen superstar players do just that with the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Nathan MacKinnon, who were all drafted first overall.
But, sometimes, the first overall pick is a bust and doesn't pan out. It is rare for first-overall picks not to work out, but here are the five worst first-overall picks.
Top 5 worst first-overall picks in NHL Draft history
#5. Nail Yakupov, 2012
The Edmonton Oilers drafted Russian forward Nail Yakupov as the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft. Yakupov was the consensus top player, but from the get-go, it was considered a weak draft.
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Yakupov played 350 NHL games, recording 62 goals and 74 assists for 136 points. The forward only lasted six years in the NHL and only four with Edmonton.
#4. Alexandre Daigle, 1993
In the 1993 NHL draft, the Ottawa Senators selected Alexandre Daigle first overall.
Daigle is considered to be one of the biggest NHL draft busts of all time as he retired at 25. However, he returned and played 616 NHL games and recorded 327 points.
But, Daigle played just parts of five seasons with Ottawa and his career-high in points was 51.
#3. Claude Gauthier, 1964
Claude Gauthier was drafted first overall in the 1964 NHL draft. However, he never played a single game in the NHL.
In the early years of the draft, it wasn't a guarantee they would even play a game. 24 players were selected and only nine played at least one NHL game.
But, the Detroit Red Wings selected Gauthier ahead of future Hall of Famers Ken Dryden, 14th overall, and Syl Apps, 21st overall.
#2. Andre Veilleux, 1965
In back-to-back drafts, the first overall pick never played an NHL game.
The New York Rangers selected Andre Veilleux first overall, who never played a game. But the entire top four picks of the draft didn't play a game in the NHL.
It was just a bad draft in general, as 11 players were selected, and only two played a game in the NHL.
#1. Rick Pagnutti, 1967
The Los Angeles Kings held the first overall pick in 1967 and drafted defenseman Rick Pagnutti. However, he never played a single game in the NHL, but he had a rather successful minor league career.
