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The 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus is notable for various causes. It was an American-heavy draft, the first-ever by which U.S.-born gamers went first and second general — Patrick Kane to the Chicago Blackhawks and James van Riemsdyk to the Philadelphia Flyers, respectively — and second-ever by which 10 Americans have been drafted within the first spherical.
It was additionally notable for a whopping 10 first-round picks altering fingers in trades the day earlier than the draft. It produced various gamers nonetheless making big-time impacts within the NHL, comparable to Jakub Voracek, Logan Couture, Kevin Shattenkirk, David Perron, P.Ok. Subban, and Jamie Benn.
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However, like all draft, it had its fair proportion of gamers who didn’t pan out. You could not have thought in regards to the following 5 for a few years, however after they have been chosen, somebody (even perhaps you) had excessive expectations for them that they by no means reached.
Zach Hamill: Boston Bruins, eighth Overall
With the seven gamers forward of him all having performed 400 or extra NHL video games, Hamill, with simply 20 performed, is 2007’s first huge bust.
The centre appeared like a very good decide — he’d come off two 75-plus level seasons with the Everett Silvertips and held, on the time, 9 information for the WHL squad, together with most factors in a season (93), most profession objectives (87), and most profession assists (175).
Hamill’s junior success by no means translated into skilled triumphs — he spent most of his 5 seasons within the Bruins group enjoying for his or her AHL affiliate in Providence. He put up respectable numbers there however was by no means adequate to make the everlasting bounce to the massive membership.
Hamill’s longest NHL stint got here in 2011-12, the place he performed 16 video games and tallied two assists. After being traded to the Capitals group, Hamill turned a perpetual wanderer, enjoying within the Panthers, Predators, and Canucks programs. However, NHL ice time — and due to this fact an NHL objective — eluded him in all three locations.
Related: 5 Biggest Busts in NHL Draft History, 2000-2010
Since 2013, Hamill has performed abroad and bounced round greater than Tigger in a Winnie the Pooh guide. He’s since suited up for 10 teams, together with the KHL’s Astana Barys and the SM-liiga’s HPK Hameenlinna, earlier than retiring after the 2020-21 season.
Keaton Ellerby: Florida Panthers, Tenth Overall
Keaton Ellerby was not a bust to the extent of Hamill, however was undoubtedly disappointing for a Tenth-overall decide. He pales compared to Kevin McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Ian Cole, three defensemen drafted after him within the first spherical.
The native of Strathmore, Alberta, possessed a monster 6-foot-5, 220-pound body, dished out an enormous hit every now and then, and was respectable in his personal zone, however wasn’t significantly bodily given his measurement and had little offensive skill. The majority of his 212 NHL video games came visiting 4 seasons with poor Panthers groups that solely completed above .500 as soon as.
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The Panthers washed their fingers of Ellerby in 2013 after they dealt him for a fifth-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings. That summer time, the Winnipeg Jets claimed him off waivers and he had a short profession resurgence in 2013-14, enjoying 51 video games for a staff whose again finish was each ravaged by accidents and skinny outdoors their high 4.
Ellerby rapidly turned expendable, although. In 2014-15, because the Jets improved, he was relegated to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps, showing in only one NHL recreation.
Bereft of NHL suitors after the season, Ellerby made tracks to Europe and remained there ever since.
Alex Plante: Edmonton Oilers, fifteenth Overall
As disappointing as Ellerby was, he was a sight higher than the defenseman taken 5 picks after him.
When the Edmonton Oilers common supervisor Kevin Lowe drafted Brandon, Manitoba-born Alex Plante, he knew he was making a dangerous decide on a mission who was no less than just a few years from being NHL-ready. Most scouts thought-about his choice at fifteenth general to be a attain, a lot greater than projected. However, Plante was touted for his skating and puck-moving expertise and had simply come off a 38-point marketing campaign with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. He was thought-about somebody who, with a bit seasoning, might blossom into a wonderful offensive D-man.
Plante returned to the Hitmen for 2007-08 and had a nightmarish season, regressing from 38 factors to 2. As every season handed, it turned crystal-clear drafting Plante was a idiot’s errand — the quickness and offensive aptitude that prompted the Oilers to go off the board was largely lacking in motion.
Related: 10 Biggest Oilers Draft Busts Since 2000
Plante was extra liable to drop the gloves than gentle the lamp in his time within the Oilers group. Over 4 AHL seasons with the Falcons and Oklahoma City Barons, he had 35 combating majors and solely 43 factors. Four concussions additionally hampered his improvement.
Overall, Plante performed solely 10 NHL video games earlier than the Oilers lastly gave up on him in 2013. Since 2015, he’s performed in Asia, and in 2017, he became a South Korean citizen. As such, he was in a position to signify South Korea on the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang on a team stocked with a half-dozen Canadians.
Colton Gilles: Minnesota Wild, sixteenth Overall
The subsequent decide didn’t prove a lot better. The Wild truly traded as much as draft 6-foot-4 Colton Gilles at sixteenth general, most likely pointless contemplating he was marked thirtieth by Central Scouting.
It’s clear the Wild noticed one thing within the huge Saskatoon Blade. He’d represented Canada on the IIHF World U18 Championships in Finland just a few months earlier, tallying three factors in six video games there. Hockey’s Future wrote Gilles “certainly has the potential to be a power forward in the NHL” and touted him as a “hard hitter with a definite mean streak” that wanted to enhance his defensive play and scoring instincts to develop into NHL-calibre.
Related: Wild’s 5 Worst Draft Picks
Gilles would return to Saskatoon for 2007-08, win a gold medal with Canada on the 2008 World Juniors within the Czech Republic, and play 11 video games within the AHL to finish the season. The Wild then ushered him instantly into the NHL highlight to start 2008-09 — the improper transfer, contemplating how uncooked he was. It was a rush job that hampered his improvement.
Observers have criticized the Wild for what occurred subsequent: bringing Gillies up for the whole lot of the 2008-09 season,” Peter Prohaska of Hockey’s Future wrote in 2012. “He managed simply seven factors within the 45 video games he performed. A season of wholesome scratches appeared to sap Gillies’s confidence, however his lack of puck expertise and instinct additionally meant his recreation was not fairly as much as NHL requirements.
Gilles struggled to determine himself on the Wild, who positioned him on waivers in early 2012. He was picked up by the Columbus Blue Jackets and spent components of the subsequent two seasons there earlier than kicking round within the AHL between 2013-15. Since 2015, he’s performed abroad, most just lately suiting up for Dinamo Riga.
Aaron Palushaj: St. Louis Blues, forty fourth Overall
The Blues drafted Palushaj when he was simply 17 years outdated after two standout seasons with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers.
He would go on to have two productive seasons with the University of Michigan Wolverines earlier than being assigned to the Peoria Rivermen to start the 2009-10 season. Dobber Prospects had high praise for the winger, writing:
A professional-ready participant in ability, coronary heart and now measurement the 6’0, 185 lbs ahead might be a contributor in St. Louis subsequent season. While probably not expert sufficient to be a PPG participant, Palushaj is the kind of glue winger who does the little issues required to win. He must be full time by 2010-11.
He didn’t develop into full-time with the Blues like Dobber predicted. In truth, he by no means performed a recreation there as he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens earlier than the top of his first skilled season. He turned a key member of the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, posting 112 factors in 142 common season video games over components of 4 seasons and 31 extra in two deep playoff runs.
His longest NHL stint with the Canadiens got here in 2011-12, the place he didn’t take pleasure in the identical scoring success, tallying simply 5 factors in 38 video games. The Habs positioned him on waivers in 2013 and he was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche, the place he tallied a career-high 9 factors in 25 video games down the stretch, together with his first-ever three-point night.
Palushaj joined the Carolina Hurricanes group to start the 2013-14 season however spent the vast majority of his time with Charlotte Checkers, the place he once more confirmed the flexibility to place up factors at that stage, notching 22 objectives and including 36 assists in 68 video games.
Since then, Palushaj bounced between the KHL, AHL, and Europe. In 2017-18, he led Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League with 45 factors in 51 video games.
Honourable Mentions: T.J. Galiardi, Drayson Bowman, Linus Omark
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