Nearly six years have passed since the 2019 NHL Draft. Early on, this draft seemed pretty solid with players like Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, and Moritz Seider. While those players are still very good, they seem to be some of the few hits from the draft. Spencer Knight, who was taken 13th overall, was seen as a can’t-miss goalie prospect. He was just traded to Chicago, but he is one of the few misses from the 2019 NHL Draft. So, let’s rewind to 2019 and look back at some of the not-so-great selections thus far. I want to remind you that these players are still only 24 years old, so there is still time for them to turn their careers around.
Kappo Kakko – 2nd overall, New York Rangers Believe it or not, there was actually some debate about who should go first, Jack Hughes or Kakko, after Kakko helped lead Finland to a gold medal at the 2019 World Juniors. Looking back at that now, you must be laughing, and rightfully so. After six lackluster years in the Big Apple, Kakko was dealt to the Seattle Kraken earlier this year. He has started to turn it around in Seattle, but he hasn’t produced as a second overall pick should have.
Kirby Dach – 3rd overall, Chicago Blackhawks Kirby Dach has battled various injuries throughout his NHL career. When he has been healthy, he still hasn’t produced as expected from a third overall pick. Dach was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, but the injury bug followed him, as he only played two games in the 2023-2024 season.
Alex Turcotte – 5th overall, Los Angeles Kings Similar to Dach, Turcotte has battled his share of injuries. He didn’t make his NHL debut until 2021 and has only played 85 total games in his career. Hopefully, he can stay healthy, perform, and live up to his potential, but as of right now, Turcotte doesn’t look like a great pick, especially at fifth overall.
Vasily Podkolzin – 10th overall, Vancouver Canucks As a Canucks fan, this one hurts, especially seeing Cole Caufield and Matt Boldy taken just a few picks later. At the time, Podkolzin seemed like a steal because he fell to number ten due to being under contract for two more seasons in the KHL. Podkolzin played 79 games in his rookie season but only managed to register 26 points. He spent the next two seasons bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL. He was traded to the Oilers before this season and added to the long list of Canuck draft busts.
Who do you think was the biggest miss of the 2019 draft ?