The 2012 Draft will be remembered as one of the weakest classes since the turn of the century.. but what did pundits and top scouts think at the time? Scroll to find out!
I still do not understand Forsberg falling to 11th.
Sarcastic__
Nice McDavid cameo on the last page.
I remember Brian Burke doing that GM thing where he was all Rielly was the best player on their board. Leafs were on to something looking back on that since he maintains being a Top 5 pick which is more than can be said for the other Top 5 picks.
BENJALSON
I genuinely believed Yakupov was going to be Ovechkin-lite for Edmonton. Just as the article says, a lot of us really thought *”Nail can’t fail”*. The hype for his skillset was insane. Welp…
Avs4Days
“All-around offensive terror” not a bad description for prospect MacKinnon in the sneak peek for 2013.
shanster925
And a cover pun with an already-decade-old reference to boot!
SpringWinter2557
The Caps drafted like 1/3 of the forwards who ended up as top 6 forwards from this draft.
Which, while 3 is a super impressive number, shows what a bad draft this was.
TylerBlozak
Coincidentally, Yakupov also just signed a new contract with Red Star Kunlun today, so there’s your answer to the inevitable “I wonder what Yak is doing nowadays?” questions.
OkPhilosophy7895
Okay. Outside of Nail. This has gotta be one of the best draft classes of all time in terms of guys who have actually made the league, stayed in the league, and have performed at a good level, no?
GeckoMoria93
Oh Edmonton got nailed alright lol
brechbillc1
Outside of Vasy and Forsberg this draft class feels kind of meh in general. Love the preview of the next years draft. Some excellent names in that one.
Also love the McJesus Foreshadowing. That’s the true “destined one” right there.
DaDeltaDrum
Update: Nail can fail
XGuiltyofBeingMikeX
He looks like someone smoothed out Paul Bissonnette
ahr3410
Forsberg was ranked 2nd in the worst draft ever and fell behind a bunch of bums
Mango_steam
I mean, I know they scored a couple President’s trophies and a Cup after that, and with Forsberg they probably never get Oshie, but seriously Caps how do you draft someone that promising and then less than a year later flip them for essentially nothing? What the hell??
thebrah329
Ugly draft year
KoolDiscoDan
Thomas Wilson – “Subtlety is not the first thing that comes to mind when discussing Wilson’s game.”
That’s a fair assessment.
HaggisNachos
Slavin at 120 and Hellebuyck at 130 are probably the steals of the class. I never realized that FIFTEEN of the second round picks never even played a single NHL game – that’s baffling.
CwabbyPatty33
Tyrel seaman lol
SeesawLimp
Cody Ceci “Offensive Defenceman” love that
daveloper80
Adam Pelech with that sweet head of hair.
KananJarrusEyeBalls
I thought after his year in Sarnia Yak was going to be a monster in the NHL.
Just shows yah dont really know until they get there
Dubsified
Vas goes #1 in a redraft
Vic_Hedges
That fucking article convinced me to Trade James Neal to secure first overall in my keeper league
dhas19
Nichuschkin: “size and smarts his assets.”
Well… size for sure…
DisgruntledAardvark
Lindholm being ranked #15 compared to how the rest of the draft class turned out is always funny to think about.
JohnnyDrama21
Sabres fan and I fell so, so hard for Grigorenko
Radu47
Amazing they mentioned matt Murray (61st) replacing Jack campbell and over a decade later he (somewhat) did that in the NHL
jaicecreambar
What about Jankowski, who Feaster said would be the best center in the draft??
What a weird draft class. Only Lindholm and Reilly would be redrafted in the top ten.
I shudder to think of the oilers drafting Vasy with the first overall pick…
UnflushableNug
Narrator : Nail did in fact, fail.
JTMilleriswortha1st
Canucks legend Brendan Gaunce
Aackland
a great draft for us.. no particular reason why
ZaBlancJake
A Preview for 2013:
1. Seth Jones 2. Nathan MacKinnon 3. Sean Monahan 4. Aleksandar Barkov 5. Hunter Shinkaruk 6. Robert Hagg 7. Valeri Nichushkin 8. Elias Lindholm 9. Adam Erne 10. Anthony Duclair
This would be some Scout Report in the next Draft Guide,
LocksTheFox
The funniest thing is that “Fail” and “Nail” (as in Yakupov’s first name) don’t even actually rhyme (it’s roughly na-YEEL). It was destined for failure haha
Also kinda funny how this article said Girgensons committed to us (he did) but Kelowna was going to try to bring him in too. He ended up playing for neither, with one 20 point AHL season before he cracked the NHL full time (I think he could’ve been more than he was if he didn’t go pro right away)
Firebitez
You’ve got nail is a perfect title.
CynicalXennial
Hertl 😭
JustFrameHotPocket
I would have bet $1,000 that Galchenyuk was going to be a star.
hockeyplayermd
“Nail Can’t Fail”
Yes…. Yes he can
MTCarcus
TIL that the guy projected number 78 has had a more productive career than the top guy that year.
shrapneldub
Imagine picking Derrick Pouliot over Andrei Vasilevskiy
dopesickness
Wings traded their first round pick to TBL for Kyle Quincey. TBL used that pick to get Vasilevski!
Poot_Hooter
Absolute bust of a year. That’s wild to see those rankings
Zarg0n7
Jacob Trouba is from Rochester, Michigan. Not Rochester, Minnesota.
Luck612
If you don’t go full screen on the image on mobile the second picture just says FAIL
Content_Ad_8952
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of Yakupov smiling. Every picture I’ve ever seen of him has the look of “Where’s my money?”
Legendary_Railgun21
You *know* you’re a frustrating player when your draft bio starts with “Part of the disastrous injury cohort” without a trace of irony present.
EshinX
Poor Ryan Murray was made of papier mache
ProfessionalScum
“Nail can’t fail” LOL
ACivilDad
This draft had a lot of great talent and a lot of player who have made great impacts for their teams. However, the entire draft went out of order when you look at what we all know now.
49 Comments
DESTINED
I still do not understand Forsberg falling to 11th.
Nice McDavid cameo on the last page.
I remember Brian Burke doing that GM thing where he was all Rielly was the best player on their board. Leafs were on to something looking back on that since he maintains being a Top 5 pick which is more than can be said for the other Top 5 picks.
I genuinely believed Yakupov was going to be Ovechkin-lite for Edmonton. Just as the article says, a lot of us really thought *”Nail can’t fail”*. The hype for his skillset was insane. Welp…
“All-around offensive terror” not a bad description for prospect MacKinnon in the sneak peek for 2013.
And a cover pun with an already-decade-old reference to boot!
The Caps drafted like 1/3 of the forwards who ended up as top 6 forwards from this draft.
Which, while 3 is a super impressive number, shows what a bad draft this was.
Coincidentally, Yakupov also just signed a new contract with Red Star Kunlun today, so there’s your answer to the inevitable “I wonder what Yak is doing nowadays?” questions.
Okay. Outside of Nail. This has gotta be one of the best draft classes of all time in terms of guys who have actually made the league, stayed in the league, and have performed at a good level, no?
Oh Edmonton got nailed alright lol
Outside of Vasy and Forsberg this draft class feels kind of meh in general. Love the preview of the next years draft. Some excellent names in that one.
Also love the McJesus Foreshadowing. That’s the true “destined one” right there.
Update: Nail can fail
He looks like someone smoothed out Paul Bissonnette
Forsberg was ranked 2nd in the worst draft ever and fell behind a bunch of bums
I mean, I know they scored a couple President’s trophies and a Cup after that, and with Forsberg they probably never get Oshie, but seriously Caps how do you draft someone that promising and then less than a year later flip them for essentially nothing? What the hell??
Ugly draft year
Thomas Wilson – “Subtlety is not the first thing that comes to mind when discussing Wilson’s game.”
That’s a fair assessment.
Slavin at 120 and Hellebuyck at 130 are probably the steals of the class. I never realized that FIFTEEN of the second round picks never even played a single NHL game – that’s baffling.
Tyrel seaman lol
Cody Ceci “Offensive Defenceman” love that
Adam Pelech with that sweet head of hair.
I thought after his year in Sarnia Yak was going to be a monster in the NHL.
Just shows yah dont really know until they get there
Vas goes #1 in a redraft
That fucking article convinced me to Trade James Neal to secure first overall in my keeper league
Nichuschkin: “size and smarts his assets.”
Well… size for sure…
Lindholm being ranked #15 compared to how the rest of the draft class turned out is always funny to think about.
Sabres fan and I fell so, so hard for Grigorenko
Amazing they mentioned matt Murray (61st) replacing Jack campbell and over a decade later he (somewhat) did that in the NHL
What about Jankowski, who Feaster said would be the best center in the draft??
What a weird draft class. Only Lindholm and Reilly would be redrafted in the top ten.
I shudder to think of the oilers drafting Vasy with the first overall pick…
Narrator : Nail did in fact, fail.
Canucks legend Brendan Gaunce
a great draft for us.. no particular reason why
A Preview for 2013:
1. Seth Jones
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Sean Monahan
4. Aleksandar Barkov
5. Hunter Shinkaruk
6. Robert Hagg
7. Valeri Nichushkin
8. Elias Lindholm
9. Adam Erne
10. Anthony Duclair
This would be some Scout Report in the next Draft Guide,
The funniest thing is that “Fail” and “Nail” (as in Yakupov’s first name) don’t even actually rhyme (it’s roughly na-YEEL). It was destined for failure haha
Also kinda funny how this article said Girgensons committed to us (he did) but Kelowna was going to try to bring him in too. He ended up playing for neither, with one 20 point AHL season before he cracked the NHL full time (I think he could’ve been more than he was if he didn’t go pro right away)
You’ve got nail is a perfect title.
Hertl 😭
I would have bet $1,000 that Galchenyuk was going to be a star.
“Nail Can’t Fail”
Yes…. Yes he can
TIL that the guy projected number 78 has had a more productive career than the top guy that year.
Imagine picking Derrick Pouliot over Andrei Vasilevskiy
Wings traded their first round pick to TBL for Kyle Quincey. TBL used that pick to get Vasilevski!
Absolute bust of a year. That’s wild to see those rankings
Jacob Trouba is from Rochester, Michigan. Not Rochester, Minnesota.
If you don’t go full screen on the image on mobile the second picture just says FAIL
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of Yakupov smiling. Every picture I’ve ever seen of him has the look of “Where’s my money?”
You *know* you’re a frustrating player when your draft bio starts with “Part of the disastrous injury cohort” without a trace of irony present.
Poor Ryan Murray was made of papier mache
“Nail can’t fail” LOL
This draft had a lot of great talent and a lot of player who have made great impacts for their teams. However, the entire draft went out of order when you look at what we all know now.