10 Worst Boston Bruins' First Round Picks of the Past 30 Years

Picking a player in the first round of the NHL draft is not an exact science. GM’s could be picking the next Sidney Crosby or Alexandre Daigle (who? Google him), but sometimes it’s a crap shoot. Some young players can never translate their skills and playing style to the professional game. They fall off the hockey radar quicker than a Zdeno Chara slapshot.

Over the past thirty years, the Bruins front office has missed a lot more than they scored in the NHL Draft. Granted, even a blind squirrel gets a nut or two. The Black & Gold hit the jackpot with Ray Bourque (’79) and Tyler Seguin (’10) is on his way to greatness. The Bruins brass even drafted their share of “nice” players with the likes of Barry Pederson (’80), Craig Janney (’86), Bryan Smolinski (’90) and Sergei Samsonov (’97).  

That was the good of the Bruins draftees. Now here is the bad...and incredibly ugly.

This is the Top 10 Worst Bruins’ First Round Picks Of The Past Thirty Years.

10. Kevyn Adams-Center

Adams never wore a Bruins swater.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Drafted: No. 25 overall in the ’93 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’91-’92 NAHL Niagara Scenics (25 goals & 33 assists in 58 games)

Best NHL Season: ’00-’01 NHL Columbus Blue Jackets & Florida Panthers (11 goals & 18 assists in 78 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: Zero

Final NHL Career Totals: 10 seasons (59 goals & 77 assists in 540 games)

Notable: Spent time with six NHL teams (Toronto, Columbus, Florida, Carolina, Phoenix and Chicago). Won a Stanley Cup with Carolina and was recently hired as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres.

9. Shaone Morrisonn-Defense

Morrison played 43 games with the Bruins.
Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Drafted: No. 19 overall in the ’01 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’00-’01 WHL Kamloops Blazers (13 goals & 25 assists in 61 games)

Best NHL Season: ’05-’06 NHL Washington Capitals (1 goal & 13 assists in 80 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 43

Final NHL Career Totals: Currently with the Buffalo Sabres

Notable: Traded to Washington with Boston’s first and second round draft picks in the ’04 NHL Draft for defenseman Sergei Gonchar on March 3, 2004.

 

 

 

8. Matt Lashoff-Defense

Lashoff was part of the Mark Recchi trade in 2009.
Andre Ringuette/Getty Images

Drafted: No. 22 overall in the ’05 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’07-’08 AHL Providence Bruins (11 goals & 26 assists in 64 games)

Best NHL Season: ’08-’09 NHL Boston Bruins (eight assists in 28 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 46

Final NHL Career Totals: Currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Notable: Traded to Tampa with Martins Karsums for Mark Recchi and Tampa’s second round pick in the ’10 NHL Draft on March 4, 2009.

7. Dmitri Kvartalnov-Left Wing

Kvartalnov had one productive season with the "Bonanza Line"

Drafted: No. 16 overall in the ’92 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’91-’92 IHL San Diego Gulls (60 goals & 58 assists in 77 games)

Best NHL Season: ’92-’93 NHL Boston Bruins (30 goals & 42 assists in 73 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 112

Final NHL Career Totals: Two seasons (42 goals & 49 assists in 112 games)

Notable: Part of the famed “Bonanza” Line with Adam Oates and Joe Juneau during the ’92-’93 season.

6. Dave Pasin-Right Wing

Pasin's career only lasted two seasons.

Drafted: No. 19 overall in the ’84 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’83-’84 WHL Prince Albert Raiders (68 goals & 54 assists in 71 games)

Best NHL Season: ’85-’86 NHL Boston Bruins (18 goals & 19 assists in 71 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 71

Final NHL Career Totals: Two seasons (18 goals & 19 assists in 76 games)

Notable: Missed most of ’87-’88 season due to eye injury

5. Rob Cimetta-Right Wing/Left Wing

Cimetta was a late 80's first round bust for the Bruins.

Drafted: No. 18 overall in the ’88 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’88-’89 OHL Toronto Marlboros (55 goals & 47 assists in 58 games)

Best NHL Season: ’89-’90 NHL Boston Bruins (eight goals & nine assists in 47 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 54

Final NHL Career Totals: Four seasons (16 goals & 16 assists in 103 games)

Notable: Traded to Toronto for Steve Bancroft on November 9, 1990.

4. Jonathan Aitken-Defense

Aitken only played in three games with Boston.
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Drafted: No. 8 Overall in the ’96 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’99-’00 AHL Providence Bruins (two goals & 12 assists in 70 games)

Best NHL Season: ’03-’04 NHL Chicago Blackhawks (one assist in 41 games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: Three

Final NHL Career Totals: Two seasons (one assist in 44 games)

Notable: Spent time in four NHL systems (Boston, Chicago, Montreal & Vancouver)

3. Shayne Stevenson-Right Wing

Stevenson could had two assists in his NHL career

Drafted: No. 17 overall in the ’89 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’89-’90 OHL Kitchener Rangers (28 goals & 61 assists in 56 games)

Best NHL Season: ’91-’92 NHL Boston Bruins (one assist in five games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: 19 games

Final NHL Career Totals: Three seasons (two assists in 27 games)

Notable: Claimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in Expansion draft on June 18, 1992.

2. Lars Johnsson-Defense

Johnsson who was picked #7 overall by the Bruins, never played for them.

Drafted: No. 7 Overall in the ’00 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’99-’00 Leksands IF Jr. Sweden (16 goals & 22 assists in 34 games)

Best NHL Season: ’06-’07 NHL Philadelphia Flyers (two assists in eight games)

Games with the Boston Bruins: Zero

Final NHL Career Totals: One season (two assists in eight games)

Notable:  Signed by Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent July 1, 2006.

1. Evgeni Ryabchikov-Goalie

Evgeni Ryabchikov never played one minute in the NHL.

Drafted: No. 21 Overall in the ’94 NHL Draft

Best Junior/Minor League Season: ’94-’95 NHL Boston Bruins (6-3-1 with a 3.49 GAA)

Best NHL Season: Did not play in the NHL

Games with the Boston Bruins: Zero

Final NHL Career Totals: Did not play in the NHL

Notable: Returned to Russia in 1999 to play for Tolyatti Lada.