St. Louis, Luongo, Grabner and the NHL's 25 Most Snubbed Players
Martin St. Louis, Ilya Bryzgalov and Michael Grabner are just three of many players that have gone overlooked at various times in their NHL careers.
There are many players making an impact on NHL rosters who were either:
1. Neglected after their first NHL stint
2. Waived mid-season
3. Traded away
4. Remained on a team that put faith in them even when they were not producing early in their respective careers.
The following are the top 25 players that saw a significant spike in production after a quiet beginning to their careers.
25. Kyle Wellwood
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Kyle Wellwood's career experienced turbulence during the 2007-08 season.
Wellwood missed the first 15 games of the 2007-08 season due to a sports hernia. He would terminate his campaign short that year once the Leafs were mathematically eliminated, going to Philadelphia for follow-up surgery.
During the 2008 offseason things took a turn for the worse.
He injured himself playing indoor soccer. Toronto subsequently placed him on waivers, during a contract year, and he was picked up by Vancouver.
He was also waived by Vancouver, but was called-up early in the season and never looked back. He would score 18 goals in 78 games for the 'Nucks that year.
Wellwood began his season in the KHL, but returned to his hometown of Windsor, ON. He was picked up on re-entry waivers by the Sharks this season.
24. Tom Poti
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Defenseman Tom Poti may be one of the most disliked players on the east coast.
Poti grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, but is a Yankee fan.
The Oilers dealt the Boston University product to the Rangers after three years in Edmonton. In New York he quarterbacked the power play. During his penultimate season with the Blueshirts he fell out of favor with the locals and relinquished his job to Fedor Tyutin during his final season.
He was so disliked that fans would boo when he stepped on the ice and cheer as he hopped over the boards after his shift.
He is currently an instrumental part of the Washington Capitals core that is expected to contend for a championship this season.
23. Dwayne Roloson
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At age 41, Dwayne Roloson may be the missing piece the Lightning need to make an impact in the postseason.
A Hobey Baker award winner at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Roloson went undrafted out of college. Roli signed as free agent with the Calgary Flames and split time between the NHL and minor leagues before backing up Dominik Hasek in Buffalo.
Following a two-year stint in Buffalo, Roloson was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft, but opted to join the Blues' minor league team.
He got his big break in Minnesota, where he would be awarded his first NHL All-Star appearance, at age 34.
In 2006 he led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, he suffered an MCL tear in Game 1 of the Finals and eventually saw his team drop the series to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
After a year-and-a-half with the lowly Islanders, a team he joined in 2009, Dwayne Roloson has joined the Lightning—a porous defensive team in serious need of strong goaltending in the postseason.
22. Fernando Pisani
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Drafted by his hometown Edmonton Oilers in the eighth round of the 1996 NHL draft, Fernando Pisani joined the team at age 27, making him ineligible for rookie awards as a first-year player.
Pisani scored his first NHL goal in February of 2003 and played significant time after the lockout. However, ulcerative colitis—an intestinal disease—nearly knocked him out of the NHL prior to the start of the 2007-08 season.
After battling the disease during the first half of the season, he joined the Oil in December of 2007 and was nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy at the end of the year.
Last season he suffered from multiple injuries and entered the market as an unrestricted free agent.
He is currently a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
21. Aaron Voros
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Originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the eighth round of the 2001 NHL draft, Voros developed a cancerous tumor in his leg during his sophomore season at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Voros continued playing for the Nanooks, however, and following his junior season in Fairbanks joined the Devils organization.
He got his first NHL opportunity when the Wild dealt for him in 2007. That year he had 141 penalty minutes for Minnesota and was nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
A year later he joined the New York Rangers, his favorite team as a child.
However, after two years with the Blueshirts, he was dealt to Anaheim, who turned around and dealt him to Toronto.
He currently plays for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
20. Clarke MacArthur
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After being traded by Buffalo and left at the arbitration table by Atlanta, Clarke MacArthur is currently leading the Maple Leafs with 56 points.
MacArthur was in the middle of his fourth season with the Sabres when he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Thrashers.
Although Atlanta had acquired a player who had 13 goals in 60 games and tallied an additional nine points in 21 games in the A-T-L, the Thrashers left him hanging at the end of the season. MacArthur took the team to arbitration after his 16-goal, 35-point season. The mediator settled on a $2.5 million salary, a hike from MacArthur's contractual income of $1.4 million.
The team opted to let him go.
This season he joined former World Juniors teammate Dion Phaneuf in Toronto. This year MacArthur has outplayed his contract. Expect him to receive more that $1.1 million next season.
19. Craig Anderson
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Colorado, a young team in need of playoff action to rejuvenate a decadent fanbase, turned to journeyman Craig Anderson to man the net.
The Park Ridge, Illinois native did not stick with his hometown Blackhawks. Chicago had signed their native son after he did not come to terms with Calgary, the team that originally drafted him in 1999.
He spent two years in a backup role with Chicago before setting records for most saves in a shutout and consecutive shutouts in Florida. In 2009 he signed with the Avalanche. It was in Denver that he set a franchise record with 10th consecutive game as a goalie to begin a season.
Anderson led the Avs to a playoff appearance and almost snuffed the red-hot Sharks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The rebuilding Avalanche dealt Anderson to Ottawa at the trade deadline. He recently signed a four-year deal to stay in Canada's capital.
18. Michael Leighton
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Familiar to the wavier wire, Michael Leighton was waived by two teams—the Sabres and Ducks—before making a name for himself in Philly.
Originally a member of the Blackhawks, Leighton was dealt to the Sabres in 2005. Buffalo buried him in the AHL and allowed him to become a free agent.
Anaheim picked him up, but even injuries to Ilya Bryzgalov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere would not merit a starting position for him in SoCal.
His first stint with the Flyers was relatively uneventful—the last-place Philly team gave him a few start and placed him on waivers. The Canadiens organization picked him up, but never gave him a sweater. He was dealt during the 2007 NHL draft to Carolina, where he backed up superstar Cam Ward during the 'Canes run through the Eastern Conference playoffs.
After another zap from the wavier wire, Leighton ended up back in Philly. It was in his second stint with the Flyers that he made a name for himself.
Leighton was assigned goaltending duties during the Winter Classic and playoffs. In the postseason he was in net and allowed his team to become only the third team in NHL history to come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.
He came close to winning a ring that year, but the Flyers were eliminated by the Blackhawks in six games that season.
Leighton is currently in the AHL after being waived by Philly this season.
17. Anthony Stewart
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Once known as Chris Stewart's older brother, Anthony topped his season-high record of two goals (which he earned twice as a member as the Florida Panthers) in a single game with the Thrashers this season.
Picked up as a free agent in the offseason by the Thrashers, Stewart has thrived in Atlanta's offensive-minded system. He has 14 goals and 38 points in 73 games this season and is making a case to be part of the young core in Georgia.
16. Johan Franzen
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Dubbed "The Mule" by current Tampa GM and former teammate Steve Yzerman, Johan Franzen was drafted as an over-ager in 2004 by the Red Wings.
To be frank, there is nothing sexy about Franzen's game.
However, five years marinating with Linkopings of the Swedish Elite League has turned this man into a force for Detroit. In the 2008-09 season he recorded personal highs of 34 goals and 59 points before and, in 2010, tallied a hat trick in a span of 3:26 against San Jose.
15. Ethan Moreau
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Originally a member of the Blackhawks organization, Ethan Moreau was dealt to the Oilers in a blockbuster deal.
Edmonton signed the winger to a four-year deal after his instrumental contributions in the 2006 playoffs, which resulted in a loss to Carolina in the finals.
Following the Cup run, Moreau was named team captain.
A letter on his chest and King Clancy Memorial Trophy—given to players with strong leadership qualities—was not enough for the aged winger to remain with Edmonton.
He was claimed off waivers by Columbus in 2010.
14. Steve Sullivan
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Steve Sullivan proved to be a wavier wire steal for the Blackhawks in the 2001-02 season when he tallied 75 points. Currently an alternate captain in Nashville, the winger exemplifies the blue-collar attitude of the resourceful Predators.
During the 2004 NHL draft, Sullivan was dealt to the Predators for two picks. Neither player the Blackhawks chose—Ryan Garlock and Michael Blunden (both second rounders)—ever panned out.
Sullivan won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2008-09 after missing the previous season to back injury and has 90 goals in five season for the Predators.
13. Andy McDonald
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Not to be mistaken for the professional skateboarder, Andy MacDonald made a major impact in the 2007 Stanley Cup run for the Ducks before joining the St. Louis Blues.
Perhaps sitting out Anaheim's 2003 run to the Stanley Cup lit a fire under the undrafted free agent, who signed with the Ducks in 2000. In 2007 he was named to the All-Star game and hoisted a cup over his head.
In 2009 he was dealt to St. Louis. That year he signed a four-year extension to stay in Missouri.
12. Niklas Backstrom
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Niklas Backstrom spent ten years toiling in the SM-Liiga and the Swedish Elite League before his break with the Wild.
He spent the 2006-07 season splitting the starting role with Manny Fernandez in Minnesota before getting his break in 2007 when Fernandez was dealt to Boston.
Backstrom's play in net solidified him as a starting goaltender and earned him a four-year deal in 2009.
11. Matt Moulson
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Matt Moulson made a name for himself in New York with a 30-goal, 48-point season last year.
Moulson was originally drafted by the Penguins in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL draft. He never put on a Penguins sweater and barely made an impact in LA in the 2007-08 season.
However, he caught the eye of Islanders scouts in 2009. He signed a one-year deal. During that year he joined John Tavares on the top line and lead the team in scoring.
He will remain under contract with the Islanders until the 2013-14 season.
10. Ray Emery
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Perhaps the most pugnacious goaltender in recent NHL history, Ray Emery may be better remembered for his fight with Marty Biron of the Buffalo Sabres and an AHL defensemen than for taking the Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals.
Ironically, his Sens lost to the Ducks that year.
The Senators' fourth round pick in 2001, Emery would join the team in the 2006-07 season. In 2008, however, Ottawa waived him after multiple off-ice incidents.
He was a better fit at his next two stops.
The Flyers, known for a little on-ice violence themselves, greeted Emery with open arms after his KHL stint. His time in Philly would be cut short due to avascular necrosis, a bone-degenerating disease, and he would find himself unemployed at the end of the season.
A late-season pickup for the Ducks to replace injured Jonas Hiller, Emery has played well in the black-and-gold so far.
9. Michael Grabner
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Fans on the island can find myriad faults with their club. However, to their credit, the Islanders have dominated the wavier wire recently.
Only to think of what could be said if Evgeni Nabokov had wanted to play on Long Island.
The Austrian forward was acquired off of waivers from Florida. The Cats had acquired Grabner in a blockbuster deal with the Canucks over the off-season and Grabner was supposed to be a big piece of the puzzle.
Certainly the Panthers are regretting this move. Grabner had 31 goals and 48 points with the Islanders so far.
8. Mikko Koivu
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Drafted sixth overall in 2001, Mikko Koivu became a long-term project for the Wild that has only started paying dividends recently.
The Finnish center joined the Wild in the 2005-06 season and recorded his first 20-goal year in 2006-07.
Although he has had three 20-goal seasons in the last four years, Koivu is better known for setting up players around him. Unfortunately, the Wild are devoid of high-end talent that he can set up.
Koivu is recognized as a star in many circles, but unfortunately is on a team ripe with playmakers and few skaters that can put the puck away.
7. Ray Whitney
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Originally drafted in the first round by the Sharks in 1991, Ray Whitney is a talented journeyman who was fundamental in the Hurricanes' 2006 Stanley Cup run.
Whitney spent his first five seasons with the Sharks, but was not pursued after an injury-shortened 12 game season in 1996-97.
He was offered a contract by the Oilers next season, but was waived midway through the season and joined the Panthers.
In Florida, he had three 20-plus goal seasons before being dealt to the Blue Jackets. After stints in Columbus and Detroit, Whitney would join the Hurricanes.
After five years in Carolina, Whitney has joined the Coyotes. His veteran presence and continued production has helped vault Phoenix into the playoffs this season.
6. Miikka Kiprusoff
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Another Sharks castoff that panned out elsewhere in the NHL, Mikka Kiprusoff has been the staple goaltender for the Calgary Flames for the past seven years.
Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1995 NHL draft, Kiprusoff joined the Sharks in the 2000-01 season, but could not wrestle the starting job from Evgeni Nabokov and was dealt to Calgary in 2003.
Since the 2005-06 seasons, Kiprusoff has played at least 70 games each season and eclipsed the 40-win mark three times.
5. Daniel Alfredsson
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Drafted in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL draft, Daniel Alfredsson became the right wing on the CASH line with teammate Jason Spezza and former Senator Dany Heatley.
Alfredsson had been playing professional hockey in Sweden since 1992 and made an immediate impact with the team in the 1995-96 season. His 26-goal, 61-point campaign earned him a full-time spot on the Senators roster in his first year.
After the 1999-00 season, Alfredsson was named team captain. In the 2002-03 he led his bankrupt team to a President's Trophy and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007.
Alfredsson is currently the longest-tenured captain in the NHL.
4. Patrick Marleau
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Drafted second overall in 1997 by the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Marleau holds the franchise record in a) goals, b) even strength goals, c) power play goals, d) points, e) shots and f) games played.
He played his 1000th game with the club this season.
However, Marleau was originally considered a first-round disappointment.
Marleau always had speed, but was considered a goal-scorer after his stint with the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). He did not have a 30-goal season until after the lockout, despite coming close to that mark in both the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.
During the 2002-03 season he was awarded team captaincy, but would have it relinquished after in the summer of 2009.
Last year he had 44 goals and currently is an alternate captain in San Jose.
3. Tim Thomas
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Tim Thomas took a unique path to the NHL. In fact, by the time he first donned the Bruins uniform in the 2002-03 season, the team that drafted him, the Quebec Nordiques, were in Colorado.
After a strong freshman season at the University of Vermont, Quebec drafted Thomas in the ninth round of the 1994 draft. He joins Tomas Vokoun and Evgeni Nabokov as goaltenders from the ninth round to make a significant impact in the NHL.
Before joining the Bruins, Thomas played in Birmingham, Houston, Finland and Sweden.
Thomas played four games in 2002-03 and had his rookie season in 2005-06. He earned regular duty in the 2006-07 season and won the Vezina Trophy in the 2009. Last season, however, he split goaltending duties with rookie Tukka Rask.
He won his starting position back this year and is currently looking to get his team out of a slump and ready for the playoffs.
2. Martin St. Louis
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Like University of Vermont teammate Tim Thomas, Martin St. Louis became an underdog NHL superstar, leading the Lighting to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2004.
Despite being a three-time Hobey Baker candidate at Vermont, St. Louis went undrafted and signed with the Calgary Flames as an undrafted free agent. He was not re-signed after two seasons in Calgary, despite playing 56 games in 1999.
He joined the Lightning in 2000 and from 2002 to 2006 had four-straight 30-goal seasons topped off by a 43-goal campaign in the 2006-07 season.
St. Louis, a playmaker, has been fundamental in the development of superstars Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos.
1. Roberto Luongo
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Drafted fourth overall in 1997, Roberto Luongo was snubbed by the Islanders and Panthers before joining the Canucks in the 2006-07 season.
Luongo joined the Islanders in 1999, but did not receive warm reception on the Island. He was criticized by GM Mike Milbury (yes, the NHL on NBC announcer) for looking for an apartment in New York before the game.
In 2000, the Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro first overall, making him the highest-drafted goaltender in NHL history at the time, and designated him as the franchise goaltender. Luongo was subsequently traded to Florida on that day, a move that surprised Luongo.
The trade would go down as one of the most lopsided transactions in NHL history. Since the trade Luongo has been regularly balloted for the Vezina Trophy while DiPietro has battled injury throughout his career.
Again in 2006, Luongo was caught off-guard when the Panthers traded him in another lopsided deal. Since that time the Canucks have become one of the NHL's most competitive teams while the Panthers continue to spin their wheels in the Eastern Conference cellar.
This year Luongo will look to help his Canucks, who are likely to win the President's Trophy, get past the second round of the playoffs.
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