Biggest NHL Draft First Round Busts

The NHL Draft is a game of chance. While organizations work through their due diligence, the margin for error is gigantic. Look at former third-overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Jesse Puljujarvi. Aside from one season of scoring, he failed to live up to expectations and is now out of the NHL entirely. It’s a commonality in the NHL for top picks to not pan out. Just ask these three organizations, who took players in the top-10 of the NHL Draft and have nothing now to show for it.

Alexander Holtz - New Jersey Devils, 7th Overall, 2020

Can a 23-year-old winger be considered a bust already? The answer is yes for Alexander Holtz. Lauded as the next Swedish-born playmaker to take the NHL by storm, it’s been a tumultuous road for the young forward. After failing to make an impression with the Devils with 34 points in his first 110 games, he was packed in a trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The fresh start did very little for Holtz. In 53 games with the Golden Knights, he recorded four goals and eight assists for 12 points. The upcoming season is truly the make-or-break campaign for Holtz and it could be the final season he’s given a chance to crack an NHL lineup.

Alex Turcotte - Los Angeles Kings, 5th Overall, 2019

The Los Angeles Kings thought they plucked a superstar from the United States National Team Development Program in 2019. Fast forward to 2025, and the Kings are still waiting for Alex Turcotte to make a meaningful impact. He showed flashes this past season, scoring nine goals and finishing with 25 points in 68 NHL contests. He might take the next step and start becoming a dependable scorer, but he most likely will be a bottom-six forward, if he can hold on to a roster spot altogether.

Lias Andersson - New York Rangers, 7th Overall, 2017

In the Rangers’ defense, everyone thought highly of the ultra competitive Lias Andersson. A former captain for Sweden at the World Junior Championships, Andersson projected to be menacing middle-six center when the Rangers drafted him 7th overall. It never came to be for Andersson, who failed to make the jump to the NHL.

The Rangers eventually moved on, and he spent a few years trying to stick with the Los Angeles Kings and in the Montreal Canadiens organization. Last season, he signed in Europe with EHL Biel-Bienne. It’s unlikely he returns to the NHL anytime soon.

It seems the fifth and seventh picks in the NHL Draft are cursed. The Devils, Kings and Rangers can all confirm. They each foolishly believed that a franchise pillar fell to them at their pick, but none of those players turned out to be what the organization hoped.