Scott Campbell(1st Rounder), Keith Osborne(1st Rounder), Jason Marshall (1st Rounder)

Mike Lowe (highly hyped "best forward in Canadian college hockey -free agent), Fran Huck (highly-hyped free agent from Canadian Olympic team), Petr Sejna, Rich Pilon, Steve Atkinson (Blues gave up 1st Rounder for this highly-touted prospect who never made The NHL).

Robb_K wrote:Scott Campbell(1st Rounder), Keith Osborne(1st Rounder), Jason Marshall (1st Rounder)

Mike Lowe (highly hyped "best forward in Canadian college hockey -free agent), Fran Huck (highly-hyped free agent from Canadian Olympic team), Petr Sejna, Rich Pilon, Steve Atkinson (Blues gave up 1st Rounder for this highly-touted prospect who never made The NHL).

Mike Lowe was actually a draft pick. Being hyped out of Canadian college hockey really didn't (still doesn't) mean much.

Fran Huck was acquired via trade with Montreal who signed him as a FA.

Steve Atkinson was not acquired for a 1st rounder or a pick. He was claimed in the intra league draft and did play in the NHL.

STLBlueshistory wrote:

Robb_K wrote:Scott Campbell(1st Rounder), Keith Osborne(1st Rounder), Jason Marshall (1st Rounder)

Mike Lowe (highly hyped "best forward in Canadian college hockey -free agent), Fran Huck (highly-hyped free agent from Canadian Olympic team), Petr Sejna, Rich Pilon, Steve Atkinson (Blues gave up 1st Rounder for this highly-touted prospect who never made The NHL).

Mike Lowe was actually a draft pick. Being hyped out of Canadian college hockey really didn't (still doesn't) mean much.

Fran Huck was acquired via trade with Montreal who signed him as a FA.

Steve Atkinson was not acquired for a 1st rounder or a pick. He was claimed in the intra league draft and did play in the NHL.

Yes, sorry for my mistake about Atkinson. I had mixed him up with Jim Lorentz, for whom The Blues gave up a 1st Rounder to Boston, and he never played enough in The NHL with them (3 games?) to be worth anything. What a terrible trade that was.

Yes, I know that Canadian college players should never be "highly touted" (as there are no big scholarships for them). I know that full well, as I'm a Canadian who attended a Canadian university, as well as a US University. But, there was a big article in "The Hockey News" in 1969 about The Blues signing Lowe and saying what great potential he had. I thought, at the time, that was quite strange that such a low "prospect" would be featured in an article. I guess that The Blues, not having much high-quality young talent outside The NHL at that time, needed something to show their fans and backers.

Fran Huck WAS a bust for The Blues. He WASN'T DRAFTED by The Canadiens. He became their property automatically, because he was on The Canadian Olympic team. you are correct, though, that he was traded to the Blues. I remember the compensation was listed only as "future considerations". Those considerations ended up as a 2nd Rounder. So, he ended up costing a lot more than he helped them.

I see now that I had forgotten that Jim Lorentz did play a full season for The Blues, and scored 19 goals and 40 points, and they got some value back in a trade to The Rangers, sent along with Wayne Connolly and Gene Carr (NHL overall 4th choice) for Andre Dupont, Jack Egers and Mike Murphy. So, he wasn't one of The Blues' major busts, despite my hating their having given up a 1st Rounder for him. I see now that I'm starting to lose "long-term memory, of things I knew for over 45 years, and that is very disturbing to me.

Robb_K wrote:Yes, sorry for my mistake about Atkinson. I had mixed him up with Jim Lorentz, for whom The Blues gave up a 1st Rounder to Boston, and he never played enough in The NHL with them (3 games?) to be worth anything. What a terrible trade that was.

Lorentz actually had a decent season for the Blues. He was traded in his 2nd Blues season. The return in that trade was pretty good. The only problem is they didn't keep Dupont or Murphy that long.

Robb_K wrote:Yes, I know that Canadian college players should never be "highly touted" (as there are no big scholarships for them). I know that full well, as I'm a Canadian who attended a Canadian university, as well as a US University. But, there was a big article in "The Hockey News" in 1969 about The Blues signing Lowe and saying what great potential he had. I thought, at the time, that was quite strange that such a low "prospect" would be featured in an article. I guess that The Blues, not having much high-quality young talent outside The NHL at that time, needed something to show their fans and backers.

From 1970 THN.

Robb_K wrote:Fran Huck WAS a bust for The Blues. He WASN'T DRAFTED by The Canadiens. He became their property automatically, because he was on The Canadian Olympic team. you are correct, though, that he was traded to the Blues. I remember the compensation was listed only as "future considerations". Those considerations ended up as a 2nd Rounder. So, he ended up costing a lot more than he helped them.

Not sure why wasn't drafted is in Caps.

Was Huck the player a bust or was the trade made by the Blues a bust?

Huck played for the Blues after being traded. He wasn't to bad. The Blues kept him in the minors the full next season where was MVP of WHL and lead the playoffs in scoring as Denver won the Championship.

That brings me back to....

Is a player a bust or is the transaction that acquired the player a bust. To me they are 2 different things. I sure don't consider Keith Osborne the player to be a bust. Pick YES; Player NO. The Blues reached on the pick and struck out. Is that Osborne's fault or the Blues?

Does it make a player a bust because a team 'overpaid' for a player? I don't think so. To me that is on the team; not the player.

Robb_K wrote:I see now that I had forgotten that Jim Lorentz did play a full season for The Blues, and scored 19 goals and 40 points, and they got some value back in a trade to The Rangers, sent along with Wayne Connolly and Gene Carr (NHL overall 4th choice) for Andre Dupont, Jack Egers and Mike Murphy. So, he wasn't one of The Blues' major busts, despite my hating their having given up a 1st Rounder for him. I see now that I'm starting to lose "long-term memory, of things I knew for over 45 years, and that is very disturbing to me.

I have this in my post I just made. I guess they took away where it gives the 'warning' of another post was made.

Although he had a fabulous year with the Blues for the one season he was here trading a 1st rd pick for Phil Goyette and leaving him unprotected in the expansion draft was much worse to me than the Lorentz trade.

STLBlueshistory wrote:
Is a player a bust or is the transaction that acquired the player a bust. To me they are 2 different things. I sure don't consider Keith Osborne the player to be a bust. Pick YES; Player NO. The Blues reached on the pick and struck out. Is that Osborne's fault or the Blues?

Does it make a player a bust because a team 'overpaid' for a player? I don't think so. To me that is on the team; not the player.

I agree. I'm pointing out the "draft pick busts"(bad choices) and "trade busts"(bad trades) made by The Blues, rather than players on The Blues who happened to be busts as NHL players.

Soupy. He had two pretty decent years in his early 20s and then his NHL career completely sputtered out.

bluetuned wrote:Soupy. He had two pretty decent years in his early 20s and then his NHL career completely sputtered out.

gee, wonder why....

T.C. wrote:

bluetuned wrote:Soupy. He had two pretty decent years in his early 20s and then his NHL career completely sputtered out.

gee, wonder why....

I always heard it was...

He smokes

Jim Campbell now lives in St. Louis, coaching youth teams such as the Ladue Rams 07-08 JV team. He also has been a shooter at Racine Goalie Academy camps. He currently coaches the Whitfield Warriors who are so far undefeated in their 2009-10 season.

Garth Butcher.

That trade ended all hope for a Cup run for the next 5 years at least.

BluesSK wrote:

barnburner wrote:How about the guy who name escapes me at the moment, who came out of Colorado college, scored one goal on Patrick Roy, and never did anything again?

Peter Sejna.

He has the honor of scoring the last goal Roy ever gave up.

wasn't Sejna a college undrafted free agent pickup? I never thought he was a 'bust' cause he didn't cost us anything (pick or asset wise), but he sure did flatline quick after a few promising games.

Hockey Pete wrote:Garth Butcher.

That trade ended all hope for a Cup run for the next 5 years at least.

We never had a goalie that could get us there.

Denny Felsner. What a stiff.

bradleygt89 wrote:

BluesSK wrote:

barnburner wrote:How about the guy who name escapes me at the moment, who came out of Colorado college, scored one goal on Patrick Roy, and never did anything again?

Peter Sejna.

He has the honor of scoring the last goal Roy ever gave up.

wasn't Sejna a college undrafted free agent pickup? I never thought he was a 'bust' cause he didn't cost us anything (pick or asset wise), but he sure did flatline quick after a few promising games.

Yes, but The Blues outbid Detroit for him by paying him $1.1 million per year (for an unproven player), when that amount was a lot more significant than now, especially against a severely limited budget. So, his not being effective after his first couple games was a big loss for The Blues. That could be considered a significant waste of assets, and, thus, he could be considered a "bust", because The Blues' depth of prospects was almost non-existent at that time, and they had high hopes that his acquisition would help make up for that lack of upcoming talent.

Tony Hzrkis. (rhymed with circus). I could not even find him on a Google search, so I likely spelled his name way wrong, but I remember him to be a failure. I was thinking he had the popularity of Oshie when drafted. Anyone know if my memory is correct?

Wow, can't get any worse than Keith Osborne. How could professor Ron Caron be so dumb to draft him??

Russd14 wrote:Tony Hzrkis. (rhymed with circus). I could not even find him on a Google search, so I likely spelled his name way wrong, but I remember him to be a failure. I was thinking he had the popularity of Oshie when drafted. Anyone know if my memory is correct?

Tony Hrkac 16 Seasons in the NHL: Totals Games:758 Goals: 132 Assists: 239 PTS: 371 PIMS: 173

He was Brett Hulls good friend...which means he probably smoked.

Jeff Taffe 30th overall in the 2000 draft. 180 NHL games played with 7 different teams. 21 goals, 25 assists, 46 points. None with the Blues.

Marty Reasoner

CaptSMRT wrote:

Russd14 wrote:Tony Hzrkis. (rhymed with circus). I could not even find him on a Google search, so I likely spelled his name way wrong, but I remember him to be a failure. I was thinking he had the popularity of Oshie when drafted. Anyone know if my memory is correct?

Tony Hrkac 16 Seasons in the NHL: Totals Games:758 Goals: 132 Assists: 239 PTS: 371 PIMS: 173

He was Brett Hulls good friend...which means he probably smoked.

Hrkac Circus. I wonder what he is doing now? He had a long career all over the place.

I think it is safe to say the Blues have drafted a lot of stinkers over the years. Not quite Big Red's George Boone bad, but still pretty bad.

Yes, Felsner was a terrible pick, as was Osborne and Jason Marshall were the most terrible picks.

Hrkac was a Hobey Baker award winner which is the equivalent of the Heisman trophy in the NFL.

I clearly recalled he was called up during the end of the season and playoffs during his 1st season in the NHL. He went all the way up to playing on the top line with Federko! I remember Federko said he'd help groom him. LOL