The draft bust.

They’re found in every sport with a drafting process, and the reason(s) for flaming out after showing plenty of promise are often complicated.

Everyone knows the success stories. The draft day steals who likely should have gone first or second overall in a redraft. For the NHL, Cale Makar dropping to Colorado at fourth overall comes to mind as a recent example. We’ve spilled plenty of ink already talking about some of the best players drafted at third overall, where the Vancouver Canucks will select at the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26th.

But who are some of the players on the opposite end of that? Today, we’re looking at the three players who were selected third overall and went on to have less-than-ideal NHL careers relative to their draft position.

Being drafted immediately after immediate superstars and future Hall of Famers Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin comes with some high expectations. Barker was highly touted for his massive 6’3 223-pound frame and dynamic offensive instincts, which made him a shoo-in to quarterback a power play and be a first-pairing defenceman for years to come. At least, that’s what the Chicago Blackhawks thought.

Despite showing early promise and recording a 40-point season with Chicago in the 2008-09 season — his fourth season with Chicago — Barker ultimately became one of the franchise’s biggest draft disappointments. Barker’s skating turned out to be nothing to write home about, there were plenty of questions about his defensive IQ, and like most draft busts, Barker also dealt with a number of injuries.

The Blackhawks traded Barker to the Minnesota Wild for Kim Johnsson and a prospect named Nick Leddy, who would go on to be a part of the Hawks’ Stanley Cup win in 2012-13. As for Barker, he suited up for 14 games with the Canucks in 2012-13, and those would be the last NHL games he’d ever play in. Barker played overseas in the KHL, Switzerland, Finland, and in France before retiring after the end of the 2020-21 season.

Remember my write-up on draft eligible goaltenders from last week? How I quoted Ian Clark talking about how he mostly looks for raw physical tools when scouting young goaltenders, typically in the later rounds? Well, the Tampa Bay Lightning applied similar logic when they selected Alexander Svitov third overall in the 2001 NHL Draft.

Standing a massive 6’3″ and weighing over 220 lbs, Svitov was viewed as the ultimate power forward prospect: a rare combination of elite size, mean physical edge, and offensive touch. However, Svitov never came close to justifying his top-three draft status, finishing his North American career with just 37 points in 179 games. He was thrust into the NHL as a teenager and clashed with Tampa Bay head coach John Tortorella over his work ethic and defensive play. Svitov bolted for the KHL after a quick stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets as one last kick at the can on his NHL career.

Some names that went after Svitov in the first round of this draft are: Stephen Weiss (4th overall), Mikko Koivu (6th overall), Mike Komisarek (7th overall), and Dan Hamhuis (12th overall).

Finally, we get to the man who holds the record for the fewest NHL games played by a player selected third overall in the NHL draft (post-1970 expansion): Neil Brady.

Selected third overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1986, Brady was a big centre (listed at 6’3, 205 lbs) who was part of a powerhouse Medicine Hat Tigers team. In his draft season, Brady put up 83 points in 57 games, along with 126 penalty minutes and scouts quickly fell in love with his prototypical power-centre frame and playstyle.

But that junior success didn’t translate to the NHL. While Brady’s size allowed him to protect the puck and dominate smaller junior players, his skating couldn’t keep up with the speed of the NHL. Brady spent most of his time with the Devils in the AHL, and whenever he was called up, he failed to produce offensively.

The Devils traded Brady to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations in 1992. From there, Brady played 55 games for the Senators, five for the Dallas Stars the next season, and spent the next nine seasons of his pro career in the IHL. His final NHL totals: 89 games played, nine goals, 22 assists, and 95 penalty minutes.