The NHL Draft is always an important time of the year for every team to select a player to help build the franchise. First-round draft picks are important no matter the selection.
In Ottawa Senators history, they have hit on first-round picks in the past. Whether if it's Alexei Yashin second overall in 1992, Jason Spezza second overall in 2001, Erik Karlsson 15th overall in 2008, Thomas Chabot 18th overall in 2015, or selecting Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson with the third and fifth overall picks in 2020.
Even with making excellent first-round picks, the Senators have also had their fair share of first-round draft busts. In each decade, the Senators drafted a major bust that didn't live up to the hype around them.
Biggest first-round draft bust from each decade in Senators history
First-round busts can be hard to choose from. From taken high in the draft, to not playing many seasons in the NHL for a middle or late first-round pick, or injuries happening. These are the biggest first-round draft busts from each decade in Senators history.
2020s- Tyler Boucher
Heading into the 2021 NHL Draft, the Senators were looking to add another piece to their core for the future with the 10th overall pick in the draft. Talent was in the 2021 draft as Owen Power, Matty Beniers, William Eklund and Dylan Guenther were all taken before the Senators could make their selection.
With the 10th overall pick, the Senators selected Tyler Boucher. Although Boucher is currently 21 years old, he has not been worthy of being a 10th overall pick.
Boucher has yet to play in the NHL, and his play in the AHL hasn't been great either. Boucher played 21 games in Belleville last season and recorded five points. This season with Belleville, it took until his 16th game played for Boucher to record his first AHL point.
Although the 2020s decade isn't complete, the Senators passing on Dallas Stars stud Wyatt Johnston in the first round of the draft will be a mistake. Johnston has thrived in the NHL as the 23rd overall pick in the draft in Dallas, and Boucher hasn't panned out for being a 10th overall pick.
2010s- Logan Brown
The 2010s saw the Senators have their fair share of first-round draft busts. From Lassi Thomson, to Shane Bowers, to Curtis Lazar, to Matt Puempel. However, the biggest bust of them all the Senators drafted in the first round for the decade was Logan Brown.
The 2016 NHL Draft was filled with talent. Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matthew Tkachuk and Clayton Keller were all taken before the Senators made their first-round selection. With the 11th overall pick in the draft, the Senators selected Brown.
With being drafted high at 11th overall, expectations for Brown were high. However, Brown disappointed big time for the Senators. From 2017-2021, Brown recorded nine points in 30 career games played with the Senators. After playing one game for the Senators in the 2020-21 season, Brown would play 69 games for the Blues over the next two seasons.
Brown hasn't played an NHL game since April 6, 2023. For an 11th overall pick, Brown was a major bust. The Senators passed on the opportunity to draft Charlie McAvoy, Jakob Chychrun or Tage Thompson in the first round.
2000s- Brian Lee
The 2005 NHL Draft will always be remembered as the year Sidney Crosby was taken first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the draft, the Senators held the ninth overall pick eager to draft a core piece.
With the ninth overall pick, the Senators drafted defenseman Brian Lee. Expectations were clearly high for Lee when drafted in the top 10. However, Lee's career in Ottawa was ugly.
From 2008-2012, Lee recorded 28 points in 167 games for the Senators before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lee last played an NHL game on March 9, 2013.
The Senators passed on the chance to draft Anze Kopitar, who was taken by the Los Angeles Kings with the 11th overall pick, and Marc Staal, who was taken by the New York Rangers with the very next pick. Both players were long tenured players with the team that drafted them. Today, Kopitar is still a star player for the Kings.
Tuuka Rask, T.J. Oshie and Andrew Cogliano were also taken later in the first round. When considering the players who were drafted after Lee, the Senators drafting Lee will always be a major fumble of a first-round draft pick.
1990s- Alexandre Daigle
When talking about one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history, Alexandre Daigle will be one of the first names mentioned. Entering the 1993 NHL Draft, the Senators held the first overall pick.
The Senators selected Daigle with the first overall pick, and disappointed badly for a first overall pick. While Daigle did have two 51-point seasons with the Senators, he never lived up to the hype of being a first overall draft pick.
In 1998, the Senators traded Daigle to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he continued to disappoint. Following the trade, the Senators won their first playoff series in franchise history in the first round of the 1998 playoffs against the New Jersey Devils as an eighth seed.
In 301 career games as a Senator, Daigle recorded 172 points with an awful -137 rating. Daigle last played an NHL game with the Minnesota Wild in the 2005-06 season.
Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger was taken with the second overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft. Paul Kariya, another player who ended up in the Hall of Fame, was taken with the fourth overall pick in the draft. Former All-Stars Jason Arnott, Saku Koivu and Todd Bertuzzi were also all taken in the first round after Daigle.