Forgotten Penguins Players: Alexandre Daigle

Prior to the 1993 NHL Draft, top prospect Alexandre Daigle scored 137 points in 53 games for the Victoriaville Tigers in the QMJHL.

On June 26, 1993, his name was announced by the Ottawa Senators as the most drafted player in the world. Daigle was selected ahead of future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger (second) and Paul Kariya (fourth).

Daigle scored 20 goals as a rookie and finished the 84-game campaign with 51 points, but was -45 with the Senators, posting a 14-61-9 record, the worst in the NHL.

Despite finishing second in team scoring, Daigle received no votes for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, which went to Martin Brodeur that year with 60.74% of the vote.

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Unfortunately, Daigle never adapted to life in the NHL. During his five seasons in Ottawa, he scored just 74 goals and 172 points in 301 games.

Although the Senators were not a strong team, Daigle finished his tenure with a -137 rating, which was almost equal to his point production stats.

In January 1998, Ottawa sent Daigle to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick, Pat Falloon and Vaclav Prospal.

Although his plus/minus rating improved with the Flyers, his production declined, which is why Daigle was traded three times in 1999.

First, Philadelphia sent him to the Edmonton Oilers for Andrei Kovalenko. On the same day, the Oilers traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Alexander Selivanov.

Daigle played 32 games with the Lightning, collecting 12 points and a minus-12 rating. In Philadelphia, he scored 12 goals and 31 points in 68 games.

Before the 1999-2000 season began, Tampa Bay traded Daigle to the New York Rangers for cash. He played 58 games on Broadway, scoring just eight goals and 26 points before disappearing from the NHL for two seasons.

Related: Forgotten Penguins Players: Ted Nolan

After a period of absence, Daigle attempted a comeback in 2002-2003 and signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While he nearly averaged a point per game in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 38 points in 40 games, his NHL production was just seven points in 33 games.

After the 2003–04 season, Daigle signed with the Minnesota Wild and played his final two seasons of NHL hockey with the club.

During his first campaign, he served as an alternate captain, a first in his career, and tied a career-high with 51 points and scored 20 goals for the third time.

After the NHL lockout, Daigle returned to the Wild and scored 28 points in 46 games in his final season in 2005–06.

He then returned to Switzerland, where he played for HC Davos, HC Fribourg-Gotteron and the SCL Tigers. He retired from football after the 2009-2010 season.

One of the most highly regarded draft picks of the early 1990s, Daigle never lived up to his potential in the NHL, scoring just 129 goals with 327 points in 616 games during his 10-year career.

Despite a decorated junior career, Daigle never played in an NHL All-Star Game or received a vote for an award. His professional achievements include two NLA titles and a Spengler Cup in 2007, all won in Europe.

Related: Are the Penguins Still Owned by Mario Lemieux?

Although Daigle played 33 games for the Penguins, more than most forgotten players, his time with the club was not memorable.

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