Before the 1999 NHL Draft, there was high expectations for the talent available, especially from European players like the Sedin twins and Czech-born players Stefan and Brendl. However, many of the first-round picks turned out to be major misses for their respective teams, with only a few finding success in the NHL.

Some notable misses include Patrik Stefan, Pavel Brendl, Tim Connolly, Brian Finley, and Kris Beech. On the other hand, players like the Sedin twins, Craig Anderson, Chris Kelly, Ryan Miller, and Henrik Zetterberg proved to be diamonds in the rough, exceeding expectations and having successful careers in the NHL.