Daigle initially seemed destined to live up to the pre-draft hype, scoring 20 goals and 51 points in a rookie season in which he had little offensive support. However, he was never able to reproduce his junior dominance, and the superstardom the Senators and the league had hoped for never materialized. He scored 20 or more goals twice – in his rookie year and in 1996–97, never registering more than 26 goals in a season. He was frequently criticized for lack of effort and motivation, with his lucrative long-term contract perhaps partially to blame. He seemed interested in the limelight, appearing in a full-page ad dressed in a nurse's uniform.