Has it been a bad year? A couple prospects down but some better then expected as well. Pronman ranked our 2017 draft as the best of the 31 teams. Quinn Hughes is already our best dman. Next year's ranking will be lower without him but the high ranking this year was justified. Likely out of market pundits our more objective than our local "objective" posters.
Out of market pundits don't follow drafts as closely as fans of teams do as far as I'm concerned.
The prospect pool ranking was completely driven by the elite at the top. Hughes looks fantastic and was a great selection, but him being in the prospect pool at the time of ranking is why it was 4th.
I don't think it ranks middle half with Podkolzin, Dipietro, Madden, Woo, Juolevi and Lind......if that's a top 10 prospect pool the league is in trouble.
Pronman ranked Hunter Shinkaruk like top 5 IIRC and still had him as a top 20 prospect in the league after the draft. He's not a very good authority. Even the TSN list is laughable. Podkolzin (who I'm a bigger fan of than most around here) being given the same rank as successful proven established NHL players was a bit much.
The prospect pool isn't deep, it never was, it was top heavy, and that will be seen as the rankings come out next year.