I don't dislike Rasmussen or anything like that, but I think a lot of people overestimate the success rate of prospects. I was having this discussion the other day in the Ranger section. A bunch got upset that I said the two later firsts we took were unlikely to ever be top 4 defensemen. And statistically I took a sample of five recent drafts in a row, and 50% of the defensemen taken in the first round were top 4D. It was a very small percentage among those taken in the latter 1/3 of the first round. So I wasn't wrong.
Some might be criticizing Rasmussen out of disliking his game, but its important to keep in mind that almost every first round prospect out there is overrated compared to the rhetoric surrounding them. Not every first round forward prospect will be a top 6 forward, not every first round defensemen will be a top 4 defensemen. With a guy like Rasmussen, he's probably no different in being overrated by some than the average prospect. The only difference is that some might actually be representing his upside fairly in an unintentional way. Some will try to sell us that he's a defensive minded 1C, Selke guy, David Backes, all that, but he probably will not. Chances are that he'll be a low-end second line guy or a high-end third line guy. That very well might fit in well for his pick slot in 10 years. That might not look bad once their careers unfold compared to the "flashy prospects" that some preferred, but at the same time keep in mind that Rasmussen is just as unlikely to fulfill his "potential" as some of these "flashy prospects."
There is no such thing as a "safe pick" or anything of that sort. Unless Rasmussen or the "safe pick" could step in and be a good NHL'er the day they are drafted, they are not a safe pick. There is still projection involved with nearly all of these "safe picks" becoming NHL'ers in the first place. Just to give a comparison to my own team again. A lot of fans get really upset if someone says that the consensus of "experts" pegs Andersson as a 2C or 3C. I think they are trying to protect the team from criticism. I see the same thing happening here. Why try to protect your team? Call the situation out for what it is. Your team took a different style player with a first round pick. Not a "flashy guy with big upside." They went for the middle of the lineup grinder who can do some of everything. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. It'll be determined eventually whether that was a smart pick or not, but don't sell Rasmussen to us as something that he's not.