Development is not linear.
Pulj is a better depth forward than you credit with decent defensive IQ and just needs to accept he isnt a top 6 forward, get himself a shorter stick, and maybe this next offseason work on his puck handling and offensive skills rather than just hitting the gym.
Yama is what he is. Dealing with concussion issues and a tiny tiny body for the NHL he was always going to have limited effectiveness at the NHL level. Both him and JP need to realize their limitations and work towards being effective despite them. When healthy you can do worse than Yama as #2/3 RW and Pulj as a #3/4 RW but without a surprising significant growth in their games neither are going to be "worth" much, or be impact players. You still need solid players in your line-up and both Yama and JP "could" be that and were last year as a quick easy example.
See sentence at the top. Bouchard is improving defensively. Is surprising struggling a bit offensively. He has far less than the standard 200+ games under his belt. You typically dont know what you have in a defensman until they pass that mark and/or hit 28ish. Bouchard still easily has top pairing upside. Will he get their? who knows, but even this year it is apparent he is a top 4 defender already and that is nothing to sneeze at.
Broberg shouldn't reach the heights many here predicted. He was a reach where we drafted him. And while his development has been slow and relatively uninspiring, it has still been there. I am not expecting anything but it is still too early to write him off with what he has shown to date. I don't know how you don't temper your expectations after what I would consider a very weak training camp this year but you also dont write him off.
Holloway is a blank slate. I, and most others, thoughts he would be way better at the NHL level but making the jump to the NHL is very difficult and the mistakes he is making are traditional rookie mistakes. He easily could become great from what we have seen to date or he could wash out of the league all together.
As surprising as it is I don't believe Edmonton is drafting that poorly. I think it is more seeing the success of a few players in other organizations that makes us feel this way.
McDavid is McDavid but Leon, even for those like me that thought he had chance to be the best player in the draft, never saw him being quite likely the second best player on the planet...
Nurse has his flaws but IMo has covered the spread on his draft position and then some.
Even Nuge for being a first overall isn't as bad as some make out. Nail Yakupov actually managed 350 NHL games before washing out and Magnus 467.
I am guessing to some extent, but believe if you look at games played for first round picks the Oilers are likely above the league average over the last 20 years.
Now the second round and on I am almost certain we have to be below league average.
