I agree with you. Dickinson is not going to be our #1 and we either need to draft or get that #1 from free agency. It's going to be expensive thru free agency so drafting would be the easiest but the longest. Looking at this season, who is going to be our puck-moving defenseman? Last season, it was embarrassing at the beginning when the Sharks couldn't even get the puck out until Addison came in via a trade with Minnesota. Sharks fans are so used to have EK65 and Burns doing that but now they are gone and we can't even get the puck out of our blue line.
2/3/4 D-men aren't overly difficult to acquire. Sergachev, Marino, Roy, Skej, Chychrun, Montour, Pesce, Walker, Dillon, Broberg all changed hands this summer. 10 top 4 dmen, and I excluded Tanev because that contract was shameful. Zero first round picks involved though Geekie was a 1st round prospect. It'd be disappointing if Dickinson became just a #4, but I could see him becoming a 2/3. If not, I do think he'll be a legit 22m+ a night guy who plays in all situations. If that is as a #4, it's not a bad 11th overall at all.
#1 d-men, however, are a nightmare to acquire. There aren't enough of them. If not a Schaefer/Hensler (or they aren't at that level), the alternatives are 1) draft D like crazy, and hope that in 5 years Brock Faber shows up 2) Make trades for a couple #2/3 guys and opt for the 'really well rounded' defense. 3) Pay a fortune when the thrice a decade #1 becomes available.
I'm hoping for the top D, but Martone, McQueen, Hagens, Frondell, or Rybakin are all excellent prospects. Feel like 3 of them will be +/- Will Smith level prospects. Hard not to be excited about a Martone or McQueen playing opposite a Eklund-Celebrini or Musty-Smith. Hagens-Celebrini would also be crazy exciting both ways. Frondell or Rybakin as your 3C?