Agreed on all fronts but I am hoping that Turcotte was indeed the BPA for them at #5. Picking for need backfires quite often. Knowing that Byram was their target warrants some questioning. QB was the right pick at #2. True #1C potential. It all comes down to development now and whether or not they reach their ceilings.
I don't think they picked for need, FWIW. I think, even at this early stage, that the top-10 or so were still close enough that any decision appears to be rational. It's no real surprise that now, at age 20, a lot of these guys are just starting to show signs of who they will be, and i think it'll take another year or two to make more definitive proclamations--remember that Dach was the early runaway hit pick, well, right now he's on pace for 35 points, which is a step back. I don't think Chicago rethinks that pick, but I can imagine the consternation if he were doing that on the Kings...I think looking around that these guys are a lot of what we thought they were, kids that needed a LOT more development, especially physically (Hughes, Turcotte) or in coming to NA and playing an NA type game. It's also no surprise that guys with a really high end mental game--Seider, Zegras (and also on the physical development end for Mo)--are adjusting more quickly but I also think we have to be careful about selling 'early/quicker development' as 'definitively better player' (see: Dach).
Just looking at how those top picks are doing this year-
1. Hughes--point paces have gone from 28-45-50, appears much more comfortable/dangerous this year
2. Kakko--point paces 28-29-31, a slow growth, was struggling with produciton but sure 'looks' the big forward part, guy is getting absolutely monstrous and he
seems like he's on the verge of a breakout that just hasn't happened quite yet.
3. Dach--see above
4. Byram --tough ask to crack a contender's d lineup but he looks like he's taken a huge step forward and fits what they're doing very well, especially since he can be Voynov to Makar's Doughty. 9 points in 13 games this year. If he was in fact the Kings' guy, looks like they were right about him.
5. Turcotte--excitement building/pending depending on who you are.
6. Seider--total monster on D, can see a Norris in his future. 21 points in 31 NHL games. Knew he'd be a solid pick, did not expect the offense to pick up so much, and it's funny that he's answered the DEL questions in much greater confidence than Stutzle has thus far.
7. Cozens--I remember pre-draft some had him really high, I can see why some would advocate for him in place of Turcotte from a 'well if you're just looking for a big 2C' standpoint--I personally still think Turcotte has higher upside so I get the swing, but Cozens is a pretty sure thing already, on pace for just over 40 points and you have to admire a 'leadership' guy who accepts the challenge in Buffalo and faces it head-on.
8. Broberg--honestly don't know what to make of him at this point, I wasn't high on him before, still not really high on him now, but the AHL results are there at least, and no reason he can't get some insulated playing time in Edmonton. I just don't see him as much better than Bjornfot.
9. Zegras--dont' need to say much more here, he's looking like the star of the draft
10. Podkolzin--Kinda hasn't taken a huge step forward, but he looks like a big, strong complementary winger. Just not sure how much production would follow, but he looks the part of a 40 point top sixer at least.
I mean in looking at all that, there's not a ton separating 1 from 10, with the notable exceptions of the NHL performances of Seider and Zegras thus far. I'd say most predraft rankings had Turcotte as BPA (people were pretty surprised Chicago didn't take him IIRC) and Zegras as high upside, but riskier, and I know there were a handful here who were 'satisfied' with the Turcotte pick as it appeared safer but immediately thought you should swing for the fences with Zegras.
