I agree if there was a clear #1 franchise C, but I don't see it in JK. He's a #2 for me, not a 1. Again, everyone gets their ginch in a bunch because I'm not on the hype train. If there isn't a franchise #1 C available, take the BPA. IF the team is ok with a #2C at 3rd overall, great. I'm not.
I don’t see Kotkaniemi as a franchise #1C but I still see #1C upside in him. What I mean is look at a guy like RyJo. Great center, a legit #1 but he isn’t a franchise level player like McDavid, Crosby, Tavares, etc.
Boqvist I saw franchise potential. I didn’t see franchise potential in Dobson or any other defenceman, but I did see a first-pairing potential with Dobson, Hughes and Bouchard.
I guess what I am trying to differentiate is a franchise player has to be elite, but being elite doesn’t make you a franchise player.
This is all my opinion and I don’t have a time machine to prove otherwise, but that is what I see as the difference between franchise and top-pair or #1C. Basically, maybe Kotkaniemi isn’t going to be the centerpiece of the team, but he may still develop into a #1C... a legit one also.