When has there been a worse year to have the 1st overall pick?
No Hall or Tavares here, there are 4 "BPA" in this draft.
We've been spoiled by some recent drafts. In the mid 90s, guys like Roman Hamrlik, Ed Jovanovski, and Bryan Berard each went #1. I was young back then, but I don't recall anybody projecting them to be surefire perennial All-Stars.
You have 1996 when everybody conceded that #1 pick Chris Phillips would be in the 5-10 range in a normal Draft year. 1999 had most folks saying Patrik Stefan was the best guy, while others would have taken Pavel Brendl over the Sedins as well.
Gaborik and Heatley weren't considered franchise guys in 2000. The draft is shaping up to be similar to 2006.
Erik Johnson ~ Adam Larsson - Big D with offensive skill. At the time (and I suppose still now) people questioned Johnson's mean streak. Similar questions have been posed about whether Larsson will get the most out of his sizable frame.
Jordan Staal ~ Sean Couturier - Both big with good hands and noted defensive abilities.
Jonathan Toews ~ Gabriel Landeskog - Obviously Toews is a center and Landeskog is a winger, so it's not a direct comparison. But both have been commended for their maturity and leadership skills. At the time, some wondered what Toews' offensive upside would be in the NHL. Similarly, the question is whether Landeskog will produce like an Iginla or a Morrow.
Nicklas Backstrom ~ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Backstrom came on strong to crack the top 4 at that Draft. RNH is making a case to potentially go #1 with his crafty playmaking.
The draft also has some similarities to 2009 with Hedman/Larsson, Tavares/Couturier, Duchene/RNH, and Kane/Landeskog as the comparables.