It can be done, but its rare. Depends on how you define Andy Macdonald in 2007 (Getz was a rookie and a #2 at that moment), and Elias or Mogilny were probably the best forwards on the 2000 Devils team, that lacked a true number 1 (Arnott or Gomez was #1 in 2000 and Gomez or Nieuwendyk was in 2003).
No cup blueprint is easy to replicate, I'm all for taking Laine, just pointing out there are alternative routes to the cup. People also always say you need an elite 2-way #1D, and forget about Carolina in 2006, and even Pens d was questionable when they won in that regard. And until Chicago started winning, it was that you always needed an elite #1 goalie (Brodeur, Belfour, Khabby, and Roy) except Detroit who was the exception.
He viewed him as on the same level as Eichel (atleast last year), who he had as the 3rd best prospect of the 2013,2014 and 2015 drafts behind McDavid and Mackinnon. Ekblad was below Drouin and Jones, this is just factoring how he viewed the entering their draft. I'd say Matthews is in the company of all top centers taken recently outside of Crosby and McDavid. He's a prospect on the same level as Stamkos and JT.
He'd be battling for 2nd with Eichel. 100% goes ahead of Hanifin, Strome and Marner.
