General offensive sense? I'd call bull on that. Draisaitl's offensive sense is better than Dal Colle's. Dal Colle having a better shot isn't really enough to push him above Draisaitl IMO.
And Dal Colle is younger but that's not necessarily indicative of having more more room to grow. It could mean that but that's not always the case.
They have the same number of years in the CHL, and both times Draisaitl outperformed Dal Colle while working with less.
And the Hanzal comparison is awful. Size and reach don't make a good comparable. Kopitar is almost a better comparison than Hanzal and that's still not a great one. Draisaitl's offensive game is levels above Hanzal's at the same time in their development.
Dal Colle over Draisaitl is something I'd consider but not to the level you are making it out to be. You haven't really said anything conclusive that would put Dal Colle over Draisaitl besides skating and shot (as offensive sense is flawed, age isn't really an end all argument, and scoring touch is bull). Dal Colle is a better skater but it's not like he's MacKinnon.
I guess that's where opinions clash. If you think LD is better offensively, sure, go ahead and think that way. What I've seen has proved the opposite.
As for the Hanzal comparison, I can't find any Youtube videos to support my argument but I fully remember watching him in games and highlights for Red Deer because I wanted to see both of the Sutters play, and I was amazed by his dominance in the games that I've watched. I'm saying their styles have similarities because simply as I've reiterated, they both use size to their advantage to protect the puck, both are great playmakers, and both are not overly fast. That's it. I also don't think LD's offensive game is "levels above" Hanzal's at the same time in their careers, because that's a terrible overstatement.
As for your last paragraph, I have no idea why you call scoring touch "bull", because that's a clear trait of players. The ability to finish plays, pick one-timers, hands around the net, etc - that's what you call scoring touch, or finishing, or whatever the hell you want to call it. And age IS a bit of an "end all argument". If Dal Colle suddenly develops 8 months and is at the exact same stage as Draisaitl, who do you think will be better? Especially if the choice between the two is as close as it is, you can't completely ignore the fact that they are basically a year apart.
Dal Colle is not MacKinnon, but he's still a much better skater than Draisaitl. His skating involves such powerful strides and balance, and his ability to get around defenders with pure speed is exactly what we need at the moment.
Kopitar was just nominated for the Selke. His biggest weakness has always been his skating. Didn't limit him, so the foot speed argument is sort of moot.
And it's not like it can't be worked on. It's pretty easily recognized that it's a workable trait.
Kopitar has probably been one of the league's elite two-way centers for the last five seasons, and does he use his skating abilities in the defensive zone? Yes he does. I can't believe you're saying "his biggest weakness has always been his skating", that's where I know you don't exactly know what kind of a player Anze Kopitar is. Your statement is false. It's not the best part of his game, but he still has the skating abilities to get around as good as anyone his size.
And yes, it can be worked on. But why are every scouts so obsessed about the prospects' skating abilities? Is it something that you can dramatically and significantly improve? No. It's absolutely foolish to think you won't consider a player's skating because it can be improved later on.
Not trying to pick on you but its uncanny.
