Here's the top ten from the 2004 draft:
1. Alexander Ovechkin
2. Evgeni Malkin
3. Cam Barker
4. Andrew Ladd
5. Blake Wheeler
6. Al Montoya
7. Rostislav Olesz
8. Alexandre Picard
9. Ladislav Smid
10. Boris Valabik
The three players chosen above Andrew Ladd are definately more intreguing prospects, but we're not here to debate that since they were already chosen and Carolina had no shot at them.
Looking at the remainder of the Top 10, with the exception of Olesz, there isn't really a player you could easily say looks better than Ladd so far. Montoya's play has really slumped this year, and Wheeler and Valabik were both stretches, selected earlier than they should have because they had good size. Cases could be made for Picard and Smid to have been selected above Ladd, but neither are clear cut choices.
In comparison to other years, Ladd is a rather weak number 4 selection, but when you look at that year's draft class, he isn't that bad a pick. I seriously doubt that a few years down the road, Ladd will be one of the five best players out of this draft but Carolina decided to go the safe route, selecting a servicable player with some offensive capabilities who will likely have an NHL career spanning over a decade, rather than roll the dice on a riskier pick with more offensive upside. Given the lack of top-end talent in the past draft, this may end up being a smart move for the Carolina franchise.