I think it is less about "they were 1st rounders" and more because a higher ceiling (without the safe floor) has a greater chance of truly altering the franchise than a lower ceiling (with a safe floor).
I think Tucker and Alexandrov both have a good chance of genuinely contributing at the NHL level on cost-controlled contracts for the next 3-5 years. That absolutely has value. But that value just isn't on par with the ceilings of the guys already voted on. I liked what I saw from both Alexandrov and Tucker last season and I want both on the NHL roster full-time in 2023/24. But I will be surprised if either is one of the 8-10 more important players on a Blues team that makes the playoffs during their tenure here. While not all of the 8 guys we've selected will reach that goal, I wouldn't be surprised if any of them hit that milestone in a season.
Edit: I really considered voting Alexandrov over Lindstein here because I do value his NHL-readiness and his AHL production gives me reason to believe that he could be a legit 3rd liner in the not-too-distant future. I'm also not quite as sold on Lindstein's ceiling as others here. I have Alexandrov a hell of a lot closer to Bolduc than a lot of people here as well. But I just don't believe that Alexandrov has the potential to be a 2nd liner and if he turns into a middle 6 guy I think he will be on the low end of that.
I agree with you on Alexandrov. From the limited sample size we have, he's been solid and exceeded expectations. He seems like a smart, hard working player who understands what he needs to do to be effective. I also considered him over Lindstein but some posters have done well to talk him up. It would be great to see him establish himself as a top prospect this season.
Which is more valuable to a team, a guy like Alexandrov who seems like almost a sure bet to be a solid 3rd/4th liner at worst or someone like Lindstein who could be a top 4 D but is far from a sure thing? Or someone like Bolduc who may be a 50/50 chance to be a legit top 6 winger? That's a big reason why I picked Neighbours earlier than some people did and Alexandrov is not far behind him in terms of NHL readiness.
