"While Nylander is a much better puck handler, with better vision and hockey IQ, Bennett has the positional edge and is a better skater than Nylander, with more defensive value as well."
Can someone explain to me how Nylander has better vision and hockey IQ and Bennett is a better defender? I realize vision is usually a reference to the offensive and passing games, but I would always assume that hockey IQ is what makes you a good defender. Because then you know where to be positionally and are thinking ahead of the opposition. That is unless I missed the video of Bennett sprouting four 8' long arms that make him a better defender without the need for smarts.
I again bring up Cody Hodgson. Two people in this thread said Cody probably had the highest hockey IQ on the Canucks:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1109721
If you did a search of HF Boards I would imagine you would find more references to Cody having a perceived high IQ when he was traded to Buffalo. His defensive issues on the Sabres would say otherwise. Hockey IQ is a hard thing to judge and I think get used too often to describe prospects we like because it can't really be proven.
Bennett is the better skater, better defensive player that does whatever needs to be done to win with similar offensive potential to the other top prospects in this draft. Give me that any day over someone who has to always be outsmarting the next NHL veteran with a decade more of hockey experience.
I'm not against Reinhart being the choice or Nylander being the Islanders pick if we get it, but I am very cautious about getting excited over a player's "hockey IQ".