I didn't say that Rakell or Kerdiles were lacking in IQ. I said that Karlsson was better in those specific areas. He seemed to have a good second on either one when it came to reacting to offensive threats and broken plays.You've seen more of him than I, but that definitely doesn't sound right. Rakell has a great hockey IQ, and a big part of his extended look last season(which is even more impressive due to the lockout) and his looks this season are due to his defensive abilities. Perhaps that's not a slight on Rakell, but rather a compliment to Karlsson, but I've never seen his defensive game praised to that extent, and never really saw it in limited viewings.
Rakell also has a definite size advantage, which can't be overlooked.
Rakell and Kerdiles have a size advantage, but it's not like either player has shown any more of a physical game than Karlsson has, nor did they show more effectiveness at that level. Karlsson protects the puck better than Rakell does even with the size advantage. More importantly he didn't show any signs of being physically outmatched, even though all of us were watching for that.
Rakell hasn't had to compete with either of these players yet. The only prospects that he was competing with for that look were Holland and Wagner. He doesn't get the go ahead for beating them out yet. Those two weren't on the depth chart when that fight was happening.