Morgs
#16 #34 #44 #88 #91
I see the offensive ability, but I'm not betting on his all around game being good enough to be a top pairing defenseman...top 4 sure, so that's just my opinion but I wouldn't call that a high upside pick.
Do you consider Brent Burns/Erik Karlsson a top-pairing guy, or a top-4 guy? Because sure, they dont face the hardest comps, and sure they arent exactly good defensively. But I doubt you can make a serious case against them not being top-pairing guys.
Merkley's offense has an upside that could be in that range, coupled with strong entries/exits, and smart decision making with the puck. Although he'll never be a defensive stalwart, he'll always have that insane IQ that lets him process whats happening from the blue line forward. Its just can he take his defense from literal trash to not that bad.