If you want to hear more good things about Turcotte, read anything I have written concerning Turcotte. I have him ranked higher than anyone I have seen at #4 overall. But I have several arguments to back this.
1)Skating/skill/vision: while Jack Hughes is clearly the best combination of these skills we have seen since Connor McDavid, Turcotte's skills here are also just outstanding. I'd say that, behind Hughes, it is very close between Turcotte/Zegras/Krebs for second best in these key categories.
2)Compete level: Turcotte is battling for tops in this crucial trait with only Krebs and Podkolzin. I would say that these three prospects could go toe-to-toe in compete level with any player who has been drafted in the past decade. I know that's quite a superlative, but these kids are all just relentless and play the game with almost preternatural intensity.
3)Two-way play: Turcotte is widely hailed as the top two-way forward available in the 2019 draft. I've seen the kid back check from the opposing crease because of a turnover near the blueline, then catch and strip an opposing forward deep in his own defensive zone. He never quits on a puck, he's always on it. He never loses his man, never coasts, never makes a lazy play. He's going to make mistakes or get beat as all young players do, but it will never be due to mental uncertainty or lack of effort.
Though Turcotte's pure goal scoring dooesn't match up with Cozens or Podkolzin and his physical game is only fair, neither can be considered a weakness. They're just not elite traits. I would say Turcotte's upside is very similar to a guy like Anze Kopitar -- a PPG, all-situations 1C who gets regular nominations for the Selke Trophy. He's the kind of guy you win with, plain and simple.
