Could you elaborate? (Seriously asking, not trying to pick a fight.)
It basically amounts to Fowler being a better player at the same point in their development. That obviously isn't any sort of guarantee, but when we're talking about a prospect who hasn't played a single NHL game, it's pretty noteworthy.
Let's face it, we're talking about similar type of D here. Both Theodore and Fowler would be viewed as skill defensemen. Neither of them are, or were, particularly physical. They rely on their skills and smarts, so it's actually pretty easy to compare them along their development. Obviously, there are differences. For example, Fowler was on a better team in Windsor, while Theodore was on a pretty crappy team. But at the same time, Fowler was a rookie in the OHL the year of his draft(having come from the US Development Program) the year he was drafted, while Theodore was in his 2nd year. Of course, the following year, Fowler was a rookie in the NHL, while Theodore was a 3rd year player in the WHL. Fowler played in the WJC's his draft year, while Theodore played in the WJC's the year following. They actually even had similar responsibilities for their WJC team, though I'd argue that Theodore benefited more from playing with Nurse, while Fowler was playing with Jake Gardiner.
It does get a little more muddled, but Fowler was definitely a step ahead of Theodore at every point.
If Fowler becomes a bit more consistent, preferably playing at the level he did this postseason, and Lindholm continues to develop "as expected"... I think we could possibly approach top 5.
I agree. It's a big if, and it requires Fowler to be a more assertive player on a more consistent basis, while also requiring Lindholm to continue to develop into the stud that many think he can/will be.
IIRC, Fowler's defensive play improved immensely in 2013-2014. But like Theodore, wasn't Fowler's defensive game also questionable when he was drafted?
It was, and there are a lot of similarities between the two in that regards. Though, I'm not sure I'd say questionable is the right label. For either of them. More that their games were still a little raw, and (I think) they would need to make a bit more of a commitment in the defensive side of the game. That's pretty normal for D of their type.
That's not really a knock on Theo though IMO, who, as far as I've seen and read he is a very strong skater in his own right. Cam's just *that* good.
I agree, 100%. But that's kind of the point, isn't it?
I'm not trying to dismiss Theodore at all, and I'm really excited about him as a player. But when you're comparing him directly with Fowler, he falls a bit short. It's entirely possible that Theodore just continues to blossom as a player, and he surpasses Fowler, but realistically that's unlikely to happen because he's already behind where Fowler was at the same point. He also doesn't have the advantage in the skill department. I'm just looking at this in terms of what is probable. Of course there are always exceptions, and maybe Theodore is one, but realistically he ends up being worse than Fowler while still being a good defenseman(if he transitions well to the NHL, and I think he will).