Yup. As others have pointed out, I’d love to get a top five pick, and then have Turcotte fall into their laps in the mid-teens.
I will confess that there is at least a small concern that Zegras and Turcotte are getting boosts from the residual impact of Hughes.
Not that they aren’t talented, but Hughes might be one of the most impactful players I’ve ever seen in the US program. I’ve often said that the difference between Hughes and everyone else in this draft, including Kakko, is the way he impacts everyone around him. Not just his line mates, but every line that follows his. It forces teams to change their game plans, deplete resources, and keeps them off balance.
In the wake of Hughes, there’s a lot of opportunity for other centers to shine and not have to be the focal point. While some use that as their argument that a player could be overlooked and undervalued, it can cut the other way too.
Zegras is a good prospect, but the fact that he’s been as good as he has this season, and essentially stepped right into the Turcotte role, does give me some pause as to how much both players are being impacted by that opportunity.
It’s not to say they aren’t very good prospects, it’s more a question of whether they could be over-projected. In other words, a team thinks they’re finding a gem who is a first line center, but might be a very good second line center.
Not that it’s a bad thing, but do you want to bank on that over a Dach, or a Cozens, or maybe even a Newhook?
If nothing else, keep it in back of your minds as food for thought.
