Call me crazy but I think the tv pundits ect are suggesting there is a lot more spread in this draft then their is. They have been pumping Mathews tires for so long they seem to want to assume he is this run away #1. I think he will go 1, but I don't think he has much on Laine, and I don't think Laine as much on many others.
If you factor in age, Mathews is quite old for the draft class, the fact Mathews played so much etc. I don't see a gaint gap at all. Dubios played on a pretty mediocre team and yet was close to leading the qmjhl in scoring.
I know this is far from perfect, but it is a good starting point. If you use the adjutments from this website
http://www.behindthenet.ca/projecting_to_nhl.php
you project mathews to have about 45 points in the NHL next year.
Dubios would project to about 38 points.
not much different at all. Note it would project McDavid to have got about 60 points this year. Which is sort of the point, all these guys are below McDavid, I think there is a few picks that are all close to average 1st over alls in other years.
Any way, not to bash Mathews, I just think they are building him up a little too much.