if he was 6'1 not a single soul would be saying anything about his speed or strength..he would be in the conversation for #1 OV with Hughes and Kakko...but he is 5'7.5 so therefor we will start adding up excuses why he shouldn't go high just like what was done to DeBrincat.
sometimes smaller players have advantages as well...lower center of gravity, better balance on their skates, edge work/agility typically better - these guys are hard workers because they had to fight their entire life to get here as a smaller player. not every player 5'8 and under that is skilled makes it, but next to DeBrincat none have been as skilled as deadly of a shooter as he is..I just laugh when people try to bring up other issues with him to hide their obvious narrative- the kid is a smurf, just call it for what it is and say you are not comfortable drafting him due to his size.
ironically, Turcotte, Zegras and Hughes have all taken bigger hits/gotten hurt throughout the past 2 seasons and not really Caufield. he is elusive and cerebral, he puts himself in the most advantageous positions on the ice, similar to DeBrincat, Kane, etc..
Caufield has things to work on, no doubt about it, but there are only a few players in this draft that are equal to or have more skill than he does..as you said, the team that focuses on that is the team that walks away with another player that in redrafts goes even higher than originally (assuming he is picked right around 10th ov),,
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