@IronMarshal if I am reading this correctly, Lapierre's ranking or tier is more a result of his injury history and not his overall skill. I understand it can't be ignored, but if you were to pretend, where would you actually have him?
I am very biased towards him, but tier 5 seems low
I watched a couple games of Lapierre, including one from last week, so suffice it to say, I have crucial knowledge to impart.
I
really liked him. But he wasn't what I thought he'd be, in the sense I expected more flash or what I would perceive as a higher ceiling. He gave me vibes of being a super projectable all-around center. His skating was good, puck handling good, but he struck me more as a high hockey sense, details player in all 3 zones. More than the sum of his parts. He was playing with Mercer on his line the latter game, and it wasn't close to me which player was more impactful and versatile. And always err on the side of the center. I especially loved his puck protection game along the wall -- spinning off guys, using his body leverage, and just having poise with the puck.
I don't know if he'd be there at 23. And his medical issues make an interesting case with Patrick. There are very few
actual centers in this draft (that could be a difference of opinion). I didn't watch game footage of Lundell, but from what I have seen and gathered, perhaps there's not a real difference between the two. And Lundell might go top 10. I'm not sure I'd outright
regret not taking Lapierre. I don't see a star. But a 50-55 point 2C? That seems entirely realistic.