SympathyForTheDevils
Registered User
Thank you - now we're talking. In essence, your point is that Couturier was ahead due to having been the only prospect to put up a dominant performance in his league, and that this initially overrode projection based more around evaluating skillsets? That actually makes some good sense.
Exactly. The draft year is the great equalizer. It didn't matter that Tavares/Hall had dominated the rankings for their draft class for months or even years; as soon as Duchene/Seguin showed they were on a similar level, they became legit contenders for the number one pick. Now, we're seeing guys like RNH, Landeskog and Strome play closer to their NHL potential, and obviously many scouts think their ceiling is higher than Couturier's.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Couturier drop a few spots at the draft, but I think a few of the teams that'll pass on him will regret it.