This is sort of a distortion of what I see a lot of people saying.
The general consensus from most Sens fans that I've seen tend to be close to what I was thinking on these players. Dahlen may not be an 'elite' scoring forward at the NHL level. I don't think he will be. However, I think he's a quality prospect that has the potential to be a solid impact player. I think, even the lower end of his potential would be more than we could expect, or have gotten from Burrows. I didn't like that trade from the get go.
It's my view that Tkachuk is a good player with strong assets. That said, I don't think he has the top level talent you'd hope for from a top 5 pick. I see him as a mid first rounder. That's not an insult. He could be a very good player, but in the top 5 I hope for a super star player. Guys like Zadina, and Svechnikov have that written all over them. There are those that say that Tkachuk is the 'type' of player the Sens need, but I just don't buy that argument. They need the best, most talented player they can get at #4. A real difference maker. I think Tkachuk is a real solid player, but I don't think he's the right guy for the Sens.
I could be wrong, and if the Sens pick Tkachuk and he becomes a superstar, or even just the best pick of the available players, I'd be super happy to admit I was wrong. I just don't think I am. I'm trying my best to be objective, and take bias out of the equation. I just don't see him as the best option.