I think a lot of people misinterpret the stats from Outliers. The main point of Malcom Gladwell's argument was that players born in January got more opportunity to play and develop due to their advantage in maturity and size. That extra playing time adds up and makes them better players, giving them a better chance to get drafted and make the NHL.
By the time you're drafted or in the NHL it doesn't make a difference as you've already beat the odds, and you're getting lots of opportunity to develop. Especially if you're a first round pick like Jankowski.
You wouldn't say that Mitch Wahl (Jan) is a better prospect than Taylor Hall (Nov) just because he's born earlier in the year. (Unless you really have your rose coloured glasses on)
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