Jim Nill (former Assistant GM of Detroit and new GM of Dallas) was on the
Marek vs Wyshynski podcast. I can't remember the
exact words, but it went pretty much like this:
Interviewer: Jim, this draft, a lot of people are saying there is a top-three, top-four; where do you see the drop-off in this draft?
Nill: I think the drop-off happens around twelve or fourteen.
Interviewer: Oh!?
Nill: I see a lot of similarities between this draft and the Perry-Getzlaf draft. (2003) "
Now, Dallas has the 10th pick, so he might have been putting a little shine on things, but if this is an honest assessment from one of the best scouting minds in hockey, having three first rounders in this draft could change the whole direction of our franchise.
However, to not get too crazy about things: in the stacked 2003 draft, picks 6, 25 and 29 were Milan Michalek, Anthony Stewart and Patrick Eaves. Okay, but picks 5, 24 and 28 were Thomas Vanek, Mike Richards, and Corey Perry.