Though the 'consensus' top 4 is Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl and Bennett, will they really be the best players from this draft? Hindsight says no.
I imagine the Flames are doing more than just due-diligence in their scouting, and if they select a player outside of those 4 with their pick, then I applaud their courage to do so. Looking back at many drafts, those 'consensus' lists everyone likes to go by are often proved wrong.
Time will tell if the Flames select the best pick available or not. Whomever they select - including Ritchie, Virtanen or someone else - will end up being a very good building block for the future. All the prospects in the top 8 or 9 have vastly differing styles of play and strengths/weaknesses. I will have to trust the Flames' scouting department with whomever they choose, even if my favorite player is available and passed over at that pick.
There is a 'consensus' top 4, but the next 3-5 players all have legitimate high-end upside and have all been labeled as 'possible best player in the draft'.
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