Drafting 18 year olds isn't simply picking the best 18 year old, that's only part of it. The kids that don't improve after that won't make it to the NHL, unless they are top 10 picks.
It's as much picking kids on an arch, and then digging into character, genetics (if they're small), looking for a way to predict what a kid will do between 18 and 20 and then again between 20 and 22.
Mason McDonald was picking up momentum, he's a good kid, he's lanky and tall, you put that together and you likely see his arch has having more momentum so you trust in it.
Sometimes it works (Fox's season this year is a great example), sometimes it doesn't.
But second guessing these split decisions is for the fan that loves to be miserable. It happens to every organization every year.
A GM or scouting staff is a like a major league hitter, the best only get it right 35% of the time.
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