He's 25, so he has officially entered the zone where forwards most commonly play to within 90% of their prime/max potential. What he does this year will be our best indication of what he is capable of.
From what I can see, he's a fantastic utility player that can contribute. I would be surprised to see him crack 40 points (that'd be great) but I think his potential is in the 25-35 point range as a guy who uses the body really well.
I think "top line power forward" is far out of reach. He hasn't shown that. I think he's the perfect compliment to the top line but I agree that we're in trouble if he's the "#1 RW". Like Pittsburgh, you want a guy like Ferland playing on a line with your stars, and then a top winger like Kessel on the second line to create balance. I don't think Ferland is top 6 on every team, but he can play up and down the lineup to create balanced scoring and physicality.
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