Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonded
Also, is the general hype wave just hitting or is the top end actually better than excepted? I know last TDL and draft it was all about keeping 23 and 25 picks because the 24 draft sucked.
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I would rank the 2023-2026 drafts as follows:
1. 2023 (because of the strength of the top 3 picks)
2. 2026 (because of McKenna)
3a. 2024
36. 2025
I think 2023 was a good draft. 2024 and 2025 are average. I give the edge to 2024 because of the unusual strength on D.
Drafts are largely defined by the top end. Once you get into the later rounds, I don't think there's much difference year to year going in. Of course some drafts net out more players from the later rounds that others, but I would never rank a draft going in on the basis of what happens after the first round.
The commentary that 2024 was a weak draft was always over-stated. It was only weak relative to 2023, and if you take Bedard out of the equation, they are probably pretty equal.