Quoting: Campa96
Draft position doesn't really matter once you're drafted. Otherwise Ritchie would still be more valuable than Steel. What really matters is how much a prospect has progressed after he was drafted and Kyrou has developped more than Jones. Just look at their point total in the OHL or in international tournaments. Kyrou definitely has a higher ceiling.
Agreed, draft position doesn't mean much now, but it did in 2016 and Kyrou was drafted 11 places below Jones when he only had 1 pt less. If all scouts and GMs care about is pts at the junior level then surely Kyrou would have gone only a few places after Jones, not 11 places? I think we can both agree that a prospects potential isn't just determined based on point totals at the NHL level. I mean, if all you needed to be a success at the NHL level is a bunch of points at the junior level than Emerson Etem would have been a superstar. Sadly, it doesn't work like that. I've seen Kyrou and Jones. Kyrou is a pretty average skater IMO and his board play is also very weak. I could see that holding him back at the NHL level. He's also benefited a lot from having good players around him i.e. Pavel Zacha, Travis Konecny, Jakob Chychrun. Don't get me wrong, Kyrou is a good prospect and has some impressive numbers. However, if you examine them more closely you'll see they're heavily inflated with PP pts. Nearly a 3rd of his points this season and last season came on the PP (mostly 2nd assists). Jones plays more of a 2-way game and is being used differently from Kyrou. As a results, he simply isn't getting the PP time that Kyrou is getting, nor has the PP of the London Knights or the Kingston Frontenacs been as dominant as that of the Sarnia Stings (2nd best in the league) this year? IMO Kyrou isn't going to get the same amount of space he gets at the junior level at the NHL level and with weak boards skills and average skating, he could very easily struggle unless he's able to adapt. Moreover, that sweet, juicy PP time that is inflating his junior numbers, he won't start with that at the NHL level either. Anyway, PP pts are still pts, so I won't take it away from the kid. All I'm trying to demonstrate is that you can't just look at point totals and make assumptions about players. We've seen players better and more skilled than Kyrou struggle at the NHL level.
Personally, I still think Jones' game will be easier to translate to the NHL level and that why I think he's a better prospect than Kyrou right now. Jones may not be as flashy as Kyrou, but he has an incredible physical presence and his compete level along the boards is unmatched by many at the junior level. He goes to those hard areas and those are the areas that NHL coaches like to see players. Also, because he plays more of a 2-way game, Jones is also more versatile and will probably see play on the PK unit. Again, NHL coaches like that. It is also worth noting that Jones has been injured and missed many games. That has obviously affected his pt totals. Moreover, he made it perfectly clear at camp last year that he wanted a spot on the NHL roster and that he didn't feel he had anything more to prove at the junior level, so he could just not give a crap about this season. It wouldn't surprise me. For all his talents, Jones is one arrogant player and I wouldn't put it passed him to not put too much effort into something he doesn't really care about.