Quoting: JaredOfLondon
If zacha has 2C upside then William Nylander has best RW in the league potential. Zacha has never remotly shown that he can be a top 60C in the league.
Foote is an ok prospect because he's ok, he's not bad, he's not fantastic. Sandin is a better than OK prospect because he's shown he can play in the NHL. And he's simply a good prospect. Foote proves he can do that, he gets to be a good prospect too!
And yes, the way prospects drop off after the top 10, the 18th over all is a late 1st. call it a later 1st if you want. Even a mid 1st is not enough to spice up a trade for Nylander, It's already been established that that's the kind of 1st you get as the main piece for Kapanen.
A main piece for Kapanen
This is 1 of 3 solid pieces for Nylander (not including the cap space to afford a top 4 RD which could/should count as a 4th asset).
You're right, Nylander does have more potential, thats how it works for guys that are under 25.
Also, every draft is different. A mid-1st like #18 was worth more in 2015 than it was in, say, 2013, and everybody knew it leading up to the draft.
2020 is supposed to be a good draft so adding another mid 1st is a solid option as long as you don't throw it away ala Boston in '13.
Lastly, Zacha has 100% shown top 6 potential. His PPG have gone from 0.34, 0.36, 0.41 to 0.49 which is steady progression that sound result in a 50+ point forward in the near future. That coupled with the fact that he plays 2 minutes a night on the PK (which the Leafs and their 21st ranked PK desperately need help with), and can help the 2nd PP unit, means this kid has potential.