High expectations have been assigned to Quinton Byfield's NHL career because of the players he has been compared to.
Even if you put the Evgeni Malkin comparisons aside, Byfield will still enter the league with pressure to produce from the most popular position in recent drafts. Jack Hughes, Kirby Dach, Elias Pettersson and Auston Matthews are among the centers who have been chosen in the top five over the past five years and made immediate impacts in their respective careers.
Given the emphasis on selecting centers early in the draft, Cole Perfetti and Marco Rossi could also end up as top-10 picks, and both may have a chance to produce right away if they land in the right situation.