Halifax forward Filip Zadina said the only surprising thing from his interviews with teams at the combine was that he didn't get any odd or surprising questions.
Then he was asked how he would rank the top three players on Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters: forwards Andrei Svechnikov of Barrie, Tkachuk and himself.
"Good question," he said. "That's the reason I don't want to be the GM. It's very hard to decide. They're all very good players. You got me. I don't know."
Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, said each has a different element.
"When I look at Svechnikov, he can bring that power forward game," he said. "He's an offensive threat every time he's on the ice. Zadina … he's got that finishing ability, he's got that knack that he's always open on the play. You don't understand how such a player is always open, you'd think the teams would know to check him but he's got that ability, and he can finish. Brady Tkachuk is a very complete player. Playing in the NCAA he was always playing against older competition for the most part. But he's the type of player that's a difference-maker in our estimation. When the game's on the line and you need a goal, he can go out and generate offense. When you need someone to defend, when you need someone to crash and bang and get the team back in the game, he's that type of player."
