Hasnt the playerbase been complaining about too much uneeded extraneous shit for several years now? Sure we don't have something like Torghast or Island expeditions. But on the flipside we don't have someting like Torghast or Island Expeditions.
Is it too much of a stretch to assume that the absence of these distracting elements from gameplay will improve the complete experience? Or generally mean less issues for the playerbase to complain about incessantly until its removed?
And of course, Shadowlands had a dumb plot, and many players didnt like the covenant stuff. But the biggest issue were the droughts, and why would anyone assume that those would be back at this point? Another pandemic? War between Russia and Ukraine spreading further?
Some players are simply excited by the possibility of a simple expansion done well, rather than a good expansion botched by distracting elements, awful writing, or grind. Elements that are either not currently in Dragonflight, nor reasonable to expect at this late point.