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Prospect Info: [2022 - 1st OA] Juraj Slafkovsky (LW) Part 2

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The last two 18 year Olds who made the roster ultimately flopped.
It is obvious the brakes need to be pumped on the immediate expectations with this kid.
If management is smart they send both young Slovaks to Laval, although sending Mesar to the OHL would also be ok.
 
The other thing is, and while I disagreed with the premise last year, I think in totality it makes sense since the team is bought in to a development year and the 2023 draft is deep.

You look at 2023 and there's maybe one guy with a similar profile to Slafkovksy and it's Stramel. Yet Stramel is not near the powerful skater and doesn't seem to have the same hands and puck control ability. He's more a straight line guy with finish around the net.

Yet if you look at the centers and Shane Wright isn't going to stack up against Bedard, Fantilli, Yager, Carlsson at the top end.. and then you've got guys like Sale, Benson, Dvorsky.. while not all play center, it's clear we can get another player better than Wright in this draft but the chance to get another Slafkovsky just isn't there.
 
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WeThreeKings said:
The other thing is, and while I disagreed with the premise last year, I think in totality it makes sense since the team is bought in to a development year and the 2023 draft is deep.

You look at 2023 and there's maybe one guy with a similar profile to Slafkovksy and it's Stramel. Yet Stramel is not near the powerful skater and doesn't seem to have the same hands and puck control ability. He's more a straight line guy with finish around the net.

Yet if you look at the centers and Shane Wright isn't going to stack up against Bedard, Fantilli, Yager, Carlsson at the top end.. and then you've got guys like Sale, Benson, Dvorsky.. while not all play center, it's clear we can get another player better than Wright in this draft but the chance to get another Slafkovsky just isn't there.
Click to expand...

Hughes or Gorton say that on interview that they don't see a another Slafkovsky in next draft. They select a rare prospect, Slafkovsky play all his tools in rookie games, this guy is very talented, he just need time to adjust and Laval, it's perfect for him.

Rantanen play AHL too, so be patient with Slafkovsky and we are going to have a very good hockey player.

Like MSL said, they don't want the best 18 years old, they want the best hockey player possible in the future.
 
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KevSkillz4 said:
Hughes or Gorton say that on interview that they don't see a another Slafkovsky in next draft. They select a rare prospect, Slafkovsky play all his tools in rookie games, this guy is very talented, he just need time to adjust and Laval, it's perfect for him.

Rantanen play AHL too, so be patient with Slafkovsky and we are going to have a very good hockey player.

Like MSL said, they don't want the best 18 years old, they want the best hockey player possible in the future.
Click to expand...

I'm excited because I can see what he will be able to bring to the team even if he ends up not putting up points at the rate Rantanen does. I don't think Colorado regrets drafting Landeskog and I see an easy path to a Landeskog type player for Slafkovsky with the potential to be a Rantanen.

There's a lot of value in a big body with skill and puck protection that attracts the attention on the ice that he does, there's just a lot of shaping left to do in his game but I'm very curious to see what he becomes.
 
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Tyson said:
The last two 18 year Olds who made the roster ultimately flopped.
It is obvious the brakes need to be pumped on the immediate expectations with this kid.
If management is smart they send both young Slovaks to Laval, although sending Mesar to the OHL would also be ok.
Click to expand...

What happened with the last two should be irrelevant, as the management, coaching, development and trajectory of the team have all changed. Simply, it's not worth comparing in this case.

However, you are absolutely right in saying that expectations need to be tempered, and if Slaf starts in the NHL to get his feet wet for 9 games, then I'm all for it. If they start him in Laval after seeing his play after the entire preseason has ended, I'm all for it. If he's called up and plays later in the season, awesome! Also, if after 9 games, he's impressing and they feel that's the best path, great.

There are a ton of options, and they will do what is best for Slaf in this case. He's going to take time. I don't see anything wrong with him developing over the next few seasons, building his strengths, and becoming a key piece to the puzzle when the core is ready to compete again.
 
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WeThreeKings said:
The other thing is, and while I disagreed with the premise last year, I think in totality it makes sense since the team is bought in to a development year and the 2023 draft is deep.

You look at 2023 and there's maybe one guy with a similar profile to Slafkovksy and it's Stramel. Yet Stramel is not near the powerful skater and doesn't seem to have the same hands and puck control ability. He's more a straight line guy with finish around the net.

Yet if you look at the centers and Shane Wright isn't going to stack up against Bedard, Fantilli, Yager, Carlsson at the top end.. and then you've got guys like Sale, Benson, Dvorsky.. while not all play center, it's clear we can get another player better than Wright in this draft but the chance to get another Slafkovsky just isn't there.
Click to expand...
If HuGo is thinking two drafts ahead like you suggest I'll be very impressed.
 
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The expectations for an 18yr old in any context, to be the best at their profession, needs to be kept in mind.

I mean, if a kid goes through law school, finishes top in their class, they're still coming out of their prior development path, competing for a job against others who were at the top of their classes. Noone is making these kids partner right out of the gate. They need to hone their skills, learn, develop, and one day, ideally become a respected top lawyer at their firm.

Same thing here.. he's at the top of his class, and needs to hone his skills to one day be a top contributor for his team.. it takes time and patience.
 
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Lshap said:
If HuGo is thinking two drafts ahead like you suggest I'll be very impressed.
Click to expand...

Listening to Adam Nicholas talk yesterday... listening to Hughes, Gorton, MSL.

Smart f***ing people.

Maybe it ends up in nothing but at least I won't lose IQ every time I hear someone yell "STOP DA PUCK, PRICER!" which in hindsight, is basically the only strategy they had for 10 years.
 
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WeThreeKings said:
I'm excited because I can see what he will be able to bring to the team even if he ends up not putting up points at the rate Rantanen does. I don't think Colorado regrets drafting Landeskog and I see an easy path to a Landeskog type player for Slafkovsky with the potential to be a Rantanen.

There's a lot of value in a big body with skill and puck protection that attracts the attention on the ice that he does, there's just a lot of shaping left to do in his game but I'm very curious to see what he becomes.
Click to expand...
Yup, even if his goal scoring never reach its ceiling, he's still going to be hard to play against, good at carrying/retrieving the puck and an excellent passer. Put him with a shooter and he'll make space for them and set them up.
 
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Start him in AHL and that is in no way a knock on him. He’s just not ready yet. AHL will be like the rookie tournament a bit and he can dominate there. We have too many forwards anyways.
 
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Belial said:
I think the biggest problem with some posters is that they don't understand that Slaf is a winger so it's not that strange that Beck who's a center and Mesar who was used as a center managed to somewhat impress more as they just had the puck on their stick more often...
Click to expand...
Amen to this. Centers get more puck touches and the puck hasnt been moved easily from the back end so far, so it sure didnt help the transition in general. Slafy will get more opportunities as the team shape up.
 
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WeThreeKings said:
Yet if you look at the centers and Shane Wright isn't going to stack up against Bedard, Fantilli, Yager, Carlsson at the top end.. and then you've got guys like Sale, Benson, Dvorsky.. while not all play center, it's clear we can get another player better than Wright in this draft but the chance to get another Slafkovsky just isn't there.
Click to expand...
I truly TRULY truly believe, 100%, that this is almost the EXACT conversation Hughes and Gorton had at some point sometime before the draft.
Especially the bolded part.
And I have no problem with it

Lshap said:
If HuGo is thinking two drafts ahead like you suggest I'll be very impressed.
Click to expand...
The Chiarot for Florida 2023 1st basically all but confirms this.
 
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Although I initially wanted Wright, I'm glad they chose Slaf. Not worried.
 

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WeThreeKings said:
The other thing is, and while I disagreed with the premise last year, I think in totality it makes sense since the team is bought in to a development year and the 2023 draft is deep.

You look at 2023 and there's maybe one guy with a similar profile to Slafkovksy and it's Stramel. Yet Stramel is not near the powerful skater and doesn't seem to have the same hands and puck control ability. He's more a straight line guy with finish around the net.

Yet if you look at the centers and Shane Wright isn't going to stack up against Bedard, Fantilli, Yager, Carlsson at the top end.. and then you've got guys like Sale, Benson, Dvorsky.. while not all play center, it's clear we can get another player better than Wright in this draft but the chance to get another Slafkovsky just isn't there.
Click to expand...

I agree with the reasoning but there was an opportunity to draft a first pairing RD in Nemec (I'm biased) and now that it looks like we could have found our first pairing LD in Guhle it's quite possible we spend years trying to find a legit 1RD to play with him. Could have solved it with Nemec. It's a position that's more key to win cups than a winger IMO.

It doesn't help that RD Mailloux never plays so we don't see what he's capable of. Doubt Barron will ever become a first pairing D.

Ds usually take longer to develop also.
 
HostileCapSpace said:
I agree with the reasoning but there was an opportunity to draft a first pairing RD in Nemec (I'm biased) and now that it looks like we could have found our first pairing LD in Guhle it's quite possible we spend years trying to find a legit 1RD to play with him. Could have solved it with Nemec. It's a position that's more key to win cups than a winger IMO.

It doesn't help that RD Mailloux never plays so we don't see what he's capable of. Doubt Barron will ever become a first pairing D.

Ds usually take longer to develop also.
Click to expand...

It's clear that they didn't value Nemec as a player who was in the 1st OA conversation. They were looking at Slaf, Cooley and Wright.

People can disagree with that notion which is fine cause Nemec is a nice prospect but it's clear they didn't feel he was in a tier and they'd be reaching into the next tier at 1 to take Nemec even if the 1RHD is a valuable piece.
 
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WeThreeKings said:
It's clear that they didn't value Nemec as a player who was in the 1st OA conversation. They were looking at Slaf, Cooley and Wright.

People can disagree with that notion which is fine cause Nemec is a nice prospect but it's clear they didn't feel he was in a tier and they'd be reaching into the next tier at 1 to take Nemec even if the 1RHD is a valuable piece.
Click to expand...

A Slovak poster mentionned a while ago on HF that Nemec wouldn’t have been able to handle MTL media pressure + 1st OA. Nice kid but kinda shy/introverted.

This town is crazy, more media coverage for an intra-team scrimmage then some other teams receive for NHL games.
 
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jrom said:
A Slovak poster mentionned a while ago on HF that Nemec wouldn’t have been able to handle MTL media pressure + 1st OA. Nice kid but kinda shy/introverted.

This town is crazy, more media coverage for an intra-team scrimmage then some other teams receive for NHL games.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they got that right on Wright, too. If he's already yelling and throwing tantrums at AHL coaches in Seattle.
 
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Redux91 said:
I truly TRULY truly believe, 100%, that this is almost the EXACT conversation Hughes and Gorton had at some point sometime before the draft.
Especially the bolded part.
And I have no problem with it


The Chiarot for Florida 2023 1st basically all but confirms this.
Click to expand...
FLA did not have their 2022 1st and MTL had 2x 1sts in this draft already, so it does not confirm or deny anything.

They have no clue who they‘ll draft two years let alone 1 year from now and if you pick BPA you don‘t mind picking twice an excellent player. Or was it a mistake to pick Malkin and Crosby, or Draisaitl and McDavid or Nylander and Marner or Rantanen and Landeskog ? This comment seems more like ex post justification rather than anything else.
 
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RationalExpectations said:
FLA did not have their 2022 1st and MTL had 2x 1sts in this draft already, so it does not confirm or deny anything.

They have no clue who they‘ll draft two years let alone 1 year from now and if you pick BPA you don‘t mind picking twice an excellent player. Or was it a mistake to pick Malkin and Crosby, or Draisaitl and McDavid or Nylander and Marner or Rantanen and Landeskog ? This comment seems more like ex post justification rather than anything else.
Click to expand...
Lol, Yeah all that's great and everything sure, not sure what you're babbling about at the end there but wtv

But Hughes specifically said to all teams inquiring about Chiarot, that the conversation begins and ends with a 2023 1st round pick.

So,..yeah
 
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