I kind of make it my business to scout prospects and the draft for the Devils HFBoards, and I cannot say I agree with you on Slafkovsky. Here's my mid-April ranking, with Slafkovsky at #2 (also #3 Jiricek and #4 Nemec).
Ives’ 2022 Draft Rankings, Spring Version 2.0 — TOP 100 Ok, I need to start by saying I have left Ivan Miroshnichenko off the rankings, because I’m more concerned with his making a full and complete recovery from Hodgkin’s Disease than I am with whether or not he’s better than Player A or...
hfboards.mandatory.com
If you check out this thread, I re-posted my write-ups of all three prospects from the winter:
I'm going to post my write-ups of all three prospects, and the debate can follow in the thread. Anyone who wants to trade the pick, please post elsewhere because there is obviously a lack of understanding of the immense potential of these three prospects. LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland Right...
hfboards.mandatory.com
Now, nobody's perfect, but I'm generally pretty adept at the scouting/projecting game and I don't see Slafkovsky as a major risk. I can't remember the last time I saw a 6'4-220 prospect with elite puck-handling and passing vision. And then when you factor in a high IQ and compete level plus the innate physicality and net-front presence? He's just an extraordinary prospect.
I do agree with you on the sublime upsides of both Jiricek and Nemec.