HuGort
Registered User
Slaf is ready. Reminds me of Jagr. When he was with Klando. Not dominate right off but can play in NHL. But be all time great. Others 2 or 3 years away. Except for Wright who could play after spending '23 in junior
2022 NHL Entry Draft 8
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Jagr was scoring at more than a PPG the year of his draft. Slaf, 0.33 PPG in Liiga. I really don't see the hype about this guy. And all the comments are like : great size, good hands for his size, good skating for his size... not really convincing
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
I can simplify it for you.. he has a frame that not many skilled players have in the league, he has great hands probably a tier below elite, he's got high-end puck protection already and is able to spin off checks to escape them. He has a high end shot and doesn't need a lot of time or space to release it.
He has an attack mindset and will challenge defenders one on one with skill and size. He's able to cut to the inside or take the outside line and use his strong vision and playmaking skills to create for his linemates.
The only thing you can really say for him is that he's gonna get bashed for not being physical at all for his size.
Benstheman
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I haven't watched Wright (or any junior players) outside the brief WJC this year, but I wonder if Wright's skating might be an impediment to his adapting to the NHL next year? I feel like he might have a harder time adjusting to the speed of the NHL game whereas someone like Slaf can slot in right away and not look out of place whether you play him on the first or third line. I'm speaking purely in terms of NHL readiness and not their career outlooks.
Benstheman
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Wright is not a bad skater by any means. That being said he isn't a great skater either. But what he may lack in terms of elite speed, he compensate with positioning and elite IQ. What i tend to look at when it's time to talk about nhl readiness is two-way game and physical maturity.
Deebs
Aim small, miss small...next time
- Feb 5, 2014
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He's very similar to Suzy in skating ability, in my opinion anyways. Quick and fast enough to be relevant without being a burner.
Ghetto Sangria
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And also like Suzuki, his vision allows him to slow the game down to his pace. The question is will he be able to do that at the NHL level? That will determine his readiness to play in the NHL more than his physical qualities.
I don't doubt he will be able to. His slow start and apparent lack of intensity (another quality often said of Suzuki) create doubters. His performance in the Playoffs will reveal a lot one way or another.
JeffreyLFC
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- Sep 29, 2017
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Wright is a good skater. His acceleration could improve a bit as well as his top speed but his balance and agility are very good. It is a strength not a weakness. He is way more fluid than Suzuki for instance.
Seb
All we are is Dustin Byfuglien
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Based on how good names would look on a jersey, here's what I expect (not based on draft order):
Wright : Arizona
Slafskovsky : New Jersey
Cooley : Seattle
Jiricek : Buffalo
Nemec : Montréal
Kemell : Columbus
Savoie : Philadelphia
Nazar : Ottawa
Lambert : Detroit
Wright : Arizona
Slafskovsky : New Jersey
Cooley : Seattle
Jiricek : Buffalo
Nemec : Montréal
Kemell : Columbus
Savoie : Philadelphia
Nazar : Ottawa
Lambert : Detroit
He was one of the best skaters measured in the Kubota top prospects game. He's a powerful and agile skater. Early in the season he just wasn't using that ability.
I could see Slaf making the NHL next season, he could be on a ''shot out of a cannon'' development trajectory. But he could also benefit from just being left in Finland/AHL for one more year. I would err on the side of caution, personally.
Love Slafkovsky as a person and a talent, but his skating is a pretty big question mark that could scare me off from picking him in the top 3. It's hard to say whether or not his skating will really become that much better with age, since a lot of it is just down to sub-optimal skating technique. When I look at a forward prospect, I value hockey IQ and skating by far the most. While Slafkovsky isn't by any means a terrible skater or a bad playmaker, he isn't even close to being elite in either. That's a pretty big red flag for me.
Of course if his skating improves you could be looking at a really dominant player, but I think that's a little bit too big of an if to gamble on. Especially for an organization like the Habs, who desperately need a high impact player from the next couple drafts.
Of course if his skating improves you could be looking at a really dominant player, but I think that's a little bit too big of an if to gamble on. Especially for an organization like the Habs, who desperately need a high impact player from the next couple drafts.
Canadiens98
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For those who watch Savoie more often, overall thoughts on him? Admittedly, I've not really followed this class of players enough to make a decision one way or another.
Adam Michaels
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The good news is that Habs hired Adam Nicholas and they will expand their development department. So a player that might have some deficiencies, the organization will have people in place to help them improve on them.
1000eeer
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Benstheman
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Had that great draft simulation on draftprospectshockey.com.
Habs ended up with the 3rd pick which with i chose Cooley (Wright and Nemec were already taken)
Then Lekkerimaki was still disponible at 20 so i traded up for him for 29th, 49th and 74th.
With 34th i chose Luneau. I hesitated a bit between him and Salomonsson because Habs have a need for a offensive minded RHD but at the end of the day, i think Luneau is better overall.
3rd : Cooley
20th : Lekkerimaki
34th : Luneau
66th : Kulich
94th : Salin
Would be a dream of a draft imo.
Habs ended up with the 3rd pick which with i chose Cooley (Wright and Nemec were already taken)
Then Lekkerimaki was still disponible at 20 so i traded up for him for 29th, 49th and 74th.
With 34th i chose Luneau. I hesitated a bit between him and Salomonsson because Habs have a need for a offensive minded RHD but at the end of the day, i think Luneau is better overall.
3rd : Cooley
20th : Lekkerimaki
34th : Luneau
66th : Kulich
94th : Salin
Would be a dream of a draft imo.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
We are likely locked into a position where we aren't going to be considering him. Others have seen him more than me - he's a dynamic skater, a strong finisher and great at carrying the puck at high speeds. He's a good not great playmaker.
I think you're looking at a guy who could be a 60-PPG winger in the NHL level and one who could control the game from the wing, vs. a support winger.
Hins77
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- Apr 2, 2013
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I think the same. You can make an highhlights reel of Josh Anderson and he will looks similar to Jagr, but his overall game is far away from Jagr. I watched many videos from Slaf and. Wow. He is a flashy player. Strong on puck. But his overall game? Why he doesnt produce that much? There is question marks here, but he can become Rantanen too. It’s just hard to project
DramaticGloveSave
Voice of Reason
- Apr 17, 2017
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The guy was a stud. Big, physical, skates like the wind. We even saw him dominate at the world championships. He was a verified stud heading into the draft and everyone who was surprised he went 6th were obviously missing information.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Would be insane to have Yvon Lambert's son here
Should give him his dad's (and Gallagher's) #11 too
Canadiens98
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habsfan891
Registered User
Nice to see Jiricek looking good after injury wouldn't be upset if we take him but would rather take Cooley or Slakovsky because I expect next year to be picking out of the top 10 and with all the forwards I think a high end defenceman will drop
Slafkovsky isn't really comparable to Rantanen as a prospect at all. Rantanen has that elite hockey sense coupled with a passing arsenal that only a few others could match in his draft. He played a much more mature game than Slafkovsky as an 18 year old, even being named one of the assistant captains of TPS. Slafkovsky meanwhile is much more raw, relying more on his great technical skills and his dominating physique.
If Slafkovsky is to become an NHL superstar it would be more in the mould of a player like Rick Nash. Elite at stickhandling, puck protection and shooting, but not a playmaker.
If Slafkovsky is to become an NHL superstar it would be more in the mould of a player like Rick Nash. Elite at stickhandling, puck protection and shooting, but not a playmaker.
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