Prospect Info: Current #2 overall poll and discussion

[Derps]

That is not true whatsoever. He has quick feet for a big guy but sloppy and inefficient skating and footwork. Scouts like him because he’s a big physical defensmen with a bomb of a shot. If he was a really good skater he’d probably be a contender or even favourite for 1st overall.

It takes literally 3 seconds to google what scouts think about his skating and there is ample material about what a good skater he is.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

You're going to lose faith in the staff over one pick who's still developing and ignore picking Nico over Patrick, Jack over Kakko and stealing Mercer, Bratt and Yegor?

Only 1 of those players is from Fitz.

It takes literally 3 seconds to google what scouts think about his skating and there is ample material about what a good skater he is.

So your argument is "scouts are saying it". Well guess what? They said that about Larsson too, you can look it up.

 

[R8Devs]

It takes literally 3 seconds to google what scouts think about his skating and there is ample material about what a good skater he is.

Jiricek himself says 'skating is a little bit of weakness' here: Top prospect Jiricek: Maybe my slap shot will be hardest in the NHL (around 1:50)

 

[Derps]

Only 1 of those players is from Fitz.



So your argument is "scouts are saying it". Well guess what? They said that about Larsson too, you can look it up.

Yeah thats pretty much my argument. I dont hate what Ive seen Ive seen with his skating + almost unanimous scout opinion matters a bit more to me than some random bloke on the internet with a minority opinion named CaptainThirdLine or whatever saying that it is "not true whatsoever" like hes getting paid by someone for opinions. That does not mean hes wrong, but I doubt hes watched more than 20 minute of Jiricek play hockey. I doubt 95% of this board has watched 1 game Jiricek has played period.

I dont even mean to flame. All Im saying is that scouts think his skating is pretty damn good. We should value that opinion over random people here saying it is not that have no reputation for being right about shit.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yeah thats pretty much my argument. I dont hate what Ive seen Ive seen with his skating + almost unanimous scout opinion matters a bit more to me than some random bloke on the internet with a minority opinion named CaptainThirdLine or whatever saying that it is "not true whatsoever" like hes getting paid by someone for opinions. That does not mean hes wrong, but I doubt hes watched more than 20 minute of Jiricek play hockey. I doubt 95% of this board has watched 1 game Jiricek has played period.

I dont even mean to flame. All Im saying is that scouts think his skating is pretty damn good. We should value that opinion over random people here saying it is not that have no reputation for being right about shit.

you just completely ignored what I said ok. I don't mean to be rude either, but you look more like the guy "who's never watched him play" because you're basing your argument off what "scouts" have said. All of us watch these prospects, so yea stop with that crap thanks.

Again, read what I said about Larsson. Plenty of scouts have gotten the skating thing wrong too (both ways).

 

[Derps]

you just completely ignored what I said ok.

What exactly did I ignore?

Okay they said it about Larsson? Cool? Why do I care?

I dont think scouts are infallible. I think what Ive seen plus what scouts say matters more than a random dude on the internet, that's all. Scouts think his skating is pretty good. You should be skeptical of random people here saying it is not good.

And this isnt even an endorsement of him at 2. If they take him at 2, that's gross.

"All of us watch these prospects."

lmfao ok. 5 minute highlight reels is not watching a prospect.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

What exactly did I ignore?

Okay they said it about Larsson? Cool? Why do I care?

are you really that dumb? ok, guess I know who to not respond to anymore.

 

[Derps]

are you really that dumb? ok, guess I know who to not respond to anymore.

Oh no, PKs Broken Stick called me dumb and ignored everything I said. What am I supposed to do now???

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Scouts think his skating is pretty good.

Went from really good to pretty good very quickly lol. And what scouts are you talking about. I’m sure there’s some that think it’s good because as I said he moves his feet quickly. But it is very sloppy and inefficient.
There also isn’t some consensus that he’s a really good or even pretty good skater. At best it’s that he’s decent and gets around pretty well for his size and as I said good foot speed deceives people. His skating isn’t good technically.

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com - June 29th: " A knee injury sustained at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship sidelined Jiricek for almost four months, but he recovered to have a strong showing for Czechia at the World Championship where he had two points (one goal, one assist) and averaged 10:28 in ice time in five games."

Mike - Morreale - June 29th: "He's got a cannon for a shot, defends well and can transition from defense to offense quickly."

Peter Harling - NHL Rumors - June 27th: "An injury slowed his season down, but Jiricek brings size, mobility, heavy shot and offensive upside to the table. He has all the tools NHL teams dream of adding to their blueline."

Jeff Svoboda - NHL.com - June 27: "His size will surely be attractive to teams, and he's more of a two-way defenseman than Nemec, though he has the puck skills and shot to get on the board as well. He should have a pretty high floor as a blueliner who will be able to lean into a physical game while also providing some offense along the way."

Samuel Tirpak - Dobber Prospects - June 18th: " But what he lacks on defense, he has on offense. Jiricek is excellent with the puck on his stick, a great puck distributor, and even a better shooter. We fully expect him to lead his team’s first powerplay unit to great success with that Burns-esque shot from the blue line."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - June 6th: "He’s a strong and sturdy defender who plays a staunch man-to-man style, moves his feet well for his size, and thrives in transition with his ability to both close out on gaps with his length through neutral ice and lead a ton of rushes as a puck transporter."

Corey Pronman - The Athletic - May 31: "You combine that with very good vision and a hard point shot, and inside the offensive zone he can make a lot happen and be dangerous on a power play. His skating won’t dazzle, but for his size he gets around well enough."

Chris Peters - Daily Faceoff - June 10th: "A highly mobile, 6-foot-3 defenseman with a bomb of a shot and solid puck-moving capabilities, Jiricek has incredible upside relative to the class. He missed the second half of the season due to a knee injury, needing more than three months to rehab. "


Not really seeing his skating being talked about as really good and why scouts like him.

 

[Derps]

Went from really good to pretty good very quickly lol. And what scouts are you talking about. I’m sure there’s some that think it’s good because as I said he moves his feet quickly. But it is very sloppy and inefficient.
There also isn’t some consensus that he’s a really good or even pretty good skater. At best it’s that he’s decent and gets around pretty well for his size and as I said good foot speed deceives people. His skating isn’t good technically.

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com - June 29th: " A knee injury sustained at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship sidelined Jiricek for almost four months, but he recovered to have a strong showing for Czechia at the World Championship where he had two points (one goal, one assist) and averaged 10:28 in ice time in five games."

Mike - Morreale - June 29th: "He's got a cannon for a shot, defends well and can transition from defense to offense quickly."

Peter Harling - NHL Rumors - June 27th: "An injury slowed his season down, but Jiricek brings size, mobility, heavy shot and offensive upside to the table. He has all the tools NHL teams dream of adding to their blueline."

Jeff Svoboda - NHL.com - June 27: "His size will surely be attractive to teams, and he's more of a two-way defenseman than Nemec, though he has the puck skills and shot to get on the board as well. He should have a pretty high floor as a blueliner who will be able to lean into a physical game while also providing some offense along the way."

Samuel Tirpak - Dobber Prospects - June 18th: " But what he lacks on defense, he has on offense. Jiricek is excellent with the puck on his stick, a great puck distributor, and even a better shooter. We fully expect him to lead his team’s first powerplay unit to great success with that Burns-esque shot from the blue line."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - June 6th: "He’s a strong and sturdy defender who plays a staunch man-to-man style, moves his feet well for his size, and thrives in transition with his ability to both close out on gaps with his length through neutral ice and lead a ton of rushes as a puck transporter."

Corey Pronman - The Athletic - May 31: "You combine that with very good vision and a hard point shot, and inside the offensive zone he can make a lot happen and be dangerous on a power play. His skating won’t dazzle, but for his size he gets around well enough."

Chris Peters - Daily Faceoff - June 10th: "A highly mobile, 6-foot-3 defenseman with a bomb of a shot and solid puck-moving capabilities, Jiricek has incredible upside relative to the class. He missed the second half of the season due to a knee injury, needing more than three months to rehab. "


Not really seeing his skating being talked about as really good and why scouts like him.

Aside from the fact that a couple of these blurbs mention his skating/mobility, what a waste of time that was lmfao. He has a bomb of shot, that's obviously his best trait. So not surprised that it is the focus. If you google Jiricek and his skating you see overwhelmingly that scouts think that his skating is really good.

If you end up correct, congrats on the victory lap you get to do. I wont be that salty, since he wont be a Devil. But your opinion is not shared by people that watch these guys all the time, and you have provided 0 evidence for why his skating isnt good. Happy to listen and evaluate, but if all you wanna do is say "hurr durr his skating isnt good" then Ill pass because I dont really value your opinion at all.

 

[Brodeur]

Not related to our pick, but I somehow missed that Cutter Gauthier grew up in Arizona and was a former junior Coyote. Maybe this is why some mocks suddenly have him going #3...

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Aside from the fact that a couple of these blurbs mention his skating/mobility, what a waste of time that was lmfao. He has a bomb of shot, that's obviously his best trait. So not surprised that it is the focus. If you google Jiricek and his skating you see overwhelmingly that scouts think that his skating is really good.

If you end up correct, congrats on the victory lap you get to do. I wont be that salty, since he wont be a Devil. But your opinion is not shared by people that watch these guys all the time, and you have provided 0 evidence for why his skating isnt good. Happy to listen and evaluate, but if all you wanna do is say "hurr durr his skating isnt good" then Ill pass because I dont really value your opinion at all.

Lol you haven’t provided any evidence either. You think saying oh someone else said his skating is good is evidence?

They mention his skating absolutely and some of them view it as a positive. But none of them are sitting there saying he’s a really good skater and that’s what scouts like about him which is what you said. I’m sure if I google Jiricek skating you will see positive stuff. It’s not like there’s articles ripping his skating that are gonna come up. Scouts talk about all aspects of the player and mostly keep it positive and it’s not like anyones suggesting he’s Patty Maroon or anything close to that.

I presented my opinion from my viewings of him and have said much more tonight and in the past than just his skating isn’t good (certainly didn’t say anything close to hurr durr, rather immature of you) and you seem to be taking it quite personally. Not quite sure why you’re so upset.

We’re all on here to share our opinions. I certainly don’t need you to approve or value my opinion lol.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Been thinking about how Wright could fit in with the devils if he were the pick. I think it would make a ton of sense for him to start as either the 3C or a top 9 Winger to start.

But for the future I could see him being a really good long-term option alongside Jack. The game is changing and becoming less position oriented and I think it could really make sense for them to play together and play more of a Center role in different situations (eg. Wright-Faceoffs and dzone, Hughes-Transition)
And then stylistically they could be a great fit. Both very high hockey IQ and good playmakers and while Jack has more speed and skill to push defenders back and create space, Wright has a really good shot as well as better size and a more defensive-oriented game.
And then if one or both of Nico or Jack get hurt Wright is there as well as Mercer. Certainly wouldn’t be a bad problem to have.

Obviously for Slafkovsky it’s much easier to envision. I personally see him as being a great long-term winger alongside Jack.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

In terms of NHL readiness, I’m thinking

Wright 80-20 to play next year if the Devils take him.
Slafkovsky 50-50

Slafkovsky should definitely come to NA and there’s been quite a lot of talk about home being NHL ready and I could honestly see it going either way with his camp performances having a big effect on it. No need to rush him though.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Been thinking about how Wright could fit in with the devils if he were the pick. I think it would make a ton of sense for him to start as either the 3C or a top 9 Winger to start.

But for the future I could see him being a really good long-term option alongside Jack. The game is changing and becoming less position oriented and I think it could really make sense for them to play together and play more of a Center role in different situations (eg. Wright-Faceoffs and dzone, Hughes-Transition)
And then stylistically they could be a great fit. Both very high hockey IQ and good playmakers and while Jack has more speed and skill to push defenders back and create space, Wright has a really good shot as well as better size and a more defensive-oriented game.
And then if one or both of Nico or Jack get hurt Wright is there as well as Mercer. Certainly wouldn’t be a bad problem to have.

Obviously for Slafkovsky it’s much easier to envision. I personally see him as being a great long-term winger alongside Jack.

He would be (stylistically) another Nico to pair with Jack. I don't think anyone would say no to that if we had the luxury by literally playing Nico with Jack, but obviously we can't. But we could with Wright. I've pretty much just settled with "whoever is the pick is the pick, as long it's one of the two". Like you, I think Slaf is the player with potential to be better but hey what can you do if he gets picked 1st.

 

[ninetyeight]

It takes literally 3 seconds to google what scouts think about his skating and there is ample material about what a good skater he is.

Are these the same scouts that all said Ty Smith has elite skating

 

[StevenToddIves]

Many of the rankings are at MyNHLDraft, they aren’t that terrible on Seider.

Remember that Yzerman tried to trade down and couldn’t get it done. If he did trade down too far he was in danger of losing him, the Ducks were interested in taking him at #9 but instead lucked out when Zegras surprisingly made it to them.

Russ Cohen (Sportsology, EPRinkside, SirusXM) had Seider #9

Hockey Prospect had him at #10.

McKeen’s, Ryan Kennedy (THN) & Chris Peters (then ESPN, now Daily Faceoff) all had him #15

Future Considerations had him #16

The Draft Analyst had him at #18

Corey Pronman (The Athletic) had him at #22

Prospect Pipeline (don’t really know what that is, but it’s here) had him #23

Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet) had him #24

Craig Button had him at #26

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) had him at #35, as his 9th defensemen lol, but that’s a very Wheeler thing to do. (He put Mikko Kokkoken at #23, also on brand.) He does in fact have him below Anttoni f***ing Honka who he has at, uh, #20.


2019 NHL Draft Rankings

Thanks for this.

Wheeler's refusal to reevaluate his defense ranking philosophy really holds him back. It's weird, because he's generally very on point with forwards.

Honka, jeez. I don't know who allowed him to even play defense. Had he been moved up to forward, he would've had a pretty good chance to make some headway in the NHL.

 

[Nubmer6]

He would be (stylistically) another Nico to pair with Jack. I don't think anyone would say no to that if we had the luxury by literally playing Nico with Jack, but obviously we can't. But we could with Wright. I've pretty much just settled with "whoever is the pick is the pick, as long it's one of the two". Like you, I think Slaf is the player with potential to be better but hey what can you do if he gets picked 1st.

Ya, if he's comfortable on the wing, a Wright-Hughes pairing and a Nico-Bratt pairing would offer two lines with a puck mover and a defensive player.

 

[StevenToddIves]

His skating is really good. That’s why a lot of scouts like him. Some people here just say shit that’s all.

I'm a huge Jiricek booster, and I'd rate Jiricek's skating as "pretty good", not quite "really good". Ing you watch him closely, he has a short, choppy stride which kind of limits his explosiveness. I do think a good skating coach can lengthen his stride and get him up to "good" as a skater.

In Jiricek's defense, he looked quicker on his skates before the knee injury than afterwards, which is to be expected. Many of the people slagging his skating didn't watch him until the Olympics, which was sooner than he should have come back after the knee injury.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Are these the same scouts that all said Ty Smith has elite skating

Smith isn't a bad skater though, he's just really slow. Too many people confuse the two, they are not the same. Miles wood is super fast, but he's a terrible skater.

Ya, if he's comfortable on the wing, a Wright-Hughes pairing and a Nico-Bratt pairing would offer two lines with a puck mover and a defensive player.

I don't really see why he wouldn't be tbh, his game is more suited to wing imo.

 

[ninetyeight]

Smith isn't a bad skater though, he's just really slow. Too many people confuse the two, they are not the same. Miles wood is super fast, but he's a terrible skater.

Well the scouts did call him fast too lol. I think the injuries played a part last season. There also might be some motivational lack of compete issues where he doesn't give 100%. I hope we hold on to him and he proves everyone wrong next season.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Yeah thats pretty much my argument. I dont hate what Ive seen Ive seen with his skating + almost unanimous scout opinion matters a bit more to me than some random bloke on the internet with a minority opinion named CaptainThirdLine or whatever saying that it is "not true whatsoever" like hes getting paid by someone for opinions. That does not mean hes wrong, but I doubt hes watched more than 20 minute of Jiricek play hockey. I doubt 95% of this board has watched 1 game Jiricek has played period.

I dont even mean to flame. All Im saying is that scouts think his skating is pretty damn good. We should value that opinion over random people here saying it is not that have no reputation for being right about shit.

@Captain3rdLine actually watches a lot of the prospects and knows them extremely well. I disagree with him a bit on Jiricek, but he has every right to his opinions because he's pretty well educated on the prospects. It's not as if he thinks Jiricek is *bad* -- he doesn't at all -- he just doesn't feel Jiricek is worthy of a top 5 pick, and he presents his arguments quite well.

Again, I disagree. I have Jiricek ranked #3 overall. But I appreciate dissenting opinions because it forces me to re-evaluate my own opinions and get to know the players even better.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Well the scouts did call him fast too lol. I think the injuries played a part last season. There also might be some motivational lack of compete issues where he doesn't give 100%. I hope we hold on to him and he proves everyone wrong next season.

I don't remember that but I'm not gunna bother fact checking. I do wonder if complacency is a factor. He's really good friends with jack and well you know how that goes sometimes.

He better step it up because outside him becoming like a 50 point d-man, I don't see any room for him in the future.

 

[ninetyeight]

I don't remember that but I'm not gunna bother fact checking.

Here's few from the other thread:

"Elite skating defender whose upside is not far off from the top defenders in the 2018 class" ISS Hockey 2017

"Smith is an excellent skater. He can rush the puck up the ice, or pinch in at the blue line and still cover up his spot defensively. He has excellent speed in both directions. His acceleration is elite, as he reaches top speed in just one or two strides." LWOS

"Smaller, faster players are becoming more common on the blue line, and Smith fits the mold of how future NHLers are trending." - NJ.com

"LD T. Smith while Dahlin is far-and-away the class of the class of 2018, not much separates Hughes/Boqvist/Smith. They are all undersized, extremely fast, extremely smart, extremely skilled. One of my favorite prospects in this draft. Although he is one of many super-fast, offensive-minded and undersized defensemen in this draft, he is also outstanding defensively. He has elite vision and intelligence, and he is as competitive as any player available. Reminds me a lot of a young Duncan Keith."
- @StevenToddIves

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Here's few from the other thread:

"Elite skating defender whose upside is not far off from the top defenders in the 2018 class" ISS Hockey 2017

"Smith is an excellent skater. He can rush the puck up the ice, or pinch in at the blue line and still cover up his spot defensively. He has excellent speed in both directions. His acceleration is elite, as he reaches top speed in just one or two strides." LWOS

"Smaller, faster players are becoming more common on the blue line, and Smith fits the mold of how future NHLers are trending." - NJ.com

"LD T. Smith while Dahlin is far-and-away the class of the class of 2018, not much separates Hughes/Boqvist/Smith. They are all undersized, extremely fast, extremely smart, extremely skilled. One of my favorite prospects in this draft. Although he is one of many super-fast, offensive-minded and undersized defensemen in this draft, he is also outstanding defensively. He has elite vision and intelligence, and he is as competitive as any player available. Reminds me a lot of a young Duncan Keith."
- @StevenToddIves

I think another thing to consider though, just like with how snipers can score goals at will but struggle to score at nhl level, players can be fast (or with my example of scoring a lot) but if they can't process the game fast enough mentally, it can affect their technical skills. And at lower levels of competition, their weaknesses aren't really exposed as much as far as what I just described (unable to process the game at a much faster pace).

That is my theory on why scouts get this wrong a lot. The tricky thing is though it's almost impossible to distinguish who can and can't, otherwise scouting would be easy and not really a needed profession