Prospect Info: Devils Win #2 Overall -- Slafkovsky vs. Jiricek vs. Nemec

[Hisch13r]

I am pro Slafkovsky (for now).
My “concern “ is that the Devils are a team built around speed and scoring off the rush. I wonder if they continue on building a roster that strongly emphasizes this? If so, I can see them not preferring Slafkovsky, where his strength is board play l slowing things down in the O zone , driving to the Center of the ice off the boards? So maybe they go woth one of the D or a Nazar or???

Nazar's not going 2. If we were in the 5-7 range maybe. I think it's either Slaf or Jiricek. If it's not one of those 2 then Nemec or Cooley. If we were 7 I think Gauthier would've been a real possibility as he's a bigger guy with the skill and pace to have no problems keeping up

 

[Devs3cups]

I am pro Slafkovsky (for now).
My “concern “ is that the Devils are a team built around speed and scoring off the rush. I wonder if they continue on building a roster that strongly emphasizes this? If so, I can see them not preferring Slafkovsky, where his strength is board play l slowing things down in the O zone , driving to the Center of the ice off the boards? So maybe they go woth one of the D or a Nazar or???

While I understand that, Fitz has made it a priority to get bigger and harder to play against, which is exactly Slaf's cup of tea. Also, Slaf's skating isn't bad at all and isn't a detriment to the "off the rush" style of play at all.

 

[Eggtimer]

delete.

 

[Nubmer6]

And it's resulted in some pretty bad drafts

Has it? Which picks are you talking about? I'm not sure I'd say Holtz was drafted as a big player. Stillman perhaps?

I also think can be argued it's helping on the trade front with the D, although it didn't really show on the scoreboard. Siegs and Graves didn't hurt, nor did Hamilton until he was hurt.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Fitz has said multiple times he wants to balance the lineup out with more strength. They like the pure skill speed guys they have and want something to balance that out if possible.

I do think pure production trumps all

 

[Emperoreddy]

Has it? Which picks are you talking about? I'm not sure I'd say Holtz was drafted as a big player. Stillman perhaps?

I also think can be argued it's helping on the trade front with the D, although it didn't really show on the scoreboard. Siegs and Graves didn't hurt, nor did Hamilton until he was hurt.

I don't think Stillman is even that big. More of a motor type player. We also took Luke, which he isn't small, but I wouldn't call him a "big" type player.

 

[Hisch13r]

Has it? Which picks are you talking about? I'm not sure I'd say Holtz was drafted as a big player. Stillman perhaps?

I also think can be argued it's helping on the trade front with the D, although it didn't really show on the scoreboard. Siegs and Graves didn't hurt, nor did Hamilton until he was hurt.

The non 1st round drafting the last 2 years (and 2 of the 5 firsts) has not been good. It was arguably the best in the league under Ray but I outside of maybe Salminen I doubt any of them amount to anything. Daws too but he's a goalie so that's different.

 

[StevenToddIves]

The non 1st round drafting the last 2 years (and 2 of the 5 firsts) has not been good. It was arguably the best in the league under Ray but I outside of maybe Salminen I doubt any of them amount to anything. Daws too but he's a goalie so that's different.

I'd say Bardakov is the only skater drafted after Stillman with any reasonable chance of making a future Devils line-up, and we got him in the 7th. And Stillman is a likely bottom 6 guy who you could have traded down to #45 and still gotten. So I agree the 2021 draft was a success -- because you could have a major superstar in Luke Hughes -- but could have been much, much, much better

 

[Eggtimer]

While I understand that, Fitz has made it a priority to get bigger and harder to play against, which is exactly Slaf's cup of tea. Also, Slaf's skating isn't bad at all and isn't a detriment to the "off the rush" style of play at all.

I know his skating isn’t bad at all and he improved it over the past season.
Im probably over thinking things here . I was thinking maybe the Devils brain trust would want to be all about speed and Slafkovsky wouldn’t mesh well with a offence based around generating off the rush. Brodeur saying they need to get heavier may mean just heavy bottom 6 and top 6 is all speed and skill.

“Why half -ass it , either go all out speed or all out heavy cycle game and addig Slaf is just beig mediocre at both styles and goes against the grain of how they are currently built” - was my thinking. Like I said, I’m over thinking it now.

 

[Hughes86Hischier13]

Only if Cooley could go wing.

 

[Hisch13r]

Only if Cooley could go wing.

I mean there's no reason he couldn't. I doubt he'd be like Jack and just look like shit on the wing lol

 

[Captain3rdLine]

TSN posted a Bob McKenzie flash top 5 poll earlier today.
They polled 8 NHL team head scouts to come up with a ranking. (Weirdly says there was 9 votes in the article, not sure who the 9th is)

The results:
1. Wright (6 1st votes)
2. Slafkovsky (2 1st votes)
3. Cooley (1 1st vote)
4. Nemec
5. Kemell

Says Jiricek was the closest to challenging Kemell at 5 with 3 votes in the top 5.
Savoie received 2 top 5 votes

Mckenzie’s ranking are the most accurate when it comes to predicting what will actually happen on draft day. Easy to understand why. It’s a pill of NHL scouts vs a single person or draft writers personal rankings. We’ll see what his final rankings look like.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Only if Cooley could go wing.

...then Cooley would be the second best LW in the draft after Juraj Slafkovsky.

TSN posted a Bob McKenzie flash top 5 poll earlier today.
They polled 8 NHL team head scouts to come up with a ranking. (Weirdly says there was 9 votes in the article, not sure who the 9th is)

The results:
1. Wright (6 1st votes)
2. Slafkovsky (2 1st votes)
3. Cooley (1 1st vote)
4. Nemec
5. Kemell

Says Jiricek was the closest to challenging Kemell at 5 with 3 votes in the top 5.
Savoie received 2 top 5 votes

Mckenzie’s ranking are the most accurate when it comes to predicting what will actually happen on draft day. Easy to understand why. It’s a pill of NHL scouts vs a single person or draft writers personal rankings. We’ll see what his final rankings look like.

Yup, it's probably the safe bet to say Slafkovsky is the most likely pick for the Devils at #2 overall.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

...then Cooley would be the second best LW in the draft after Juraj Slafkovsky.


Yup, it's probably the safe bet to say Slafkovsky is the most likely pick for the Devils at #2 overall.

Ya it would be a safe bet but there’s always a chance they really like someone else such as one of the D.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

One day it will be 86+Slafkovsky

 

[Lottery Lucky]

Bedard and Michkov are both generational. No one in the 2022 class is a generational prospect. Shane Wright goes #1 this year, but goes #4 next year after Bedard, Michkov and Fantilli.

Cooley is no longer consensus #2. In the latest McKenzie poll -- taken from 8 NHL head scouts -- Slafkovsky has moved up to #2, with a pair of first place votes. Cooley is #3 and Nemec #4, and it's apparently air-tight between those two, as well.

If you're ranking Cooley #2, I (of course) respect your personal take on the prospects. But that still wouldn't make him the right pick for the Devils. Let's say you're the Kansas City Chiefs picking #2, and the best player available is a QB -- do you still take him to back up Mahomes for the next decade?

The Devils have two legit #1 centers, both with higher upside than Cooley. They have no power F with elite offensive skill. Does anyone who watches prospects sincerely believe Cooley is so much better than Slafkovsky that we should draft him #2 overall to be our #3 center? It just lacks logic at its core.

I think the only choice is do you go Slafkovsky, or do you go with one of Jiricek/Nemec. I love Cooley -- and Nazar and Gauthier and Savoie -- but they're just not in the conversation for me.

If I was told by ownership I have to draft for fit, Id take Slafkovsky then Jiricek for NJ.

If I was told I have to draft BPA, Id take Cooley then Jiricek for NJ.

Though in all of this I think Joakim Kemell gets lost and should be of serious contention for the Devils. It is not often you see the gaudy numbers he produced before his shoulder injury, and considering most 17yo's before him who produced better were almost exclusively 6'2" and taller (except Granlund) thats no small feat. If his speed was better hed be a candidate for #1 overall I think - and boy can he rip the puck from anywhere

 

[Devs3cups]

One day it will be 86+Slafkovsky

He wears 60 in Liiga. 86 + 60 has a nice ring to it!

 

[Lottery Lucky]

They don't value skating as much as they used to under Shero. Fitz is more focused on size now, since it was missing from the organization after years of drafting purely for speed.

Mercer, Mukhamadullin, Stillman, and Hughes are all great skaters Id say. I think they still value skating a lot it would seem, though the Holtz pick it may be lacking.

Size is definitely of importance but I dont think any draft board should be making size one of their vital criteria. Id argue it would fall more under the 'tiebreaker' category; so say a Nemec vs Jiricek decision and we use size as a tipping point

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Mercer, Mukhamadullin, Stillman, and Hughes are all great skaters Id say. I think they still value skating a lot it would seem, though the Holtz pick it may be lacking.

Size is definitely of importance but I dont think any draft board should be making size one of their vital criteria. Id argue it would fall more under the 'tiebreaker' category; so say a Nemec vs Jiricek decision and we use size as a tipping point

Calling all of those guys great skaters is a huge exaggeration. Hughes sure. Mercer is good. Mukhammadullin is pretty good for his size and Stillman is okay. At this point Holtz is looking poor.

Also think that size is a big asset to have if the player knows how to use it well. It’s not just a tiebreaker.

 

[thomast]

I included all my scouting reports in the beginning of this post.

None of the three players -- Slafkovsky, Jiricek or Nemec -- are *elite* skaters. But they are all very good skaters. With Slafkovsky and Jiricek in particular, we have to factor in not only speed, but balance, edges and how strong they are on their skates. Slafkovsky and Jiricek are both pretty much immovable objects.

Will Slafkovsky be fast enough to be the driver in transition? No -- but the Devils won't want him to. He'll be linemates with an elite zone entry guy like Hughes or Bratt, and his job will be the force down low -- creating traffic in tight and creating more room up high for the skill guys to work their magic.

I have to correct this, Slafkovsky is elite on transition and it reminds me from Barkov who have been best transitional foward in the NHL past 2 years according to data. Similar style of not rushing or pushing their head into wall, but with suprisingly good burst, passing, smooth edges, huge frame and soft hands. He can skate, dump+chase and pass it with clear majority of his choices being correct in terms of mantaining puck posession.

Comparing Slaf to Kakko isn’t smart thing to do. Kakko was Laine and Barkov level of prospect and was better than Rantanen, Aho, Heiskanen and Hintz for example. He just lacked tools that are good for NHL game, most impactful tool being how their process the game at same age. Kakko liked to hold the puck long time like puck hog. Slaf in the other hand is closer to Hintz and Rantanen on puck distribution. Kemell had much better numbers because he had better situation with his team while Slafkovsky played most of the season in bottom 6 with grinders. Kemell is a lot closer to Kakko in terms of tools and playstyle. Slightly overrated in the rankings for my liking and should be outside of top 10. Slafkovsky is much better prospect.

Slafkovsky doesen’t posess similar offensive potential to Rantanen, but he plays much more compete game. Slafkovsky is similar to Nichushkin in terms of impact in all three zones, but is offensively more gifted, more physical and has more high end skills. Rick Nash is a pretty good comparison.

He is 18 year old with a lot of meat to move on the ice. It’s pretty suprising how he already has good edges, first steps and speed for player of that size. Room and probability to grow in that area of the game is incredibly high even though it already being more than enough. Imagine his skating once he gets more power. Stride and technique are excellent.



It’s tough pick between Nemec vs Jiricek vs Slafkovsky, but i wanted to share my knowledge on Slafkovsky.

Best for his developement for the next season is AHL for sure. Guaranteed ice time, get adjusted to NA fast paced game and life. Not best thing to rush him, but AHL is a no brainer. There is a lot of uncertaintity about his role in his finnish club. You already knew what kind of role Heiskanen or Lundell was going to get at their D+1 year, but in case of Slafkovsky there is risk to get buried into deep lineup or coach trust more experienced players. AHL is less risky and is bigger step towards NHL game.

 

[Nubmer6]

Mercer, Mukhamadullin, Stillman, and Hughes are all great skaters Id say. I think they still value skating a lot it would seem, though the Holtz pick it may be lacking.

Size is definitely of importance but I dont think any draft board should be making size one of their vital criteria. Id argue it would fall more under the 'tiebreaker' category; so say a Nemec vs Jiricek decision and we use size as a tipping point

I didn't say speed didn't matter. It's just that Fitz stated that we had too many of the same type of player, and that we needed more size and to be harder to play against. On the defensive end he started addressing that with signing/trading for Siegenthaller, Graves, and Hamilton. I expect him to continue by adding either Slafkovsky or Jiricek.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Happy for winning in the draft. Not so happy about our luck that the draft is again mediocre at best.

I was in a couple of playoff games where Slafkovsky played (watched in total 6 of them). Didnt even notice the guy. Sure he is 17 but kids like Laine and Barkov carried the play at the same age in the same league. He is probs good but maybe borderline 2nd liner in the future.

Edit. Barkov had like a point per game pace at 17. Laine got 30pts in 50 games. Slafkovsky mustered 5+5 in 31 games played.

 

[BurntToast]

Fitz made some bizzare comments about not over valuing tournaments, which makes me feel, he is not sold on Slaf. (Slaf feels like a Zacha 2.0. Sorry, I have PTSD from that pick. Plus Krappo looked better (minus the olympics) and he is still struggling.)

There may be a combination of right answers. Maybe they trade back and get a RD.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Why isn't Cooley a poll option? We should draft Cooley, he'll be the best player available.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Why isn't Cooley a poll option? We should draft Cooley, he'll be the best player available.

No he isn't. Plus he is a waterbug which NJ has tons of.