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

[devilsfan35]

guessing but i think this is right
player 1 - logan cooley
player 2 - shane wright
player 3 - marco kasper
player 4 - matthew savoie
player 5 - cutter gauthier
player 6 - juraj slafkovsky

Slafkovsky giving me hischier vibes. Love the kid

 

[Hisch13r]

P/60 in regular season by first round picks (+Aho) in Liiga since 2015:

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Just a completely different player between TPS and Slovakia.

 

[glenwo2]

I dunno. Watching some clips of him in Liiga before the WC, he did a lot of puck protecting, especially along the boards. He'd use his body to shield the puck and swirl around, and it looked damned near impossible for opponents to knock the puck from him. It really DID remind me of Jagr.

I know, right?

I don't see the Rick Nash comparisons or where they're coming from (or why they even exist).

Jagr is more of a better comparison.

Maybe not Prime Jagr (who was just dominant) but a Jagr-lite maybe?

 

[Lou Bloom]

P/60 in regular season by first round picks (+Aho) in Liiga since 2015:

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Just a completely different player between TPS and Slovakia.

His lack of production in Liga is a fair criticism, however I'd argue you're drafting a player like Slafkovsky based more on future projection than current results and considering the improvement he showed throughout the season it gives you a lot more faith that he'll put all the flashes and skills together into a consistent skillset.

 

[glenwo2]

Slafkovsky giving me hischier vibes. Love the kid

Then I think Slaf answered this question correctly :

 

[morkkis35]

P/60 in regular season by first round picks (+Aho) in Liiga since 2015:

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Just a completely different player between TPS and Slovakia.

also you have to consider that before the olympics he was buried in the lower lines. After the olympics he got more ice time..

 

[Guadana]

Okay now youre just taking the piss

I get youre a Devils fan and you watch prospects a lot so people trust you, but shitting on Cooley is really necessary?

The moment the Devils won the 2nd overall pick you started hating on Cooley. Youre purposely making him sound worse just because hes a center and small.

And youll chime in and say no Im not, but yeah, you are. Devils wouldnt consider Cooley 3rd? Would take Jiricek whos looked awful lately over him?

Yeah, right. Thankfully no team actually employs you

Log out, Cooley. And grow on yourself. I you should act better if you want to be NHL player.

 

[MasterofGrond]

man. hell with this july draft

 

[BurntToast]

I listen to the the Draft Class podcast featuring Slaf. It’s hard not to like the kid. “Why did you move to Finland? To play better competition and get better at skating.”

Elite prospects gaggle (youtube) ranked, Jiricek #2.

 

[markog]

Slafkovsky giving me hischier vibes. Love the kid

I hope he'll produce more. Otherwise what a waste of 1. and 2. OA picks. Above average players drafted in that positions is bad.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I hope he'll produce more. Otherwise what a waste of 1. and 2. OA picks. Above average players drafted in that positions is bad.

Yeah man, Nico was a “wasted” pick.

 

[markog]

Yeah man, Nico was a “wasted” pick.

If you draft 1OA you have to get a star. Every draft has enough of them.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

If you draft 1OA you have to get a star. Every draft has enough of them.

Nico is a top 5 or 6 player in his draft at least as of right now. That’s fine for a number 1 pick. You hope to get the best player and you take the player with the best chance of being the best but odds are at least a few players will be better.
Nico is a very good player and certainly not a wasted pick. He also produced at a star level this season so if he can maintain this level he is by all means a star.

 

[markog]

Nico is a top 5 or 6 player in his draft at least as of right now. That’s fine for a number 1 pick. You hope to get the best player and you take the player with the best chance of being the best but odds are at least a few players will be better.
Nico is a very good player and certainly not a wasted pick. He also produced at a star level this season so if he can maintain this level he is by all means a star.

He didn't, star level was put to another level this season. Everyone had record years.

 

[Saugus]

guessing but i think this is right
player 1 - logan cooley
player 2 - shane wright
player 3 - marco kasper
player 4 - matthew savoie
player 5 - cutter gauthier
player 6 - juraj slafkovsky

I think it's silly that they ask a kid if he's the best player in the draft. What exactly are they expecting to hear? The only responses you could get to that question are either unhelpful, noncommittal, or delusional.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

He didn't, star level was put to another level this season. Everyone had record years.

He still did. He was well above what it’s been in past seasons.

I think it's silly that they ask a kid if he's the best player in the draft. What exactly are they expecting to hear? The only responses you could get to that question are either unhelpful, noncommittal, or delusional.

It’s hard question but that’s what they want to do.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If you draft 1OA you have to get a star. Every draft has enough of them.

You’d think with this level of cry baby nonsense we didn’t draft one of the most electric young players in the game just a couple years later at 1OA. But no, you’re crying because we landed merely a very good player in the draft most experts said was weak.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Hischier was 30th in points per game among centers this year. Just behind Point and Bergeron, just ahead of Kopitar, Zegras, and Barzal.

You guys act like we wasted a first round pick on Stefan Matteau or something.

 

[ninetyeight]

You can't possibly be mad at the Devils drafting Nico when everyone had Nico and Patrick as #1 and #2 (in whatever order), anyone who claims to have Makar Heiskanen Thomas Robertson or whoever as #1 is just lying. Whatifs are pointless anyway since it' a butterfly effect, had we not drafted Nico we probably wouldn't have the Hughes brothers and so on.

 

[Devs3cups]

Hughes/Hischier will be one of the best (if not the best) 1-2 punch at C in the league really soon. It's a GEM to have these 2 centering the top 6, and they're still so young.

 

[LeedsMonster]

Fitz: What is your spirit animal?
Slafkovsky: I am Jersey Devil.

Or maybe....a Leeds Monster?

 

[youryeah]

Podcasts

Podcasts

podcast.sportsnet.ca

little nugget I thought was interesting: jeff marek is at the scouting combine and talked to slaf and slaf mentioned that at least two teams he spoke with asked if he could play center in the NHL. he was trying to remember and said that two of the teams were NJ and VAN.

around 5:50

 

[BurntToast]

We might of had Patrick #2 but rumors were the Devils considered taking a defensemen.

Watching Nico “will” the Devils to a win over Dallas, was a real highlight.

As long as the Devils stay away from the small players Savoie/Kemell, I’ll be happy. How can Fitz give an exit meaning speech like he did and not draft Jiricek or Slav?! It would blow my mind.

At least Nemec/Wright/Cooley have high upside.

 

[StevenToddIves]

P/60 in regular season by first round picks (+Aho) in Liiga since 2015:

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Just a completely different player between TPS and Slovakia.

Slafkovsky was playing a bottom 6 role with scarce PP time most of his Liiga season, especially in the approximately 20-game span between his call up from Finnish junior to the Olympics. I'm not sure it had anything to do with the fact he's the only non-Finn on this list.

Watching him in the Olympics and WC, we have to say based on observation that this is clearly a player who could produce at an AHL level next year. But I just don't see where the points were going to come from over a long stretch when he was playing scarce minutes in a grinder role. When given more of a middle six role towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, Slafkovsky's production understandably trended upwards.

We have to watch this player from a scouting perspective and ask ourselves: how many points would he have scored on the US-NTDP? How many points would he have scored in the CHL? Because if a team is over-valuing his statistical output without context, they're going to really drop the ball.

 

[Nubmer6]

Slafkovsky was playing a bottom 6 role with scarce PP time most of his Liiga season, especially in the approximately 20-game span between his call up from Finnish junior to the Olympics. I'm not sure it had anything to do with the fact he's the only non-Finn on this list.

Watching him in the Olympics and WC, we have to say based on observation that this is clearly a player who could produce at an AHL level next year. But I just don't see where the points were going to come from over a long stretch when he was playing scarce minutes in a grinder role. When given more of a middle six role towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, Slafkovsky's production understandably trended upwards.

We have to watch this player from a scouting perspective and ask ourselves: how many points would he have scored on the US-NTDP? How many points would he have scored in the CHL? Because if a team is over-valuing his statistical output without context, they're going to really drop the ball.

What I find encouraging is that he CAN and DID play a grinder role. It makes me think he's not an offense-only guy, but rather, is well rounded.

Of course, the question is how well he played in that role.