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

[tailfins]

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?

Lite? Jagr was a point per game player in his draft year for Kladno. Slaf is multiple iterations away from Jagr. It’s like saying Wright is somehow Crosby lite - which no one is saying.

(Not to say that Slaf and Wright can’t go on to have great careers. Just that at this point, comparisons to all time greats seem unnecessary.)

 

[Eggtimer]

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

I will lose my shit if we trade the pick to Vancouver. Only way I wouldn’t is if its Demko plis comig back and that’s not happening. If we trade the pick for Miller / Boeser I’ll puke. Even if it’s Miller plus VanC’s first pick I’ll puke.
Miller does not move the needle enough for me at all. 30 year old that will be looking for his last big payday? No thanks.

 

[devilsfan35]

Interesting that Montreal didn’t ask. I think the habs have wright and Cooley 1&2 on their list

 

[ninetyeight]

Fitz has been so patient with his rebuild that I just can't see him wasting this pick to a 30+ yo veteran. That would be almost Forsberg-Erat level bad.

 

[MasterofGrond]

hell yeah 2C Slaf

 

[Triumph]

Interesting that Montreal didn’t ask. I think the habs have wright and Cooley 1&2 on their list

To be fair, this doesn't say that Montreal didn't ask, only that Montreal wasn't one of the teams he named. They might've asked.

I also feel like when you ask a guy who's played mostly wing this, you're just asking about how flexible the player is to the team's needs.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I mean they also ask what animal they would be, asking a hockey player about other positions they might have played shouldn't be that groundbreaking.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

 

[goonybird]

Makar was playing in a literal farmer league with no real data for comparison tbf

 

[Saugus]

To be fair, this doesn't say that Montreal didn't ask, only that Montreal wasn't one of the teams he named. They might've asked.

I also feel like when you ask a guy who's played mostly wing this, you're just asking about how flexible the player is to the team's needs.

I think this is right. There's basically no reason for Slafkovsky to play center if he is drafted by us. Neither Hughes nor Hischier are being dislodged from their spots as our top 2 centers. And if we needed someone to shift from the wing to play 3C (due to injury or Boqvist flaming out or something), I suspect we'd move Mercer over long before we consider playing Slafkovsky at center.

 

[devilsfan35]

Fitzgerald probably asked that because he knows that injuries/suspensions happen and sometimes in big games. You can never have too many centers. If colorado loses mackinon and kadri for whatever reason, they have rantanen and landeskog that are capable of playing center. That could be us with Slaf and Mercer.

 

[theoptimist]

David Booth!

 

[Eggtimer]

I think this is right. There's basically no reason for Slafkovsky to play center if he is drafted by us. Neither Hughes nor Hischier are being dislodged from their spots as our top 2 centers. And if we needed someone to shift from the wing to play 3C (due to injury or Boqvist flaming out or something), I suspect we'd move Mercer over long before we consider playing Slafkovsky at center.

You would think the Devils scouting staff would have researched his play going back a few years to see if he did ever play C at any time . Asking him is to see how flexible he is on doping whatever it takes to play in the NHL. If he says “ no l I only want to play LW and hate playing anywhere else , if I am asked , I will not do it…” then ya that raises some red flags. Maybe Zacha or some other of our guys only wanting to play a certain position happened and they prefer to not have that situation pop up? Gives them an idea of how ambitious he may be and how wiling he is do do whatever the team asks of him?
That or they want to know if he can play C …. lol.

 

[JimEIV]

Lite? Jagr was a point per game player in his draft year for Kladno. Slaf is multiple iterations away from Jagr. It’s like saying Wright is somehow Crosby lite - which no one is saying.

(Not to say that Slaf and Wright can’t go on to have great careers. Just that at this point, comparisons to all time greats seem unnecessary.)

Jagr was a point per game player in his draft year playing in his home town on team his father owned.

Imagine playing in your home town with your father owning the teams vs playing in a foreign country on the 3rd line...

I'm not sure point analysis could really work with those two scenarios...

Not saying Jagr isn't/wasn't in another class of player....Just "points in draft year" isn't really a good argument here in my opinion.

 

[MartyOwns]

maybe we can ask if he plays goalie too

 

[Devils731]

maybe we can ask if he plays goalie too

I believe each team has nonsense questions designed for the psych people in the meeting to study how the player reacts.

 

[LaP]

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.

Assuming points in Liga will translate 1 to 1 to the NHL is very dangerous.

Draft year stats in liga :

Lehkonen : 0.67 ppg
Aho : 0.43 ppg
Rantanen : 0.5 ppg
Hintz : 0.4 ppg

It depends on a lot of things. Who the kids play with? How mature he is physically and mentally? How much TOI does he get? Is he playing for a winning team having the pressure to win and play well defensively or is he paying for a losing team with no pressure whatsoever and the ability to be sellfish offensively? Is he considered an elite prospect in his league with the pressure that comes with it? I mean Kucherov had only 2 points in 8 KHL games the year he was drafted (and only 4 in 18 the year after d+1). I guess it's why he felt in the 2nd round but still statistically speaking he was not showing the sign of a guy who could join the HOF one day.

 

[devilsfan35]

I believe each team has nonsense questions designed for the psych people in the meeting to study how the player reacts.

Shane wright said the weirdest question he got asked was: “what’s 25x25?”
He was not able to answer correctly

 

[JimEIV]

Assuming points in Liga will translate 1 to 1 to the NHL is very dangerous.

Draft year stats in liga :

Lehkonen : 0.67 ppg
Aho : 0.43 ppg
Rantanen : 0.5 ppg
Hintz : 0.4 ppg

It depends on a lot of things. Who the kids play with? How mature he is physically and mentally? How much TOI does he get? Is he playing for a winning team having the pressure to win and play well defensively or is he paying for a losing team with no pressure whatsoever and the ability to be sellfish offensively? Is he considered an elite prospect in his league with the pressure that comes with it? I mean Kucherov had only 2 points in 8 KHL games the year he was drafted (and only 4 in 18 the year after d+1). I guess it's why he felt in the 2nd round but still statistically speaking he was not showing the sign of a guy who could join the HOF one day.

Notice everyone of those players are Finnish...Playing in the Finnish league.....I don't think that is trivial.

It would interesting to find an example of 17 year old foreigner playing in mens league...I'd imagine those are really difficult to find?

 

[glenwo2]

Lite? Jagr was a point per game player in his draft year for Kladno. Slaf is multiple iterations away from Jagr. It’s like saying Wright is somehow Crosby lite - which no one is saying.

(Not to say that Slaf and Wright can’t go on to have great careers. Just that at this point, comparisons to all time greats seem unnecessary.)

I'm only referencing the reports from those scouts who said his game reminds them of Jagr.

Not that he will become Jagr.

So please stop being a negative nancy about this and let me unreasonably fantasize, GODDAMMIT!!

 

[LaP]

Notice everyone of those players are Finnish...Playing in the Finnish league.....I don't think that is trivial.

It would interesting to find an example of 17 year old foreigner playing in mens league...I'd imagine those are really difficult to find?

Hard to find. I can think of Matthews but it's an inferior league to the Liiga. But that's beside my point anyway. Out of all the players i listed the worst one is Lehkonen yet he had the better draft year stats and it's not that close. Looking at those stats only you would think Aho wont be great and Lehkonen will be great. But it's a lot more complicated that just stats watching. Slaf stats are very similar to Aho at the same age. Yes Aho was drafted in the 2nd round but if you would do a redraft today he would go lot higher than that.

 

[Hisch13r]

Notice everyone of those players are Finnish...Playing in the Finnish league.....I don't think that is trivial.

It would interesting to find an example of 17 year old foreigner playing in mens league...I'd imagine those are really difficult to find?

This was Slaf's 3rd year in Finland. It's not like it was some big culture shock and he was adjusting to a new place.

 

[The Last Red]

Interesting that Montreal didn’t ask. I think the habs have wright and Cooley 1&2 on their list

The Canadiens did ask him, as per Slaf.

 

[Fanatik]

Fitz has been so patient with his rebuild that I just can't see him wasting this pick to a 30+ yo veteran. That would be almost Forsberg-Erat level bad.

Martin Erat never scored 99 points in a season

 

[Saugus]

maybe we can ask if he plays goalie too

Or if he's willing to drive the team bus... in Utica.

I agree with whoever said it's a psych evaluation thing. It helps to draw out how coachable and agreeable the player is. Weeds out the complete sociopaths who don't know the obvious right answer and respond with something spiky and/or cocky.