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

[glenwo2]

You’re too focused on the numbers. The skating is going to make it quite a bit harder on him to succeed. He can’t keep up with our current playmakers and his skating is well below NHL average right now and it’s unlikely to ever be average.

And you're too focused on skating.

If you have the "shot".....a "shot" that can score GOALS for your team....then skating isn't going to be that much of an issue here.

Okay agree to disagree.

And I very much disagree with your assessment about Holtz, sir.

 

[glenwo2]

what does any of this have to do with the #2 overall discussion ? how did we get here

Because....

 

[Doublechin]

One of Montreal's main draft reporters has gone on record saying Habs brass had a change of heart and that they will take Slafkovsky, he's putting his reputation on the line

 

[OmNomNom]

One of Montreal's main draft reporters has gone on record saying Habs brass had a change of heart and that they will take Slafkovsky, he's putting his reputation on the line

link to source?

 

[glenwo2]

One of Montreal's main draft reporters has gone on record saying Habs brass had a change of heart and that they will take Slafkovsky, he's putting his reputation on the line

If that's true, then "Shane Wright? Come on down!"

I'm sure Shane would be plenty pissed that the Habs did not take him #1.

Shane "I got a chip on my shoulder" Wright as a NJ Devil.

 

[Guttersniped]

One of Montreal's main draft reporters has gone on record saying Habs brass had a change of heart and that they will take Slafkovsky, he's putting his reputation on the line

What a drama queen, this is very Montreal. The Hysteria meter is always set to maximum. “His reputation is on the line.” lol

 

[OmNomNom]

What a drama queen, this is very Montreal. The Hysteria meter is always set to maximum. “His reputation is on the line.” lol

what can you say -- they're french

 

[My3Sons]

And you're too focused on skating.

If you have the "shot".....a "shot" that can score GOALS for your team....then skating isn't going to be that much of an issue here.


And I very much disagree with your assessment about Holtz, sir.

I think the Reid Boucher example comes to mind. You have to skate well enough and have enough insight to put yourself in position to get your shot away properly. Holtz did that at the AHL level so fingers crossed he can develop that ability to an NHL level.

 

[OmNomNom]

if you can't skate, your decision making and processing better be fast AF. like, positioning yourself and making quick decision passes HAS to make up for your lack of mobility

the euro --> NA ice transition is real though. take Chytil for example - per Friedman in a 32 thoughts, he mentioned how ppl noticed how he found space in smaller areas, which he wasn't able to do previously. it's a mystery of how euro players will turn out

 

[Devs3cups]

One of Montreal's main draft reporters has gone on record saying Habs brass had a change of heart and that they will take Slafkovsky, he's putting his reputation on the line

Who is that reporter?

 

[Guttersniped]

if you can't skate, your decision making and processing better be fast AF. like, positioning yourself and making quick decision passes HAS to make up for your lack of mobility

the euro --> NA ice transition is real though. take Chytil for example - per Friedman in a 32 thoughts, he mentioned how ppl noticed how he found space in smaller areas, which he wasn't able to do previously. it's a mystery of how euro players will turn out

Chytil was very young for his draft class and he was dealing with injuries last year.

I pegged him for a breakout season this year and was surprised it didn’t really happen. I’m curious if the playoffs is a preview and it’s finally coming next season. (He does have to stay healthy, he only played 67 games this season too.)

Holtz actually tries to slow down play and looks to creates (with real mixed success), so some of the speed complaints are related to that. He also does pretty good job of finding open ice, he does have better awareness and hockey IQ than some people here seem to think.

Our system doesn’t actually reward that sort of thing because we’re only chaotically creating offense off the rush.

We can’t win on a regular basis only chaotically creating offense off the rush, so it’s not like Holtz needs to be taught to skate like manic to net.

Or is that just going to be our very narrow brand? The few super skill guys keeping plays alive on their individual skill alone by skating around for their lives and everyone else dive bombing towards the net?

The big club’s offensive & defensive system from early in the season we clearly in full effect in Utica when I went two playoff games and boy did I pity Dineen. They still don’t look like a good idea to me. (I hope they let Dineen have some more freedom down there or at least update it.)

 

[Darkauron]

Reporters will say anything half the time just to get their name in the limelight even if they are wrong

 

[Devs3cups]

link to source?

2022 NHL Entry Draft 12

I think it doesn’t matter what he answers , they just want to see his reasoning, how he thinks. You can spin it any way you want. There’s no right or wrong answer lol People saying 50$ is the right answer….? Why? Someone could interpret it as he doesn’t take care of his health, of his body. He...

hfboards.mandatory.com

This is the Habs board where the rumour was posted. It’s basically nothing.

 

[Devils731]

Scott Wheeler's final ranking of the 2022 NHL Draft's top 100 prospects

Has Wright at 1 and Slaf at 5 but he believes the top 5 picks all have similar value and are in the same tier; so you could take any of the 5 #1 and be reasonable in his opinion.

Some Slaf blurbs.

“Slafkovsky is one of the draft’s most tantalizing prospects, with a skill-size combo that scouts and coaches clamour for and he has already demonstrated against pro competition domestically and, more notably, internationally. It has been a big year for him.”

“Slafkovsky is built like a power forward, with a 218-pound frame that makes him one of the draft’s heaviest players, but he plays the game with uncharacteristic finesse, regularly flashing hands you’d expect out of a smaller player one-on-one to pull pucks in tight to his feet.”

“…does leave me a little lower on him than where he’ll be picked, even if there’s a real chance he becomes one of the two or three best players out of this draft.”

 

[OmNomNom]

2022 NHL Entry Draft 12

I think it doesn’t matter what he answers , they just want to see his reasoning, how he thinks. You can spin it any way you want. There’s no right or wrong answer lol People saying 50$ is the right answer….? Why? Someone could interpret it as he doesn’t take care of his health, of his body. He...

hfboards.mandatory.com

This is the Habs board where the rumour was posted. It’s basically nothing.

yeah i asked their forums too, they all think it's bogus, and even said this guy isn't really reputable at all @Doublechin

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Scott Wheeler's final ranking of the 2022 NHL Draft's top 100 prospects

Has Wright at 1 and Slaf at 5 but he believes the top 5 picks all have similar value and are in the same tier; so you could take any of the 5 #1 and be reasonable in his opinion.

Some Slaf blurbs.

“Slafkovsky is one of the draft’s most tantalizing prospects, with a skill-size combo that scouts and coaches clamour for and he has already demonstrated against pro competition domestically and, more notably, internationally. It has been a big year for him.”

“Slafkovsky is built like a power forward, with a 218-pound frame that makes him one of the draft’s heaviest players, but he plays the game with uncharacteristic finesse, regularly flashing hands you’d expect out of a smaller player one-on-one to pull pucks in tight to his feet.”

“…does leave me a little lower on him than where he’ll be picked, even if there’s a real chance he becomes one of the two or three best players out of this draft.”

Was coming here to post about this. Pronman put Slaf at #1 above Wright and Wheeler put him 5 behind Wright, Nemec, Cooley, and Savoie in that order.

At this point, I’m happy with any of Wright, Slaf, Nemec, Cooley, or Jiricek. Devils aren’t good enough where they should be worried about anything besides taking the player they think will have the best NHL career.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I've been pretty lazy on the scouting end this year because the Devils being shit again kind of turned me off from hockey for a little bit when I had more important things (college) to deal with. Starting to get back into it though, and I think I have 3 wants for pick #2, and as such, they are all my top 3 ranked players for this year. In order, Juraj Slafkovsky, David Jiricek, and Danila Yurov are the guys I want. They are all in the same tier of player and taking any one of them would be absolutely golden for this franchise. If you couldn't tell by my slightly higher than consensus ranking, Yurov is far and away my favorite prospect this year. I will defend him until the end.

I'm also hugely high on Yurov, and so is @Guadana -- he's a heck of a player. Here's my write up on him from way back in early January.

RW/LW (left-shot) Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL
Before the season began, Yurov was largely considered to be the #2 Russian forward prospect for the 2022 draft after only Ivan Miroschnichenko. Despite being -- like many Russian draft-eligibles -- used sparsely by his KHL team leading to poor scoring totals, Yurov's overall play has vaulted him to the top of this list. Though there is much debate on Yurov's ceiling, his floor is undeniably high as Yurov is pretty much the 2022 class' "Mr. Everything".

Yurov is a two-way player who excels in all three zones. He lacks any discernible weakness and has terrific intangibles. Offensively, he is not a sniper or playmaker, but rather a dual threat who can beat you many ways. He has ideal size at 6'1-180 and skates very well, though he is not by any means an elite or dynamic skater. This mix of abilities and lack of glaring flaws is what defines him as a high-floor player, a kid who -- if he does not approach his talent ceiling -- will still represent an excellent middle-six forward at the NHL level. But again, the question we have to ask is does he have the ceiling to approach other top 10 forwards in the 2022 class with more remarkably elite singular skills in the categories of passing, shooting, puckhandling and skating, or physical strength.

Breaking down the skill set, we can say again that Yurov is a very good skater with separation speed, but at high speeds his stride can become choppy and affect his puck skills. He is by no means a burner, but his edges are excellent which plays up the skill into the plus range. His puckhandling is probably his most "ordinary" aspect, as sometimes his brain seems to move faster than his hands, causing him to fumble the puck under pressure. His hands play up when moving in on the goalie and attempting to score, where he has a litany of slick moves which can beat even a top netminder. This aspect of his game needs work but the talent is there.

Yurov's shot is extremely high in velocity and he gets it off quickly. But again, the skill needs work, particularly on accuracy. Yurov seems to always find the soft spots to get the puck and shoot, but he also seems to miss the net entirely with some regularity. But again -- as with many of Yurov's skills -- a few improvements could make this a serious plus skill which lends itself to the belief that Yurov has top-line upside at the NHL level.

Yurov is a smart and excellent passer. He lacks the high-end creativity of a Slafkovsky or Nazar, and he will more often than not choose to make smart passes which are accurate and nifty but lean towards the conservative side. On the PP or an odd-man rush? You can be sure that Yurov will thread the needle and make the right play. But in traffic against stronger defenses, his creativity dips a bit and he can get caught over-handling the puck.

Where Yurov really shines is when taking into account his overall game, which is outstanding. He's a big kid who plays very hard and smart on all 200-feet of ice. I would grade his defensive game, compete level and hockey IQ all as plus skills. He's one of the better two-way wingers for the early rounds of the draft, he's not afraid to play physical and he's pretty tenacious both on and off the puck. Danila Yurov is not only a very talented player, he's a very likable one.

Ultimately, I'm not sure that I can -- for the time being -- justify Danila Yurov as a top 5 pick (where some have ranked him) when comparing his skill set versus some of the forwards with more elite tools, like Kemell, Slafkovsky and Cooley. However, he's a high-floor player with great intangibles -- which usually act as an indicator for a player reaching their talent ceiling. And, though I'm not certain Yurov has a ceiling as a superstar, he certainly has one as a productive, two-way, all-situations winger for an NHL top line. And as such, Danila Yurov is certainly a top 10 player for the 2022 NHL entry draft.

 

[StevenToddIves]

What a drama queen, this is very Montreal. The Hysteria meter is always set to maximum. “His reputation is on the line.” lol

I'm pretty sure I put my reputation on the line with Dmitri Rashevsky in my first round rankings for 2020. Oh, and also with my 14th and 15th whiskey shots last night.

 

[Forge]

1. Shane Wright
2. Simon Nemec
3. Logan Cooley
4. Matthew Savoie
5. Juraj Slafkovsky
6. David Jiricek
7. Joakim Kemell
8. Brad Lambert
9. Jonathan Lekkerimaki
10. Isaac Howard

Scott Wheeler's final top 10

 

[Doublechin]

Who is that reporter?

Mathias Brunet

 

[nugg]

I think the Reid Boucher example comes to mind. You have to skate well enough and have enough insight to put yourself in position to get your shot away properly. Holtz did that at the AHL level so fingers crossed he can develop that ability to an NHL level.

I remember a similar player to Reid, from over 20 years ago, Pierre Dagenais. Guy had a desperately wicked shot, but was pretty slow, one-dimensional. Lou/Conte liked him so much he drafted him twice! He didn't sign after the first drafting, so they picked him again. We eventually lost him on waivers.

 

[Nubmer6]

I remember a similar player to Reid, from over 20 years ago, Pierre Dagenais. Guy had a desperately wicked shot, but was pretty slow, one-dimensional. Lou/Conte liked him so much he drafted him twice! He didn't sign after the first drafting, so they picked him again. We eventually lost him on waivers.

Ah yes. Pierre Mayonnaise.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

'Good skill', 'good shot' - this means nothing. This isn't even scoutspeak or jargon, it's just totally empty words. Oh okay, a good shot. He clearly has an exceptional shot - one of the best in the AHL, and I thought one of the best on the NHL roster when he was here. He just was not able to use it in the NHL because of the limitations of his skating and his anticipation. No, his shot isn't Ovechkin's, it's not 90th percentile in the NHL (yet) but it's really damn good, and it has room to improve. Again, this is a player who has limited skating ability and who is weak along the boards who managed 3+ shots a game, it's very hard to do that if that player doesn't have a terrific release.

Lol what. That’s a stupid thing to say. How’s is that empty words lol. It quite literally has meaning.
Explain to me how me saying he has a good shot is any different than you saying he has an exceptional shot? Lol please enlighten me.

That has to be one of the dumber/funnier things I’ve read on here. You go right from saying me saying he has a good shot “means nothing” and is just “empty words” into saying “he clearly has an exceptional shot”. Like it literally doesn’t get more ironic than that.


I don’t think his overall shot is as good as you’re suggesting and I’ve explained where I think his shot is lacking.

And you're too focused on skating.

If you have the "shot".....a "shot" that can score GOALS for your team....then skating isn't going to be that much of an issue here.


And I very much disagree with your assessment about Holtz, sir.

No skating is still a very important aspect and something that I believe will make it much more difficult for him to be an impactful NHL player. There’s more that goes into scoring goals too.

 

[glenwo2]

"Put his reputation on the line", my ass.

How about that reporter put HIS JOB on the line?

How about he go to his Editor/boss/whatever and say "Okay..if I'm wrong, FIRE ME."?

He won't do it 'cause it's all BS LOOK-AT-ME attention-seeking.

 

[Triumph]

Lol what. That’s a stupid thing to say. How’s is that empty words lol. It quite literally has meaning.
Explain to me how me saying he has a good shot is any different than you saying he has an exceptional shot? Lol please enlighten me.

That has to be one of the dumber/funnier things I’ve read on here. You go right from saying me saying he has a good shot “means nothing” and is just “empty words” into saying “he clearly has an exceptional shot”. Like it literally doesn’t get more ironic than that.

When you devote several posts to denigrating a player's best attribute and then go on to describe that attribute as 'good', that is a meaningless adjective in that context. How good? Who on the Devils has a good shot? Does Nico? How about Hughes? Tomas Tatar? Sharangovich? Who has a good shot? I know how I think about each of these player's shots, but I certainly don't know how you do, and saying good, the least descriptive word you can apply, isn't helping. Does good mean above-average? Does it mean average? How far above average is good?

I followed up exceptional with 'one of the best in the AHL', trying to rank Holtz in a continuum, granted one I don't know a lot about, but Holtz was one of the best goal scorers in the AHL, he isn't a very good skater nor is he particularly strong, so I'm making some inferences based on highlights I've seen of him and his numbers. It's hard to score that many goals without a great shot especially if a player is not a good skater or strong.

I don’t think his overall shot is as good as you’re suggesting and I’ve explained where I think his shot is lacking.

Yeah, I get that, and sometimes shots don't translate across leagues, especially when players don't have enough deception. But it's a good shot, you've said enough.