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

[Hisch13r]

Maybe not, but better players have dropped further than that.

If he never injured his knee, most definitely not

He was just 6th on Bob's list and that's before he gets to showcase himself at the WC. Any one of Philly, Columbus, Ottawa, or Detroit would jump at the chance to take him.

 

[Lou is God]

He was just 6th on Bob's list and that's before he gets to showcase himself at the WC. Any one of Philly, Columbus, Ottawa, or Detroit would jump at the chance to take him.

Dude, I'm responding on a prominent NHL scout who has him selected at #9 to Buffalo, I'm not making the case he'll fall there.

 

[Hisch13r]

Dude, I'm responding on a prominent NHL scout who has him selected at #9 to Buffalo, I'm not making the case he'll fall there.

lol Why are you getting so defensive? I never said you were.

 

[Lou is God]

lol Why are you getting so defensive? I never said you were.

Not defensive.

 

[RSeen]

Great post, here.

I agree Cooley is not a perimeter player, but he does his best work in space and up high. Slafkovsky does his best work in tight and down low, but he is also very good in space. We obviously both feel these are great players -- you have Cooley 2 and Slafkovsky 3, I have Slafkovsky 2 and Cooley 5 or 6.

Personally, I have yet to decide whether my pick would be my #2 Slafkovsky or my #3 Jiricek. But it's very close, as it's very close between these two players in my rankings.

If Slafkovsky can bring a strong board game, he could be a great fit next to Nico. A Slafkovsky-Hishier-Mercer line could be dominant in a few years.

Ultimately if we end up taking Slaf, we are going to have a ton of options with our forward group and a lot of diversity in skill sets.

 

[Nico Hischier]

I think I am in the camp that I would rather pick slafkovsky and risk him not panning out instead of picking jiricek and risking him not panning out. Just feel like defenseman are harder to project and there always seems to be some defenseman selected in the second round that pan out into gems so I would rather take the forward with our first pick and defenseman with our second pick

 

[Lottery Lucky]

Great post, here.

I agree Cooley is not a perimeter player, but he does his best work in space and up high. Slafkovsky does his best work in tight and down low, but he is also very good in space. We obviously both feel these are great players -- you have Cooley 2 and Slafkovsky 3, I have Slafkovsky 2 and Cooley 5 or 6.

Personally, I have yet to decide whether my pick would be my #2 Slafkovsky or my #3 Jiricek. But it's very close, as it's very close between these two players in my rankings.

I suppose I should give my opinion on Cooley just so theres clarification as to why I think hes ahead of everyone else but Wright

I think Cooley is possibly the best skater in the draft though I dont speak to know this as I dont do this for a living and so who I choose to invest some time into is usually sporadic and mainly toward the top of the draft. To me when you have a player who can skate at the level that Cooley does, has the compete level that you want in a dynamic talent to reach their peak, and has the smarts and game sense to keep up with that pace of play.. I cant help but leave there potential as skyhigh. Especially in todays game where open space is easier to come by and getting through defensive coverage can be done more with slick hands, which he also has. But I do think he will succeed at the NHL level as he doesnt often force himself into touchy spots besides when he tries to beat someone along the boards. I dont find him dangling into extra defenders or going for bad shots all too much.

His vision is pretty strong and balanced though when the Devils have Jack Hughes, anyones vision is bound to look not as great lol. He doesnt seem to focus too much on any type of look and is well rounded in what hes looking to do with the puck. Without the puck offensively Id like to see him attack space in tighter angles more often then just looking for the open ice, maybe get himself into spots where a shot is coming or a quick chip pass to the guy across is available. but this is probably something most prospects need to do when the game tightens up at a higher skill level, especially in the development league where I find the game to be more free-flowing. Comfortability grows tendencies and as long as they are breakable, I wont hold it against him.

Defensively I think his effort is outstanding and clearly he has the desire to always be in position to make an impact on the play. I dont find him to be waiting up high often nor ever just looking for the breakout. He attacks the puck carrier with decent aggression for his size and has the first step is there to make slick defensive plays like pickpockets. Id like to see him sticklift more as I think thatd improve the percentage of pucks he gets. Though he does like to rake the puck from underneath and by definition thats one less step, so maybe hes onto something lol.

He has a good eye for where the puck is possibly going on a defensive play, add in some bonus physicality (though hed have to be near 170-180 for it to be meaningful in the NHL) with what I mention above Id call his overall defensive impact good for his competition level. I believe Fitzgerald spoke to the idea of a great skater always being able to have an impact defensively if they try, when the Devils did a documentary video on the 1st overall pick of Jack Hughes.

As for downsides outside of the few I spoke on previously, id like for him to be a little heavier on his stick and lean more into the puck when he is going around a defender or along the boards. Sometimes his hands are a bit too soft when going to make a move, though when he does dangle to the inside he seems to do what I speak of. So a basis is there to work off of. And lastly outside of just general man-strength issues and tiny tendencies from the USHL you nip in the butt, Id like to see him attack the interior more like you originally spoke of when comparing him to Slafkovsky. I think that could possibly develop in his game when he goes to college for what'll likely be two years, as like I said before I think its easy to float to the outside in the USHL vs say the WHL or CHL. And hes a smart kid who I think wont have issue adjusting his game to whats necessary.

Edit: Id also add that his skating style is more closely resembled to Jack's style vs Jesper Bratt's or Nico Hischier's. Its a very smooth, almost free-flowing stride that is not only deceptive with changing gears but also is great for cutting to the outside. Some work on his edges would be good and a lot of that comes with age and growth in your muscles, but definitely an improvement in the misdirection and quick change of direction would be good for his kit.

Double edit: and hes prettyy good at faceoffs lol. And he beat Matty Beniers in production in their respective D-2, where he was some months younger.

 

[TheSituation]

This is hard, but this team needs grit and grit bad. It's Slafkovsky for me.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think I am in the camp that I would rather pick slafkovsky and risk him not panning out instead of picking jiricek and risking him not panning out. Just feel like defenseman are harder to project and there always seems to be some defenseman selected in the second round that pan out into gems so I would rather take the forward with our first pick and defenseman with our second pick

I don't think this is the case anymore. People have gotten WAY better at scouting Dmen high in the draft recently as now there's more of an emphasis on y'know actual hockey playing ability rather than big man smash. I don't think there's a difference in the general riskiness between forwards and Dmen anymore.

 

[Nico Hischier]

I don't think this is the case anymore. People have gotten WAY better at scouting Dmen high in the draft recently as now there's more of an emphasis on y'know actual hockey playing ability rather than big man smash. I don't think there's a difference in the general riskiness between forwards and Dmen anymore.

I still think defenseman and goalies take the longest to develop and to me it doesn’t really matter how good of a scout you have. The defenseman could look mediocre at ages 17-18 and then all of a sudden at 22-23 they are playing top 4 mins. I’m thinking of players like Slavin and pesce as examples. If we draft slafkovsky with our first pick then I hope we can land a defenseman that develops into gem with our second pick. I am not entirely sure we could find a player like slafkovsky in the second round but we might be able to find a player that could develop as good as jiricek in the second round. Not everyone always pans out. Happens every year and some guys picked in later rounds exceed expectations and develop well.

 

[My3Sons]

If Slafkovsky can bring a strong board game, he could be a great fit next to Nico. A Slafkovsky-Hishier-Mercer line could be dominant in a few years.

Ultimately if we end up taking Slaf, we are going to have a ton of options with our forward group and a lot of diversity in skill sets.

Are you thinking Monopoly or Parchese? I’d go with Mousetrap.

 

[MadDevil]

Are you thinking Monopoly or Parchese? I’d go with Mousetrap.

Trivial Pursuit or bust.

 

[Eggtimer]

It’s a very very hard choice to make because everyone here just wants the same thing - Devils to be the very best team possible.
I for now want Slafkovsky. But of course I am worried about 1. Him not own panning out and #2 Jiricek or Nemec turnjg out to be elite of the elite.

What scares me the most about Slaf is not the prospect himself per say but rather just big bodied power forwards as they seem to be very seldom that they reach their potential. Examples like Kassian etc. However maybe Slaf is different with his level,of skill , and I am just not good enough and recognizing talent and skill that prospects have.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

2022 Prospects to watch at the World Championships:
David Jiricek (Czech Republic)
Simon Nemec (Slovakia)
Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia)

Every team plays 7 games prior to the Quarter finals


Games to watch:

Friday May 13
Slovakia (Nemec, Slafkovsky, Tatar) vs France - 9:20am


Saturday May 14
Czech Republic (Jiricek) vs Britain - 9:20am
Slovakia vs Germany - 1:20pm


Sunday May 15
Czech Republic vs Sweden - 1:20pm


Monday May 16
Slovakia vs Canada- 9:20am


Tuesday May 17
Czech Republic vs Austria - 9:20am


Wednesday May 18
Switzerland vs Slovakia - 1:20pm


Thursday May 19
Czech Republic vs Latvia - 1:20pm


Friday May 20
Slovakia vs Kazakhstan - 1:20pm


Saturday May 21
Slovakia vs Italy - 1:20pm
Czech Republic vs Norway - 1:20pm


Sunday May 22
none


Monday May 23
USA vs Czech Republic - 9:20am


Tuesday May 24
Slovakia vs Denmark - 9:20am
Czech Republic vs Finland - 1:20pm



Quarter-finals begin on Thursday May 26th

 

[My3Sons]

It’s a very very hard choice to make because everyone here just wants the same thing - Devils to be the very best team possible.
I for now want Slafkovsky. But of course I am worried about 1. Him not own panning out and #2 Jiricek or Nemec turnjg out to be elite of the elite.

What scares me the most about Slaf is not the prospect himself per say but rather just big bodied power forwards as they seem to be very seldom that they reach their potential. Examples like Kassian etc. However maybe Slaf is different with his level,of skill , and I am just not good enough and recognizing talent and skill that prospects have.

Speak for yourself. I want a pony.

 

[JrFischer54]

Whoever they pick can not miss for where is he is being drafted it’s top line material. Or bust

 

[Eggtimer]

Speak for yourself. I want a pony.

Besides the blatantly obvious like wanting a pony or wanting to be a professional shepherd .

2022 Prospects to watch at the World Championships:
David Jiricek (Czech Republic)
Simon Nemec (Slovakia)
Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia)

Every team plays 7 games prior to the Quarter finals


Games to watch:

Friday May 13
Slovakia (Nemec, Slafkovsky, Tatar) vs France - 9:20am


Saturday May 14
Czech Republic (Jiricek) vs Britain - 9:20am
Slovakia vs Germany - 1:20pm


Sunday May 15
Czech Republic vs Sweden - 1:20pm


Monday May 16
Slovakia vs Canada- 9:20am


Tuesday May 17
Czech Republic vs Austria - 9:20am


Wednesday May 18
Switzerland vs Slovakia - 1:20pm


Thursday May 19
Czech Republic vs Latvia - 1:20pm


Friday May 20
Slovakia vs Kazakhstan - 1:20pm


Saturday May 21
Slovakia vs Italy - 1:20pm
Czech Republic vs Norway - 1:20pm


Sunday May 22
none


Monday May 23
USA vs Czech Republic - 9:20am


Tuesday May 24
Slovakia vs Denmark - 9:20am
Czech Republic vs Finland - 1:20pm



Quarter-finals begin on Thursday May 26th

Awesome , thank you for this .
What BS . 9:20 am games . Like who gets up that early . I get up at the crack of 11:30 am and that’s too early as it is . Where are the championships being played ? Bangladesh ?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Besides the blatantly obvious like wanting a pony or wanting to be a professional shepherd .


Awesome , thank you for this .
What BS . 9:20 am games . Like who gets up that early . I get up at the crack of 11:30 am and that’s too early as it is . Where are the championships being played ? Bangladesh ?

Lol I believe in Finland. There’s a few 5:20am games in there too.

 

[Lottery Lucky]

If Slafkovsky can bring a strong board game, he could be a great fit next to Nico. A Slafkovsky-Hishier-Mercer line could be dominant in a few years.

Ultimately if we end up taking Slaf, we are going to have a ton of options with our forward group and a lot of diversity in skill sets.

A player like Slafkovsky would be best paired with Jack Hughes. Hischier is already a beast along the boards and if hes to play with Mercer and Bratt long term, a line of Slafkovsky-Hughes-Holtz or Sharangovich is the best makeup of skillsets we have IMO. Theyd be extremely dangerous

Someone has to do the tough boardwork for Jack shift to shift and so a 6'4" interior player would certainly help that

 

[My3Sons]

Besides the blatantly obvious like wanting a pony or wanting to be a professional shepherd .


Awesome , thank you for this .
What BS . 9:20 am games . Like who gets up that early . I get up at the crack of 11:30 am and that’s too early as it is . Where are the championships being played ? Bangladesh ?

 

[Hisch13r]

A player like Slafkovsky would be best paired with Jack Hughes. Hischier is already a beast along the boards and if hes to play with Mercer and Bratt long term, a line of Slafkovsky-Hughes-Holtz or Sharangovich is the best makeup of skillsets we have IMO. Theyd be extremely dangerous

Someone has to do the tough boardwork for Jack shift to shift and so a 6'4" interior player would certainly help that

Are we just going to ignore that Jack's already been incredible without that and the player he's been best with is a guy even smaller than him? Still very far away but one of Holtz or Slaf is going to have to improve their foot speed if they're going to be put togther.

 

[Lottery Lucky]

Are we just going to ignore that Jack's already been incredible without that and the player he's been best with is a guy even smaller than him? Still very far away but one of Holtz or Slaf is going to have to improve their foot speed if they're going to be put togther.

I wont ignore it no and thats a very valid point. Perhaps having Mercer with Slafkovsky and Jack would be best.

I was picturing a Holtz who can find open space with Jack getting him open, while a Slafkovsky is working the boards or crease. But its definitely a good point that it would be the slowest line on the team probably.

Then again, I think Jack and Nico can work with anyone and we are extremely lucky to have them because it allows us to mix and match as we please. Id only argue Jack needs a pure sniper next to him because hes the type of talent who can find that shooter anywhere on the ice, and that's what a Holtz needs if hes going to score 40+ goal seasons. He isnt going to find his own space at a rate high enough to do that without some help.

 

[njdevils1982]

Speak for yourself. I want a pony.

i dig a pony

 

[MWagg72]

Holtz could net 50+ with Hughes and Slaf feeding him. It'd just be a question on if the two can skate with Hughes.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I wont ignore it no and thats a very valid point. Perhaps having Mercer with Slafkovsky and Jack would be best.

I was picturing a Holtz who can find open space with Jack getting him open, while a Slafkovsky is working the boards or crease. But its definitely a good point that it would be the slowest line on the team probably.

Then again, I think Jack and Nico can work with anyone and we are extremely lucky to have them because it allows us to mix and match as we please. Id only argue Jack needs a pure sniper next to him because hes the type of talent who can find that shooter anywhere on the ice, and that's what a Holtz needs if hes going to score 40+ goal seasons. He isnt going to find his own space at a rate high enough to do that without some help.

That’s what I think. Slafkovsky - Hughes - Mercer