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

[Brovalchuk]

My gut wants Nemec. I like the potential of Slaf and Jiricek, but my gut is yelling at me, telling me Nemec is going to be a top Damn in the league. He just does so many things right and checks all the boxes for me. I will be over the top with any of the three, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

My gut wants Nemec. I like the potential of Slaf and Jiricek, but my gut is yelling at me, telling me Nemec is going to be a top Damn in the league. He just does so many things right and checks all the boxes for me. I will be over the top with any of the three, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Well if that’s what your gut is saying then we should definitely pick Nemec.

 

[Hisch13r]

My gut wants Nemec. I like the potential of Slaf and Jiricek, but my gut is yelling at me, telling me Nemec is going to be a top Damn in the league. He just does so many things right and checks all the boxes for me. I will be over the top with any of the three, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

I think Nemec ends up a very good 2/3. I don’t expect him to end up as a top top Dman. Still would have no problem taking that

 

[Brovalchuk]

I think Nemec ends up a very good 2/3. I don’t expect him to end up as a top top Dman. Still would have no problem taking that

If he is a very good #2, and Hughes can be our very good #1, then I'll accept that. It's accepted that he has a safer floor than Jiricek and that is a factor for me too.

Well if that’s what your gut is saying then we should definitely pick Nemec.

My gut is large, and learned. It's seen a lot of stuff.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I just want to interject something general that I don’t know how it may apply, if at all, to these young players I am totally unfamiliar with. It’s that one thing I’ve seen over the past couple decades in the league is that there’s no longer a place at the top of the game for players without truly elite skating skills. You can’t get by any more in the league without it and you certainly won’t be a star. The days when a Smith or Lucic or Butcher or whomever could be top tier are over. So if any of these guys are just good skaters or you think good enough - but not truly top tier: forget them. They may be good in the league even but won’t be great. A number 2 overall should have extraordinary wheels.

 

[Hisch13r]

If he is a very good #2, and Hughes can be our very good #1, then I'll accept that. It's accepted d he has a safer floor than Jiricek and that is a factor for me too.


My gut is large, and learned. It's seen a lot of stuff.

I don’t really think he has a safer floor. He plays a safer game but I think they have the same floor with Jiricek having the higher ceiling

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I just want to interject something general that I don’t know how it may apply, if at all, to these young players I am totally unfamiliar with. It’s that one thing I’ve seen over the past couple decades in the league is that there’s no longer a place at the top of the game for players without truly elite skating skills. You can’t get by any more in the league without it and you certainly won’t be a star. The days when a Smith or Lucic or Butcher or whomever could be top tier are over. So if any of these guys are just good skaters or you think good enough - but not truly top tier: forget them. They may be good in the league even but won’t be great. A number 2 overall should have extraordinary wheels.

This is just dumb. Some of the best players in the league aren’t great skaters. You don’t have to be an elite skater to be one of the best in the league or a #2 pick. Look at Barkov, Drasaistl. Even Austin Matthew who is a top 3 player in the NHL isn’t an elite skater. He’s a good skater but he’s not elite.

The guys you mentioned as examples are bad skaters.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I don’t really think he has a safer floor. He plays a safer game but I think they have the same floor with Jiricek having the higher ceiling

I think there’s more risk to Jiricek and I think he has more to learn. He’s not poised enough and he needs to learn how to slow things down. Also needs to clean up aspects of his skating. I don’t think it’s a crazy difference but Nemec seems a bit safer. I also don’t think Jiricek has a higher ceiling. Nemec could be one of the best in the league if things go right.

 

[pkbrux]

I think there’s more risk to Jiricek and I think he has more to learn. He’s not poised enough and he needs to learn how to slow things down. Also needs to clean up aspects of his skating. I don’t think it’s a crazy difference but Nemec seems a bit safer. I also don’t think Jiricek has a higher ceiling. Nemec could be one of the best in the league if things go right.

I do think those that prefer Jiricek overestimate Jiricek's floor and underestimate Nemec's ceiling.

 

[Call Me Al]

i realize that slaf is the consensus #2 pick in the draft according to most experts, but that #1 RHD is so elusive and this is really the only shot we will have to get cost controlled and in their prime. Dougie and Sevs aside, a Jiricek - hughes pairing is the kind of top pairing that leads to sustained success and championships.

slaf could be a great player and I won't be disappointed if we pick him but i'm not sure a winger is the piece that gets us over the top compared to an elite d pair

 

[Hisch13r]

i realize that slaf is the consensus #2 pick in the draft according to most experts, but that #1 RHD is so elusive and this is really the only shot we will have to get cost controlled and in their prime. Dougie and Sevs aside, a Jiricek - hughes pairing is the kind of top pairing that leads to sustained success and championships.

slafs is good but i'm not sure a winger is the piece that gets us over the top compared to an elite d pair

It’s not even consensus. Cooley’s right there with him. I do agree on going D over W. Take a D and throw Nuke a ton of money. You get one of the better outcomes for Slaf that way anyway

 

[Captain3rdLine]

It’s not even consensus. Cooley’s right there with him. I do agree on going D over W. Take a D and throw Nuke a ton of money. You get one of the better outcomes for Slaf that way anyway

Why would we throw Nuke a ton of money. That would be risky for a guy with one season of good production playing alongside some of the best players in the league. I agree that he’s good but that doesn’t seem like the smartest signing. Slafkovsky also projects much better than that.

i realize that slaf is the consensus #2 pick in the draft according to most experts, but that #1 RHD is so elusive and this is really the only shot we will have to get cost controlled and in their prime. Dougie and Sevs aside, a Jiricek - hughes pairing is the kind of top pairing that leads to sustained success and championships.

slaf could be a great player and I won't be disappointed if we pick him but i'm not sure a winger is the piece that gets us over the top compared to an elite d pair

Slafkovsky is a better prospect. If we’re going Rad I’d much rather Nemec.

 

[devilsblood]

This is just dumb. Some of the best players in the league aren’t great skaters. You don’t have to be an elite skater to be one of the best in the league or a #2 pick. Look at Barkov, Drasaistl. Even Austin Matthew who is a top 3 player in the NHL isn’t an elite skater. He’s a good skater but he’s not elite.

The guys you mentioned as examples are bad skaters.

All three of those guys are big and strong with great puck skills. And yeah not great skaters but not bad skaters.

Smith Butcher and Lucic are all bad skaters. The first 2 are also small. Small and bad skater is something I've been pointing to of late as to types of players to avoid(seems obvious). Granted the scouts lied to us predraft telling us Smith was a good skater.

 

[Devil made me do it]

I have watched more video content of Slafkovsky in the past couple of days and I'm starting to warm up more to him now.
I still think his lack of point production in the finnish league is concerning but he seems to have elite traits for a kid his age and for his size. His style of play reminds me of Peter Forsberg somewhat.
His skating is very decent, stick handling and posession of the puck seem elite from the eye test. The way he drags his stick and using his body to keep defensemen away from the puck is very Forsberg-like. He is big, physical and a really good fit in the offense. He seems to impact a shift the same way as Jack Hughes does with his great vision and compete level and just elite hands.

I get vibes of Hischier from him in the sense that he bloomed late and came out of nowhere and you just sensed it with Hischier that he would be a solid player at the NHL level. The intangibles were there.

He would be a worthier risk pick than the two defensemen.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

All three of those guys are big and strong with great puck skills. And yeah not great skaters but not bad skaters.

Smith Butcher and Lucic are all bad skaters. The first 2 are also small. Small and bad skater is something I've been pointing to of late. Granted the scouts lied to us predraft telling us Smith was a good skater.

Yes comparable to Slafkovsky’s skillset.

Gusev should also be thrown in the small and slow. I remember getting a ton of crap for suggesting he wasn’t very good going into the 2020-21 season.

 

[devilsblood]

Yes comparable to Slafkovsky’s skillset.

Gusev should also be thrown in the small and slow. I remember getting a ton of crap for suggesting he wasn’t very good going into the 2020-21 season.

Ya, goose is a great example of that as well(Shero seemed to go heavy in that regard in retrospect). Reid Boucher another.

And I was thinking Slaf could fit into that mold of players you mentioned. But a bit of a poor mans version. Which is fine, I'm not really expecting Draisaitl.

 

[Devil made me do it]

Btw, it's pretty insane how lucky the Devils have been in the draft.
Two 1sts, a 2nd, two 4ths in the last decade. That's five top 5 picks. Crazy luck.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Ya, goose is a great example of that as well(Shero seemed to go heavy in that regard in retrospect). Reid Boucher another.

And I was thinking Slaf could fit into that mold of players you mentioned. But a bit of a poor mans version. Which is fine, I'm not really expecting Draisaitl.

Ya not expecting Draisaitl. But think he could turn into a poor man’s winger version of those types of players. Not a guarantee but that or anything close to it would be amazing on Hughes’s wing.

 

[Eggtimer]

My gut wants Nemec. I like the potential of Slaf and Jiricek, but my gut is yelling at me, telling me Nemec is going to be a top Damn in the league. He just does so many things right and checks all the boxes for me. I will be over the top with any of the three, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

I think your gut misspoke . It’s saying you need to take a mean dump , not take Nemec

 

[Camille the Eel]

This is just dumb. Some of the best players in the league aren’t great skaters. You don’t have to be an elite skater to be one of the best in the league or a #2 pick. Look at Barkov, Drasaistl. Even Austin Matthew who is a top 3 player in the NHL isn’t an elite skater. He’s a good skater but he’s not elite.

The guys you mentioned as examples are bad skaters.

I disagree. Barkov, Draisaitl and Matthews skate wonderfully. I am not talking about straight line speed though they all have it. By no means would anyone criticize Barkov’s skating.

 

[Brovalchuk]

I think your gut misspoke . It’s saying you need to take a mean dump , not take Nemec

It may be my IBS acting up again. I will truly be happy with any of the aforementioned three. But in my heart, it's Nemec, Jiricek, then Slaf.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Big guy who scores less than we'd expect for a pick that high?

Where have I heard that before?

Gives me PTSD (Pavel the Sixth Drafted).

(Disclaimer: This was a joke.)

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I disagree. Barkov, Draisaitl and Matthews skate wonderfully. I am not talking about straight line speed though they all have it. By no means would anyone criticize Barkov’s skating.

They are not elite skaters. I agree that they are good skaters and shouldn’t be criticized for their skating but they’re not elite skaters at all.

Mcdavid and Makar are elite skaters. Those guys are no where near them.

Big guy who scores less than we'd expect for a pick that high?

Where have I heard that before?

Gives me PTSD (Pavel the Sixth Drafted).

That’s dumb. Not even remotely similar other than being big.

 

[None Shall Pass]

It's also a joke, relax.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

I disagree. Barkov, Draisaitl and Matthews skate wonderfully. I am not talking about straight line speed though they all have it. By no means would anyone criticize Barkov’s skating.

Barkov's skating was definately a weakness, or at least he was very average skater, when he was drafted. He has developed his skating since his draft year. I wouldn't say that Draisaitl skate wonderfully.