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

[JrFischer54]

Looking I think Ekblad 1st overall as the last time there was a real question:

Bob McKenzie's 2014 NHL Draft Rankings + Mashup

Click on a column heading to sort by draft list Or listen on SoundCloud here: Morning Mashup Captain’s log: Clark and Gilmour share their thoughts on Pat Burns Picking the NHL award winners and news from Las Vegas Dave Andreychuk is NHL Hall of Fame Worthy O’Reilly hopes to remain with Avalanche

mapleleafshotstove.com

I remember Isles hinting at taking Duchene over Tavares but that seemed to be a bluff even to me as an uninformed viewer.

If you're curious the first one I thought of was MA Fluery over Eric Staal. I was curious so I checked out the mother site:

February Prospect Rankings

Bob McKenzie:

TSN.ca - NHL Draft - Canada's Sports Leader

Consensus seems to be a relatively new thing with the birth of the internet.

It’s interesting why don’t more goalies go 1oa? It is litterally the most important position in the game. Probably up there with qb in football and an ace is baseball.

 

[Nubmer6]

It’s interesting why don’t more goalies go 1oa? It is litterally the most important position in the game. Probably up there with qb in football and an ace is baseball.

I'm guessing it's because they're fairly unpredictable compared to other positions.

 

[Goptor]

I'm guessing it's because they're fairly unpredictable compared to other positions.

They also don't start breaking out as full time NHLers until their mid 20s so you have a lot less guaranteed years before they become UFA eligible.

 

[ChopRite]

How about holding him out for a year so he can get more familiar with Hockey here in the States?

Let him wreck shop against the AHL'ers, then have him come in the following season and "introduce himself" to the League.

As long as he gets his 9(?) game stint from opening night, Im okay with the AHL route.

My main gripe was him not getting any games out of camp. For his size and apparent acumen Id be slightly disappointed by that (and more disappointed by a Liiga return, which as you state doesnt help his NA game)

If we draft him id like his ELC signed as soon as possible.

 

[glenwo2]

As long as he gets his 9(?) game stint from opening night, Im okay with the AHL route.

My main gripe was him not getting any games out of camp. For his size and apparent acumen Id be slightly disappointed by that (and more disappointed by a Liiga return, which as you state doesnt help his NA game)

If we draft him id like his ELC signed as soon as possible.

Same here.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

@ChopRite

22/35 of top 5 picks from 2012-2018 became top line talents. I was nice and included anyone who might even be arguable or get there soon. For example, I included Nico even though at this point he really hasn’t been a number 1 Center throughout his career.


That’s 63% of top 5 picks through those years and there was some really good drafts in those years. This years draft class is on the weaker side. That’s why I said there will probably be 2-3 of the guys taken in the top 5 that don’t turn into top line guys.


It’s definitely too early to look at 2019 as some of those guys could figure it out still but so far:
Hughes: yes
Kakko: No
Dach: No
Byram: not yet but looks good and had solid chance of getting there if he stays healthy.
Turcotte: no


The post I originally responded to literally just said that we can’t pass up on a top pair D in Jiricek. That’s an incredibly oversimplified view that suggests Jiricek is guaranteed to be a top pair defensemen. Even though Slafkovsky is my favourite you won’t find me saying we can’t pass up on a top line winger in Slafkovsky. I will say he’s the player I think is most likely to be a top player and provide my opinion as to why but I won’t just suggests we can’t pass on him like he’s guaranteed to be a top line winger.
That posts is also completely ignoring and disregarding Nemec who has top pairing potential as well. If we’re trying to get a top pair RD I personally think Nemec is the way to go.

 

[glenwo2]

This may be a stupid comparison, but his skating and pace of his game reminds me a little bit of Draisaitl. I don't mean they are similar players otherwise, but they are big guys who don't look fast and dynamic. Of course Slafkovsky isn't as great and dominating player as Draisaitl, and he never will be, but I just see some similarities in their game. Maybe I'm the only one who sees it.

Well other scouts said his game resembles Jaromir Jagr.

I prefer the Jagr comparison as much as I love me some Draisaitl.

 

[ChopRite]

I was responding to a very simplified post talking like Jiricek was a guaranteed top pair defensmen. I said that it isn’t a guarantee because I really don’t think it’s as simple as he made it sound. I’m saying that because it’s just the reality. Nemec is my second favourite prospect (3rd really if you count Wright) but I’m perfectly aware that there’s a pretty decent chance that even he doesn’t turn into a top pair defensmen. Same with Jiricek. That’s just the reality of how things work out. Lots of defensmen taken that high don’t turn into top guys. It’s the same with forwards and Slafkovsky like I’ve already said. There’s a pretty decent chance Slafkovsky doesn’t turn into a top line winger. Nobody is gonna draft them that high to be to be a second pair guy or a second line winger. They’re gonna take the guy that has the best chances at being a top line or top pair guy but at the end of the day there’s a pretty good chance 2-3 of the players that go in the top 5 won’t be top line or top pair guys.

I like him a lot but it’s extremely likely that multiple players in this draft will be better players than him. You’re completely putting words in my mouth.


And that’s not remotely true. I’ve watch lots of these players and I’m giving my opinion on them. As I said, I’m no scout but, Nemec would be in my top 5. That being said I’m realistic and fully aware that a lot of top prospects don’t turn out. Go look at the top 5 or 10 picks of all the drafts over the last 10 years. There’s tons of those guys that didn’t turn into top line guys.



Your entire post is so ridiculous because I’ve never brought down Nemec whatsoever. I have some concerns about Jiricek but I can also see the potential.

And,
As I’ve already said, if you can read, Juraj Slafkovsky is not remotely a guarentee to be a top line winger either. That’s just how it is. He’s my favourite prospect and the guy I think is the most likely but that doesn’t mean I think it’s a guarantee at all.


How about you read what I’m saying rather than just freaking out about me stating the obvious in saying Jiricek isn’t a guarantee to be a top pair defensmen.

Lets just end this with me saying I dont feel you actually would be 'happy' with Nemec and are just saying that so your further analysis on him isnt discredited. At least not the way youve openly spoken about the draft. At one point in this thread you were outright claiming that Slafkovsky is the 'obvious' pick. I mean... come on. You cant actually believe that. This isnt a Wright-Slafkovsky race where the 2nd team would never pass on him; in fact, the only reason he probably goes 2nd is because NJ is the absolute last team in the league who needs another sub-23yo top-6 center.

Plus - be honest with yourself - how often did you watch any of these prospects before the Devils were officially out on a playoff spot? Nobody can watch the last six months of a player and make an accurate depiction of their future. Hence scouts follow these kids for years.

So far the only one Ive seen in this thread whos showed a further understanding past highlight packages on Youtube and shift-by-shift analysis of select games is the creator of this thread who seems to be an actual scout, or at least could apply to be one.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with favoring Slafkovsky to the point of wanting him really badly. But to try and sway the opinions of others because they are interested in the few popular names shows an obvious bias on your part.

The draft is almost two months away.. I doubt everyone wants to strictly talk about Slafkovsky for that entire time, especially when he isn't even a consensus #2 like youve seen years prior, with Eichel and Laine. Though Im sure McKenzie's next ranking will kick this into an even further gear as it does every draft.

Edit: and perhaps youre just outspoken and misword your opinions to the point of coming off as biased. I dont know you. But trying to be more partial in your assessments would go a long way to avoiding someone like me thinking this. Because I an the average uninformed fan on some 17-18yo kids coming up and so I come to forums like this one to find further info to base my opinions off of, so when I see some people claiming one way or the other too heavily.. it tells me that maybe that person's opinion on the matter isnt trustwortht.

 

[Andre Palot]

Doubt that’ll change much to the Habs selection. If he falls to us it’s a steal.

Or they know something we don't.

 

[Eggtimer]

I keep going back and forth between options but at least it’s fun. After a long shitty season at least we get something that should be a massive boost to the team. And only through luck or winning the lottery plus the severely crappy luck of having numerous goalies hurt , we are gettig a pick in a waaaaaay better spot than we really should be.

 

[JrFischer54]

They also don't start breaking out as full time NHLers until their mid 20s so you have a lot less guaranteed years before they become UFA eligible.

Yeah which is even more crazy when you think about it. Legit one job for a goalie from day 1 of playing the game. One job in a 1-0 or 5-0 game and that’s to stop the puck. Why can an 18 year old play in the physical Nhl with grown men but goalies can’t figure it out?

 

[ChopRite]

By the way, just so it doesn't feel like I inherently disagree with you because of what Ive read from you in this thread... I also think Slafkovsky is the best pick for NJ. At least for what he brings and everything else Ive read about him, showing he warrants a serious look at #2.

Though he did climb the ranks a bit from what Ive seen in terms of lists from 2021 and so thats where I thought it was a bit odd as to how strongly you came off about him, while a Jiricek was higher ranked on average who you dont seem to like as much as Nemec, who also rose.

Again, I dont know you and perhaps it was wrong of me to tell you you wouldnt be 'happy' with Nemec. I can see that. But the way youve put out your thoughts on the matter led me to believe that, and so all I could suggest was some more partiality in your writing

@Captain3rdLine

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Lets just end this with me saying I dont feel you actually would be 'happy' with Nemec and are just saying that so your further analysis on him isnt discredited. At least not the way youve openly spoken about the draft. At one point in this thread you were outright claiming that Slafkovsky is the 'obvious' pick. I mean... come on. You cant actually believe that. This isnt a Wright-Slafkovsky race where the 2nd team would never pass on him; in fact, the only reason he probably goes 2nd is because NJ is the absolute last team in the league who needs another sub-23yo top-6 center.

Plus - be honest with yourself - how often did you watch any of these prospects before the Devils were officially out on a playoff spot? Nobody can watch the last six months of a player and make an accurate depiction of their future. Hence scouts follow these kids for years.

So far the only one Ive seen in this thread whos showed a further understanding past highlight packages on Youtube and shift-by-shift analysis of select games is the creator of this thread who seems to be an actual scout, or at least could apply to be one.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with favoring Slafkovsky to the point of wanting him really badly. But to try and sway the opinions of others because they are interested in the few popular names shows an obvious bias on your part.

The draft is almost two months away.. I doubt everyone wants to strictly talk about Slafkovsky for that entire time, especially when he isn't even a consensus #2 like youve seen years prior, with Eichel and Laine. Though Im sure McKenzie's next ranking will kick this into an even further gear as it does every draft.

Edit: and perhaps youre just outspoken and misword your opinions to the point of coming off as biased. I dont know you. But trying to be more partial in your assessments would go a long way to avoiding someone like me thinking this. Because I an the average uninformed fan on some 17-18yo kids coming up and so I come to forums like this one to find further info to base my opinions off of, so when I see some people claiming one way or the other too heavily.. it tells me that maybe that person's opinion on the matter isnt trustwortht.

I would absolutely be happy with Nemec. Not sure why you’re suggesting otherwise. What is my further analysis on Nemec? That I think he could be a top pair defensmen. What you’re saying makes zero sense man.
In my opinion, if I was making the choice tonight, Slafkovsky would be the obvious choice to me. That doesn’t mean I’m suggesting that he is for the rest of the world or that the Devils will obviously select him second. I believe he’s the most likely pick for the devils. But I’ve never suggested this is a two horse race where the next team will obviously take him. I actually had a post of my estimates of how likely each player is to be the devils pick. I put Slafkovsky at 55%. I think Cooley is the second most likely pick if the Devils think he is better. I agree that what makes Slafkovsky more likely is that he is a better stylistic fit and fills a need which I think is taken into consideration by NHL teams more than they let on. Literally every single thing you have said is just you putting words in my mouth. (Or keyboard here).

I’m also not suggesting I’ve watched these players as much as or know as much about these kids as scouts. But I’ve been watching a lot of the prospects for months and have been one of the more active members in the draft threads for some time now. I like Slafkovsky the most so I express that, explain why and push him in here.

I am absolutely bias to Slafkovsky and am going to try to sway their opinions towards Slafkovsky. There’s nothing wrong with that and I’m not doing that in a bad way at all. I’m sharing my opinion on the prospects and trying to build excitement about Slafkovsky.

We aren’t talking strictly about Slafkovsky, nor am I saying we should. I actually created a post of when Slafkovsky, Nemec and Jiricek play in the World Championships for anyone that wants to watch them and form more of their own opinion.


I really like Slafkovsky. I’m actively pushing him in this thread. I like Nemec and to a lesser extent Cooley. I’m not huge on Jiricek because there’s some things I don’t love about his game. Someone was talking like Jiricek was a guarentee to be a top pair defensemen which he isn’t at all. Even scouts that like him know that. I’ve never once suggested Slafkovsky is a guarantee to be a top line winger either. He isn’t.

 

[My3Sons]

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.

Jason Robertson suggests that there is still room for the smart skilled player who is fearless and has just enough skating power to get by in the flow of the game. On balance though, I tend to agree with you that the pace of the game has picked up even from three or four years ago.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

By the way, just so it doesn't feel like I inherently disagree with you because of what Ive read from you in this thread... I also think Slafkovsky is the best pick for NJ. At least for what he brings and everything else Ive read about him, showing he warrants a serious look at #2.

Though he did climb the ranks a bit from what Ive seen in terms of lists from 2021 and so thats where I thought it was a bit odd as to how strongly you came off about him, while a Jiricek was higher ranked on average who you dont seem to like as much as Nemec, who also rose.

Again, I dont know you and perhaps it was wrong of me to tell you you wouldnt be 'happy' with Nemec. I can see that. But the way youve put out your thoughts on the matter led me to believe that, and so all I could suggest was some more partiality in your writing

@Captain3rdLine

I just have way too much time right now and am really excited about Slafkovsky. I’ve liked him for a while and was really surprised when we won the lottery and had a chance at him again. I will probably be hyping Slafkovsky up a lot from now until Tuesday. I still will after then but I will be much more busy.

It’s ridiculous how much time I’ve spent on here over the last few days.

 

[FooteBahl]

I just have way too much time right now and am really excited about Slafkovsky. I’ve liked him for a while and was really surprised when we won the lottery and had a chance at him again. I will probably be hyping Slafkovsky up a lot from now until Tuesday. I still will after then but I will be much more busy.

It’s ridiculous how much time I’ve spent on here over the last few days.

Me too. I’m on a posting rager

 

[ChopRite]

I just have way too much time right now and am really excited about Slafkovsky. I’ve liked him for a while and was really surprised when we won the lottery and had a chance at him again. I will probably be hyping Slafkovsky up a lot from now until Tuesday. I still will after then but I will be much more busy.

It’s ridiculous how much time I’ve spent on here over the last few days.

I will admit that is what initially caught my eye, after reading through the threads entirety.. it was the sheer volume at which you were touting him. And sometimes when other players were mentioned you would eventually draw a parallel to Slafkovsky, whether by a joke or cross-analysis.

To me it came across as a 'hey look at my guy, hes the right pick' cheerleader type that any great player has. Hell, I think I did it with Jack Hughes amongst my friends.. though, not that it is in any way impressive, I think I and many other fans of his are turning out to be right and he was actually as advertised; the clear-cut best player in the draft.

And for all I know you could be just as qualified to speak on these draft prospects as the creator of this thread (and a few others Ive read) who I complimented. It was the way you were engaging in these conversations and also sometimes how you worded things that made me think 'yeah, this guys the usual prospect hype'.

But its all good. I didnt mean for it to be in any way offending or try to act as if its indicative of you as a person. I grew up with an extremely strong need to always be right and remind people of whats what, and as Ive gotten older Ive begun to grow a dislike for when people act that way because I know how tiring it can be to others. Thats how it came across and so I made the posts I made

Excitement and free time are a dangerous combination and is usually what keeps the pets from going to bed during their witching hour, or exactly when Im trying to relax lol.

 

[Nubmer6]

 

[Brodeur]

It’s interesting why don’t more goalies go 1oa? It is litterally the most important position in the game. Probably up there with qb in football and an ace is baseball.

Combination of a few things. It's a harder position to scout and sometimes it's difficult to get a read depending on the team in front of them. We've seen a few instances recently where some goalies put up middling AHL numbers then somehow put up better numbers in the NHL. The explanation is usually that the AHL team isn't very good and there are regular egregious defensive breakdowns in front of the goalie. Now imagine that a couple levels down.

And it's sometimes tough for a 17-18 year old draft year goalie to be the starter on their club. It's tough to scout if the guy is on the bench. Columbus drafted Steve Mason after only 12 regular season games and a handful of playoffs games in the OHL. Similarly Scott Wedgewood only had 24 regular games over two seasons prior to being drafted and his coming out party was a 70 save performance in a game his team lost.

It would be an interesting question to ask a trainer how much lower body / leg strength a goalie gains from his draft year to the time he hits the NHL. I always kinda laugh when the WJC rolls around and every fan base is pumping the tires for their prospect goalie, only to see how raw they are as they give up leaky goals.

The other thing is time frame. Most top pick forwards are going to step in immediately and help on the ice plus sell tickets off the ice. And unless you're a new hire, if you're the GM on a team picking 1st overall there's probably a good chance you're on thin ice. So you might not have the luxury of being patient while a goalie develops.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was probably the best goalie prospect in the last 10-15 years and he wasn't the primary starter until four years after he was drafted. And in his case, he did reach the NHL relatively quickly. Other goalies like Thatcher Demko needed 5-6 years to secure the starting gig.

Sometimes tough to use a top 3 pick on a goalie if you know it's gonna be 4+ years before they really are in place to make a difference. Meanwhile you might be passing on a forward that would have been helping you the entire time.

Although if I do have one pet peeve, it's the folks who are staunch "never draft a goalie in the first round" who value the 25th pick the same as the 5th pick.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I will admit that is what initially caught my eye, after reading through the threads entirety.. it was the sheer volume at which you were touting him. And sometimes when other players were mentioned you would eventually draw a parallel to Slafkovsky, whether by a joke or cross-analysis.

To me it came across as a 'hey look at my guy, hes the right pick' cheerleader type that any great player has. Hell, I think I did it with Jack Hughes amongst my friends.. though, not that it is in any way impressive, I think I and many other fans of his are turning out to be right and he was actually as advertised; the clear-cut best player in the draft.

And for all I know you could be just as qualified to speak on these draft prospects as the creator of this thread (and a few others Ive read) who I complimented. It was the way you were engaging in these conversations and also sometimes how you worded things that made me think 'yeah, this guys the usual prospect hype'.

But its all good. I didnt mean for it to be in any way offending or try to act as if its indicative of you as a person. I grew up with an extremely strong need to always be right and remind people of whats what, and as Ive gotten older Ive begun to grow a dislike for when people act that way because I know how tiring it can be to others. Thats how it came across and so I made the posts I made

Excitement and free time are a dangerous combination and is usually what keeps the pets from going to bed during their witching hour, or exactly when Im trying to relax lol.

Oh yes I’ve been a hardcore Slafkovsky cheerleader over the past couple days. I could probably just make a Slafkovsky fan account at this point.

I’m not nearly as qualified as STI. I’ve just gotten really into drafts over the past 5-6 years and do spend a good bit of time watching these players, looking at other peoples reports on them and forming my opinion. I’ve never actually done it as a job whatsoever nor do I probably spend nearly as much time as him watching all of the prospects throughout the draft. I watch lots of the guys at the top and then some of the other guys after that but that’s it.
Most Europeans outside of the possible first round guys I’ve probably seen very little to none of unless they were playing in a game where I was watching someone better. Even then I don’t pay that much attention to them unless they really grab my attention.

I’m probably very much like you described there. Opinionated and like to be right and argumentative.


I normally don’t have this much free time, but I was sick earlier in the week and it turns out I have Covid. So, now I have to quarantine until Tuesday. What else am I possibly gonna do when I’m just sitting around in the house all day.

 

[FooteBahl]

I've seen Kakko playing since he was 16, and I've also seen Slafkovsky playing since he was 16.

If we look at the time they've played Liiga, there's no doubt Kakko was much better offensively. He did whatever he wanted when he stepped into the ice.

But I wouldn't compare their production in Liiga too much. Juraj has focused much more on defense than Kakko did in 2019. Mainly because of this effort on defense, he will be, in my opinion, more NHL ready than Kakko was in 2019.

I think Kakko will make a great career in the NHL if he can rebuild his identity. I mean, finding the right balance between defense and offense.

As for Juraj, I'd compare him more against another player I used to watch since he was 16 in TPS. That player is Mikko Rantanen.

I think I’m in love with you

 

[MartyOwns]

I’m gaga over his skill as well as his ability to use his size and I think he sees the ice really well. I love the whole package.
How can you say that when one of the best things about Jiricek is that he’s a big defensmen that throws the odd big hit? That’s not all he is but Slafkovsky is a lot more than his size too.

You cannot just find a Slafkovsky type player no. A player with his combination of skill and size is very rare.

I think Slafkovsky is more likely because I don’t have the concerns with him that I do with Jiricek. I’ve done long posts about it before that you can find if you want but he lacks the poise that all elite NHL defensemen have and aspects of his skating are sloppy and need work. I’m also concerned about how well the aggressive style of defense he plays will translate at the NHL level against better, more skilled players.

ok fair enough. it seems like a contrarian viewpoint based on everything else i’ve read. disclaimer, i’ve only seen youtube clips of these guys so i mostly rely on scouting reports. like i said, i have a preference for jiricek but i don’t actually give a shit which one we get. either way we’re adding to an already ridiculous pool of talent.

 

[My3Sons]

I think it could end up as a Nico scenario where you're still getting a good player but there will be a handful of guys who turn out better.

I still maintain that Heiskanen and Petterson would be seen as lesser players on NJ. Heiskanen is soft. He is smart, skates like the wind, and rarely makes a mistake. He's also soft. He doesn't box out on defense or compete with his body in the corners or along the boards that much. He can typically get by with an excellent stick and excellent anticipation on Dallas where other players provide enough physicality it's not important for him to do it. In NJ he'd be roundly criticized for failing to move guys out in front of the goalies. Petterson is weak and a bit fragile. He's competitive but he tries to hit guys and he falls down. His defense is also based on excellent skating and awareness and use of his stick. His offensive skills are great but injuries have impacted him a bit lately. Oh, and he refused a long term deal in Vancouver and said he might want out if they don't win enough for his liking. Yeah, that would go over well in NJ. I think Petterson would fail in the role of matchup center and Hughes looks to be more dynamic offensively right now although that can certainly change. One of those two would be redundant in NJ.

I'm not sayin Hischier is objectively "better", which is subjective anyway, but to me, Petterson has to outscore Hischier by about 15-20 points to qualify as "better" to me, and Heiskanen needs to be more than a smarter version of Severson with better puck skills. As for the other players, Suzuki, Thomas, etc. let's take away their veteran support and insulation and see how great they are with Zacha and Tatar or Vesey on the wings. Suzuki came down to earth this season without his veteran insulation. Frankly, the only guy who impresses me when I watch him (other than Makar who is amazing and I'd pick first in a redraft) is Batherson on Ottawa.

Just my thought and others will certainly disagree. Let's see what Vancouver fans say when Petterson won't sign long term at the end of his current deal.

 

[ChopRite]

ok fair enough. it seems like a contrarian viewpoint based on everything else i’ve read. disclaimer, i’ve only seen youtube clips of these guys so i mostly rely on scouting reports. like i said, i have a preference for jiricek but i don’t actually give a shit which one we get. either way we’re adding to an already ridiculous pool of talent.

The latter part of your post is what cant be stated enough.

Though I think everyone can agree itd have been very cool to get Michkov next year at 2, adding one of these young guns at 2 in this years draft is on top of what I think is the best U23 foundation in the NHL is gravy

True, long-lasting contenders are built this way and its a refreshing thought when one thinks to us maybe going in more after signings Taylor Hall long term. What could have been..:

 

[Hisch13r]

I still maintain that Heiskanen and Petterson would be seen as lesser players on NJ. Heiskanen is soft. He is smart, skates like the wind, and rarely makes a mistake. He's also soft. He doesn't box out on defense or compete with his body in the corners or along the boards that much. He can typically get by with an excellent stick and excellent anticipation on Dallas where other players provide enough physicality it's not important for him to do it. In NJ he'd be roundly criticized for failing to move guys out in front of the goalies. Petterson is weak and a bit fragile. He's competitive but he tries to hit guys and he falls down. His defense is also based on excellent skating and awareness and use of his stick. His offensive skills are great but injuries have impacted him a bit lately. Oh, and he refused a long term deal in Vancouver and said he might want out if they don't win enough for his liking. Yeah, that would go over well in NJ. I think Petterson would fail in the role of matchup center and Hughes looks to be more dynamic offensively right now although that can certainly change. One of those two would be redundant in NJ.

I'm not sayin Hischier is objectively "better", which is subjective anyway, but to me, Petterson has to outscore Hischier by about 15-20 points to qualify as "better" to me, and Heiskanen needs to be more than a smarter version of Severson with better puck skills. As for the other players, Suzuki, Thomas, etc. let's take away their veteran support and insulation and see how great they are with Zacha and Tatar or Vesey on the wings. Suzuki came down to earth this season without his veteran insulation. Frankly, the only guy who impresses me when I watch him (other than Makar who is amazing and I'd pick first in a redraft) is Batherson on Ottawa.

Just my thought and others will certainly disagree. Let's see what Vancouver fans say when Petterson won't sign long term at the end of his current deal.

Heiskanen was the #1 D and best player on a Cup final team at 21 years old. He led them in scoring with 26 pts in 27 games while averaging 26 minutes a game and being lights out defensively. I really couldn't care less about how "soft" he is

Pettersson was lights out the back half of the year and was back to himself. Pettersson also had 18 pts in 17 playoffs games in his appearance. I don't care how "weak" or "fragile" he is either. Nico needs to actually live up to the defensive reputation people have built up for him in order for him to be better than Pettersson. He's certainly improved. He's also still wildly overrated defensively since people think he's a stud.