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

[PKs Broken Stick]

Some insight to why Slaf struggled at TPS;

Anything we didn't know already?

 

[GameSeven]

Thrilled to have the opportunity to grab Slafkovsky after the lottery win.

Really wanted to stay top 5, but excited since the win to be able to add an interior player with size and hands like Slaf.

Barring an overwhelming trade offer, I'll be disappointed if we don't take this kid come draft night.

 

[Saugus]

Slafkovsky being *big* is only a fraction of his appeal. He's an elite skill guy, who might possess the highest-end combination of playmaking/puckhandling in the entire 2022 class.

I agree it is tempting to have a Jiricek to pair with Luke Hughes in the future, or a Nemec to eventually overtake Hamilton as the team's top playmaking/transition RD. But right now, I'd just say Slafkovsky at #2 overall would be not only the "best available player", but also fits an extreme organizational need for an interior winger for the top 6.

This is also why I feel the Devils will not trade the pick. The Devils are not winning the 2023 Stanley Cup with or without whatever they can trade the #2 overall pick for. But they can surely contend from 2024-2030, and Slafkovsky could be a tremendous part of that while under contractual team control. I feel strongly that it is a superior option to build the best talent core in the Eastern Conference, as opposed to being slightly more poised to make the playoffs next year.

Do you think it should be a consideration that defensemen generally take longer to develop and reach their full potential than forwards (and particularly wingers) do? If we take either of the top defensemen, they might not make an impact until several years from now when they are in their early 20s, if not later. Whereas Slafkovsky increasingly looks like he could step into the NHL as early as next season if needed, and could play a bottom 6 "skilled grinder" role until he develops into his full scoring capabilities.

If management thinks the Devils' window for playoff contention is opening fairly soon, and therefore they want a player who can make an impact sooner, that might be another argument in favor of taking Slafkovsky. Maybe not enough to justify the pick on its own, but perhaps a tiebreaker consideration if they are choosing between Slafkovsky and Jiricek, say.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Forget about Slafkovsky. Would much rather a 34 year old Jeff Petry.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I’d be ok with missing playoffs by a couple points if we could draft Bedard…. 10 spots is the most you can move up in the draft. So I’d like to be in the 10th pick slot (most points possivle) then win the lotto lol.
But , we are adding Ottenger ,Slafkovsky , Nichushkin , Lyubushkin , Marchment , so we won’t finish 10th worst in the league .

11th is the best we could finish.

 

[nugg]

I’d be ok with missing playoffs by a couple points if we could draft Bedard…. 10 spots is the most you can move up in the draft. So I’d like to be in the 10th pick slot (most points possivle) then win the lotto lol.
But , we are adding Ottenger ,Slafkovsky , Nichushkin , Lyubushkin , Marchment , so we won’t finish 10th worst in the league .

That's a lot of shkin!

 

[StevenToddIves]

Forget about Slafkovsky. Would much rather a 34 year old Jeff Petry.

These trade proposals are insane.

 

[MartyOwns]

“the main asset” lmao

 

[StevenToddIves]

Do you think it should be a consideration that defensemen generally take longer to develop and reach their full potential than forwards (and particularly wingers) do? If we take either of the top defensemen, they might not make an impact until several years from now when they are in their early 20s, if not later. Whereas Slafkovsky increasingly looks like he could step into the NHL as early as next season if needed, and could play a bottom 6 "skilled grinder" role until he develops into his full scoring capabilities.

If management thinks the Devils' window for playoff contention is opening fairly soon, and therefore they want a player who can make an impact sooner, that might be another argument in favor of taking Slafkovsky. Maybe not enough to justify the pick on its own, but perhaps a tiebreaker consideration if they are choosing between Slafkovsky and Jiricek, say.

No. You take the best overall player, and it's Slafkovsky -- who also fills a huge organizational need.

However, I don't start Slafkovsky on the bottom 6 next year. I send him to the AHL at the start of the year to acclimate to the North American game.

 

[Guttersniped]

These trade proposals are insane.

It’s dawning on me that maybe they were never kidding about Halak, Ryder & 2nd thing.

Leaf fans have an endlessly talked about rep for bad trade proposal but I’ve never seen a fan base with this large a subsection of delusional would-be traders.

It’s not just our 2nd, there’s always some Habs fans trying to trade Drouin to Colorado because he played with MacKinnon on the Halifax Mooseheads together for two years. Avs fans actually complain about this phenomenon lol. And watching them insist Drouin still has trade value is pretty wild.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

It’s dawning on me that maybe they were never kidding about Halak, Ryder & 2nd thing.

Leaf fans have an endlessly talked about rep for bad trade proposal but I’ve never seen a fan base with this large a subsection of delusional would-be traders.

It’s not just our 2nd, there’s always some Habs fans trying to trade Drouin to Colorado because he played with MacKinnon on the Halifax Mooseheads together for two years. Avs fans actually complain about this phenomenon lol. And watching them insist Drouin still has trade value is pretty wild.

What makes it even worse is that I’m reading some of the habs fans who disagree’s post too but they’re barely any better.

There’s one guy who’s telling everyone he wouldn’t be the main piece on his own and they’d have to throw a good prospect and maybe another 1st round pick in. And then saying Caufield is much more valuable and more wouldn’t be touchable for the second overall pick.

They don’t seem to understand that the only way it possibly happens is if Caulfield is involved. The Devils wouldn’t take anything less. Purely value wise you could probably work something around Suzuki or the number 1 pick but neither of those would fit or make sense for the Devils. Nothing else the habs own is valuable enough to be the starting piece in a trade for the 2nd pick. So it would have to be Caulfield. And there’s no chance Montreal would do that. So it’s not gonna happen.

 

[ninetyeight]

Now that Slafkovsky's and Nemec's tournament is over, I think this would be my top10 ranking for the draft:

1. Wright
2. Slafkovsky
3. Cooley
4. Nemec
5. Jiricek
6. Savoie
7. Kemell
8. Gauthier
9. Nazar
10. Geekie

I think it gets a bit scetchy after the top5, and will be pretty hard to say whose game will translate the best to NHL. I have guys like Lambert, Öhgren, Kasper, Lekkerimäki barely out of the top10.

 

[Bcap88]

Slaf second all time points at worlds by a u18 player

 

[StevenToddIves]

Now that Slafkovsky's and Nemec's tournament is over, I think this would be my top10 ranking for the draft:

1. Wright
2. Slafkovsky
3. Cooley
4. Nemec
5. Jiricek
6. Savoie
7. Kemell
8. Gauthier
9. Nazar
10. Geekie

I think it gets a bit scetchy after the top5, and will be pretty hard to say whose game will translate the best to NHL. I have guys like Lambert, Öhgren, Kasper, Lekkerimäki barely out of the top10.

I think Kasper really impressed all year long, from start to finish. He definitely deserves some consideration for the top 10, if not inclusion.

Other late risers could include Kulich, McGroarty and Chesley.

Really nice job on your list, btw.

 

[glenwo2]

I think Kasper really impressed all year long, from start to finish. He definitely deserves some consideration for the top 10, if not inclusion.

Other late risers could include Kulich, McGroarty and Chesley.

Really nice job on your list, btw.

Is Kasper a friendly ghost?

 

[Xirik]

Is Kasper a friendly ghost?

the friendliest ghost you know!

 

[StevenToddIves]

Is Kasper a friendly ghost?

From several months back, a write-up of one of my favorite prospects for the 2022 draft.

C Marco Kasper, Rogle SHL
It's really thrilling to watch Austria rise into the realm of hockey relevancy, with Innsbruck native Marco Kasper set to be their second first-round pick in the past three years. Like another one of my recent draft favorites (Marco Rossi), Kasper is a tremendous two-way player who plays a heady, high-compete game. It's a statement to me that the runaway best player out of Sweden for the 2022 draft isn't even Swedish. He's one of my favorite players for the entire draft, and it's a thrill to watch him and write about him.

Kasper is what you would call a traditional center: he's a left-shot, 6'1-185 two-way player who excels in every area of the game despite no singular standout tools. If he has one tool bordering on the elite, it's his skating. Kasper is a tremendously fast player with terrific agility, and his speed plays up even more when combined with his outstanding awareness and positioning. Simply put, he always has a jump on the play because he's usually in the right spots (both offensively and defensively), and he has the burst and extension to then separate from his opponents once the situation calls for it. Marko Kasper thinks fast and plays fast.

Kasper is also an excellent passer. Perhaps he's not an elite creator, but I'd call him an excellent playmaker due to a high hockey IQ, top-notch decision making and extreme acuity in lasering passes with pinpoint accuracy. He's a pretty decent shooter, though I'd call him a pass-first type of player. His hands are okay but nothing special, he prefers to use his long reach and strong physique to shield the puck away from defenders than to dangle around or through them. Kasper's style has adjusted to his talents -- he likes to draw attackers to him, face the boards and box them off the puck, then make a quick move to jar open a lane and feed a teammate. This might be problematic against stronger and more physical defenders at higher levels, but Kasper's offensive abilities are all developing and I feel he will thrive as an interior offensive force once he hits the NHL. I don't think we're talking about a PPG NHL-er, but his bread and butter is his tremendous all-around game, smarts and compete level and I wouldn't rule out 55-60 point upside as his ceiling.

When you watch Kasper over all 200 feet of the ice, his offense is just a small piece of what he brings to his team. Kasper is a very good defensive player, always working his tail off. He plays with his feet always moving and his head on a swivel. This combines with another formidable part of his game -- the young Austrian is a physical player with a pronounced nasty streak. He hits, he battles, and he gets his mitts dirty both to score goals for his team and prevent them for the opposition.

Ultimately, what we have here is a two-way center who has good size, tremendous skating and speed, a high motor and a wonderful head on his shoulders. I don't think you're drafting him to be your 1C, but I think he's an excellent bet to be your 2C or 3C. He's very likely to be a undervalued leading up to the 2022 draft, as his statistics have not been stellar at the SHL level playing against men in the third-best league in the world, and unfortunately many draft writers these days seem to base everything on numerical analysis without watching much of the players. But Kasper is far more valuable than a perimeter scorer -- he's the kind of player you win with. He's tough, smart and good in every aspect of the game -- while playing a fast and furious style. He's got the speed and skill to excel in transition and on the exterior, and he's got the smarts and guts to excel in the interior.

Marco Kasper certainly a player to watch, because he's an excellent prospect with a very high floor who should make some team and their fans very happy in the mid-first round.

 

[My3Sons]

What makes it even worse is that I’m reading some of the habs fans who disagree’s post too but they’re barely any better.

There’s one guy who’s telling everyone he wouldn’t be the main piece on his own and they’d have to throw a good prospect and maybe another 1st round pick in. And then saying Caufield is much more valuable and more wouldn’t be touchable for the second overall pick.

They don’t seem to understand that the only way it possibly happens is if Caulfield is involved. The Devils wouldn’t take anything less. Purely value wise you could probably work something around Suzuki or the number 1 pick but neither of those would fit or make sense for the Devils. Nothing else the habs own is valuable enough to be the starting piece in a trade for the 2nd pick. So it would have to be Caulfield. And there’s no chance Montreal would do that. So it’s not gonna happen.

Main board trade threads are not usually about trades. Most of the time they are just biased debates about subjective “player value”. I can understand why a MTL fan may say that they’d rather have Caufield than the second pick. It’s just an opinion. They have an emotional investment and he looks to be the player they were hoping he’d be when drafted. Same for Suzuki etc. That’s different from what real world trade would involve the second pick. If Holtz scores 25-30 goals next season I am not sure I’d trade him for a oick to draft a player equivalent to Slafkovsky. I’d at least want to think about it as impressive as Slaf has been to my viewings in the Worlds.

 

[glenwo2]

uhh...hmmm Was looking at some articles at pucksandpitchforks and found this tweet :



@StevenToddIves , is Ilya Mikheyev worth signing?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Main board trade threads are not usually about trades. Most of the time they are just biased debates about subjective “player value”. I can understand why a MTL fan may say that they’d rather have Caufield than the second pick. It’s just an opinion. They have an emotional investment and he looks to be the player they were hoping he’d be when drafted. Same for Suzuki etc. That’s different from what real world trade would involve the second pick. If Holtz scores 25-30 goals next season I am not sure I’d trade him for a oick to draft a player equivalent to Slafkovsky. I’d at least want to think about it as impressive as Slaf has been to my viewings in the Worlds.

Ya I 100% get that and agree. But suggesting they could get a deal done for the second overall pick without him is just delusional. Nobody else would have enough value or make sense for the devils. The only way they could get the 2nd pick from the devils is if Caulfield was involved. They aren’t going to trade Caulfield it’s not gonna happen.

 

[Forge]

uhh...hmmm Was looking at some articles at pucksandpitchforks and found this tweet :



@StevenToddIves , is Ilya Mikheyev worth signing?

I kind of feel like you'd be buying pretty high on him

 

[StevenToddIves]

uhh...hmmm Was looking at some articles at pucksandpitchforks and found this tweet :



@StevenToddIves , is Ilya Mikheyev worth signing?

Mikheyev would be a skilled scoring boost to the 3rd line over Johnsson and a swiftly-aging Tatar, but he doesn't offer the physical presence the Devils need in the bottom 6. Scoring-wise, I'd say he's about equivalent to Zacha, but not as dangerous. I'd rather see NJ go after Niederreiter (if they can get him on a 2-year deal) or Marchment (if he doesn't cost too much).

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

If one of Nemec or Jiricek is available at Pick #7.

Should we swap Holtz to Ottawa for Nemec/Jiricek?

 

[Rusty7550]

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[glenwo2]

Mikheyev would be a skilled scoring boost to the 3rd line over Johnsson and a swiftly-aging Tatar, but he doesn't offer the physical presence the Devils need in the bottom 6. Scoring-wise, I'd say he's about equivalent to Zacha, but not as dangerous. I'd rather see NJ go after Niederreiter (if they can get him on a 2-year deal) or Marchment (if he doesn't cost too much).

If one of Nemec or Jiricek is available at Pick #7.

Should we swap Holtz to Ottawa for Nemec/Jiricek?

The question is will they bite if Holtz was offered?

'Cause I would LOVE for that scenario to happen.

We get both Slaf *and* Nemec/Jiricek? Sign me the hell up.