F Juraj Slafkovsky - TPS, Finland U20 (2022 Draft)

[Antiillafire]

I can’t wait to see our game vs Canada. He is going to have to matchup against pretty good NHLers while playing with an average Czech league player and a pretty good Slovak league player.

 

[Ivo]

Slaf and the Devils seem like a great fit. Would make him highest drafted Slovak ever. Or could they be considering a D instead?

 

[ijuka]

Slaf and the Devils seem like a great fit. Would make him highest drafted Slovak ever. Or could they be considering a D instead?

Well, Czechoslovakia got a #1OA and I imagine that that should count for Slovakia as well.

 

[Ivo]

Well, Czechoslovakia got a #1OA and I imagine that that should count for Slovakia as well.

You mean Hamrlik? He is Czech and no one would consider him a Slovak pick. Czechoslovak sure, but even when that country existed, it was clear who is Czech and who is Slovak in 99% of the cases.

 

[JasonDemersWasOkay]

Amazing fit for the devils

 

[ijuka]

You mean Hamrlik? He is Czech and no one would consider him a Slovak pick. Czechoslovak sure, but even when that country existed, it was clear who is Czech and who is Slovak in 99% of the cases.

Yes, it's just a technicality. But I guess if they were so separated that they just were a country by a technicality then it makes sense to consider if Czechia's pick, then.

On Slafkovsky and Devils, it's true that Devils could use his type of a player.

 

[bsu]

 

[Michoulicious]

Welcome to NJ, Juraj!

Now all the haters can come and say he sucks.

 

[thomast]

Slaf is going to be perfect fit for NJD. I think his 200 foot impact potential is reminding me from Nichushkin today, his strength and puck battle effectiveness are very similar to Barkov and Matthews which is a huge praise. I see a lot of comparisons to Rantanen, but i don’t see that kind of offensive ceiling. Maybe a hybrid of Nichushkin and Svechnikov if he reaches his potential.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

A player who will bring a lot of physicality and fighting spirit around Hughes.

It remains to be seen whether New Jersey will bring him to the NHL next season or have to wait another year.

Slafkovsky, J.Hughes, Holtz, Hischier, Mercer, L.Hughes, Smith with Hamilton as a veteran. Daws if he confirms.

Exciting. I hope this team finds its GK1.

PS: of course Slafkovsky will be taken in 2. Cooley is too similar to Hughes and the depth chart of New Jersey lacks a powerful left winger.

 

[tooji]

Devils are 100% taking slaf. Cooley is very similar to Hischier whom they already have

 

[Eggtimer]

It’s Slafkovsky or one of Jiricek / Nemec. Devils aren’t going Cooley or anyone else.

 

[Fly Boy]

at #2? yeah... no.

Were you trying to be funny here, or did you not look at the time of the post?

 

[brakeyawself]

It’s Slafkovsky or one of Jiricek / Nemec. Devils aren’t going Cooley or anyone else.

Pretty sure it's 100% Slaf now that the lottery is sorted. Montreal 100% taking Wright I think.

Think it's going to be

Habs - Wright
Devs - Slaf
Yotes - Cooley
Kraken - Nemec or Jiricek (whomever is left)
Flyers - Nemec or Jiricek

EDITED: Thought about it a bit more. Perhaps the Yotes don't move Chychrun now. In which case, Cooley would be a better pick for them.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Pretty sure it's 100% Slaf now that the lottery is sorted. Montreal 100% taking Wright I think.

Think it's going to be

Habs - Wright
Devs - Slaf
Yotes - Nemec or Jiricek
Kraken - Nemec or Jiricek (whomever is left)
Flyers - Cooley

I absolutely see Francis going Cooley if he makes it to #4.

 

[brakeyawself]

I absolutely see Francis going Cooley if he makes it to #4.

THey really, really need a top young franchise D. And Nemec and Jiricek both fit that to a tee. And Beniers looks every bit the stud 1C. So I don't know. I really, really think he'd prioritize D. But I'm not sure it would matter actually, kind of revised that order after I posted. I'm actually thinking Yotes go Cooley though. I forgot that they still have Chychrun, and Soderstrom. Maybe they don't need to trade Chychrun now. So I would kind of edit that anyway, probably Cooley 3rd, then Nemec and Jiricek in some order.

 

[Eggtimer]

THey really, really need a top young franchise D. And Nemec and Jiricek both fit that to a tee. And Beniers looks every bit the stud 1C. So I don't know. I really, really think he'd prioritize D. But I'm not sure it would matter actually, kind of revised that order after I posted. I'm actually thinking Yotes go Cooley though. I forgot that they still have Chychrun, and Soderstrom. Maybe they don't need to trade Chychrun now. So I would kind of edit that anyway, probably Cooley 3rd, then Nemec and Jiricek in some order.

I thimk Kraken go Jiricek or Nemec this year and get an elite forward next year.

A player who will bring a lot of physicality and fighting spirit around Hughes.

It remains to be seen whether New Jersey will bring him to the NHL next season or have to wait another year.

Slafkovsky, J.Hughes, Holtz, Hischier, Mercer, L.Hughes, Smith with Hamilton as a veteran. Daws if he confirms.

Exciting. I hope this team finds its GK1.

PS: of course Slafkovsky will be taken in 2. Cooley is too similar to Hughes and the depth chart of New Jersey lacks a powerful left winger.

Needs more Bratt and less Smith lol.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Slaf is going to be perfect fit for NJD. I think his 200 foot impact potential is reminding me from Nichushkin today, his strength and puck battle effectiveness are very similar to Barkov and Matthews which is a huge praise. I see a lot of comparisons to Rantanen, but i don’t see that kind of offensive ceiling. Maybe a hybrid of Nichushkin and Svechnikov if he reaches his potential.

I think that's a pretty good comparison. Essentially Nichushkin with better hands and vision.

I think he'll be closer to a 25-30 goal ~60 point player than the elite winger we see in Rantanen.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

I thimk Kraken go Jiricek or Nemec this year and get an elite forward next year.


Needs more Bratt and less Smith lol.

I forgot about this player. Superb top 6 in perspective for next seasons.

Slafkovsky-Hughes-Holtz
Bratt-Hischier-Mercer

 

[thomast]

I think that's a pretty good comparison. Essentially Nichushkin with better hands and vision.

I think he'll be closer to a 25-30 goal ~60 point player than the elite winger we see in Rantanen.

I think he has potential and skills to be Rick Nash type of player. Silky smooth hands, shot and playmaking ability is up there. Deceptively fast and explosive with excellent technique and stride. There is a lot room to grow in that department because he has a lot of meat for player of his age. I could see him being PPG two way winger playing with Hughes, but he isn’t offensive dynamo like Rantanen who can put up +100pts.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I think he has potential and skills to be Rick Nash type of player. Silky smooth hands, shot and playmaking ability is up there. Deceptively fast and explosive with excellent technique and stride. There is a lot room to grow in that department because he has a lot of meat for player of his age. I could see him being PPG two way winger playing with Hughes, but he isn’t offensive dynamo like Rantanen who can put up +100pts.

Yeah I think his skating and puck carrying through traffic makes him a bit more dynamic than Nash, but Nash had better hands around the net.

If he does play alongside Hughes, a PPG winger certainly isn't out of the question.

 

[stastny12]

I think he has potential and skills to be Rick Nash type of player. Silky smooth hands, shot and playmaking ability is up there. Deceptively fast and explosive with excellent technique and stride. There is a lot room to grow in that department because he has a lot of meat for player of his age. I could see him being PPG two way winger playing with Hughes, but he isn’t offensive dynamo like Rantanen who can put up +100pts.

But he hasn´t achieved that yet

 

[thomast]

Yeah I think his skating and puck carrying through traffic makes him a bit more dynamic than Nash, but Nash had better hands around the net.

If he does play alongside Hughes, a PPG winger certainly isn't out of the question.

Nash was a better finisher around the net for sure, you’re absolutely right. Slafkovsky is pretty good at deflecting, but he relies more on his shot in his scoring. I believe they have pretty similar set of hands. Nash have better understanding of timing which is crucial at scoring infront of net where window of time to score is very short. I think he lacks more in hockey sense instead of hands in finishing if we compare their tools around the net.

Some examples of Slafkovsky’s stick and handles:

Example #1:



Example #2:



Example #3:



Rick Nash was a unique player and NJD would be happy to land player like that, but in terms in overall impact i see similarities in Slafkovsky’s potential. The perfect complementary player, despite young Nash driving CBJ offense at some point of his career, was a good skater and more dynamic. Yes, there is also more finesse in his game compared to Nash who relied more on his speed and power like Nichushkin. Slafkovsky is more versatile in that regard.

Maybe player between offensively more talented Nichuskin and Rick Nash is player that we can expect of him. 200 foot winger who is elite complementary player. Hughes needs player who is fine not having the puck a lot and have attributes that completes him.

Puljujärvi is a weak comparison because Pulju treated the puck like hot potato with all the time and space, when at times Slafkovsky has puck glued to his stick in high traffic areas. Puck management and skills are on totally different level. Puljujärvi was a better skater, but even being a big guy he doesen’t posess Slafkovsky’s unique strength. Puljujärvi was also really talented prospect and his biggest flaw was not speaking english at all. That alone hindered his developement by a lot. With Slafkovsky, he has already moved to foreign country with foreign language when he was a teenager. People like to underestimate these kind of steps, but it certainly prepares him better to make transition from Europe to NA. Because of this he should play in the AHL next year. It’s a no brainer.

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Sharangovich might end up on the 3rd line if they add Slafkovsky, that's pretty darn good

 

[thomast]

But he hasn´t achieved that yet

Technically not yet, but this year he has like 97 points in 79 games in total including playoffs. He has potential to put that kind of numbers and isn’t far from it, even if technically he isn’t there yet. Most important thing is to know the point of my original post about Slafkovsky’s offensive potential.