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Juraj Slafkovský, is one of the more polarizing players in this upcoming draft. Slafkovský is a big player, checking in in at an impressive six-foot-four and 218 pounds. Slafkovský has moved around Europe quite a bit, before landing in Finland for the 2019 season. He eventually earned a permanent role with TPS Turko’s top club this past season in the Liiga (top Finnish professional league). Next season, Slafkovský will play in either the Finish Liiga, AHL, or NHL. 

The giant forward was ranked first among European skaters in the NHL’s Central Scouting final 2022 Draft Rankings.

The Statistics

Slafkovský began his career as a 13-year-old playing in the Slovakian under-16 and under-18 leagues. While playing in the under-16 league he put up an impressive 30 goals and 54 points in only 23 games. When Slafkovsky was moved up to the under-18 league, he put up nine goals and 14 points in 18 games.

In 2019-20 is when the winger settled in Finland and he played for TPS Turko’s under-18 and under-20 teams. Slafkovsky put up 52 points in 39 under-18 games and three points in only four under-20 games. This all as a 15-and-16-year-old playing in one of the top European junior system. The following year he put up 13 points in 16 games playing in Finland’s under-20 league.

This past season is where Slafkovský truly broke out. He scored 18 points in 11 under-20 games and 17 points in 49 Liiga games over the regular season and playoffs. This all on top of scoring 14 goals and 27 points over 23 games playing for Slovakia during the Olympic games, under-18 and under-20 World Junior Championships, and World Championships. He was named tournament MVP at the Olympics.

Slafkovský’s nine points in eight games at the World Championships is tied for 3rd among post-2000 18-year-olds. The only players ahead of him on the list are Sidney Crosby and Patrick Laine. He is tied with Auston Matthews and Anze Kopitar. Pretty good company to be in, especially on a Slovakian team that isn’t loaded with NHL-caliber players.

Scouting Report

Strengths

The easiest way to describe Juraj Slafkovský’s strengths is that he’s a six-foot-four giant who plays like he’s five foot 11. He does this while still mastering the art of using his large frame to his advantage. Slafkovský skates very well for how big he is. He uses his great edgework along with his size to spin away from defenders along the wall and in the corner while still retaining possession of the puck. He is a terrific puck possessor.

Another one of Slafkovský’s strengths is his ability to generate shots. Size once again comes to his advantage here, as he uses it to get to the dirty areas. Once there he’s hard to move, making him a shot machine, and usually a high-quality one. Something he needs to do more often, as a lot of his tape shows the willingness to log shot attempts from medium-danger or the outside. However, he certainly owns the capability to get in close.

Slafkovský also has a very underrated playmaking ability. His vision combined with his determination leads to Slafkovský creating not just a lot of opportunities for himself, but also for his teammates. If you had to categorize him as either a goal-scorer – which many believe he is – playmaker would be a better describer for his overall game Slafkovský.

Can Juraj Slafkovsky reach a similar elite level as Mikko Rantanen in the NHL?

If the answer is "probably not" then picking him inside the Top 3 in the 2022 draft may not be the right move. pic.twitter.com/XgdSBQ6cDA

— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) May 17, 2022

Lots compare Slafkovský to Mikko Rantanen, which is where the concept for the graph above comes from. Both players were large wingers who thrived for TPS Turko in their draft year. With Slafkovsky’s strengths, it’s easy to see more than just situation in their comparison

Weaknesses

Slafkovsky has many strengths, all of which are a large reason why he is regarded so highly. However, he also isn’t perfect. 

While he’s a workhorse at both ends of the ice, the area in between has been troubling for Slafkovský. His creativity and vision on offensive zone entries is lacking. On top of this, when trying to defend off the rush he looks lost. These are things that can be coached of course, but are notable and should be taken into consideration when drafting a player, especially with a top three pick. Slafkovský has all the tools to be effective in transition, but certainly a work-in-progress.

Another area of potential concern has to do with his physicality. He uses it well in the sense of puck control, however, he is not your prototypical power forward. Slafkovský isn’t too physical and is not one to throw his body around. An area you may want to see more developed for someone of his size.

Also, his goal-scoring in the recent tournament may be overblown a tad. As mentioned above, he is more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer. He still has a sneaky good shot, but a 40-goal scorer in the NHL seems to be a far-fetched proposition.

Fit With the New Jersey Devils

Many Devils’ fans are in love with the idea of drafting Slafkovský, and for good reason. He is a big winger that has been scoring a ton and could potentially slot into the Devils’ top-six very soon.

However, there are many who hold the opinion that Slafkovský is not the second-best player in the draft. If the Devils feel that, then they shouldn’t take him. They’re in a spot where the depth of their young players and prospects should allow the Devils to just select the best player available. Is Slafkovský the second-best player available? Maybe, but the recent overhype may be overshadowing other potentially stronger players such as Logan Cooley.

Regardless, Slafkovský should be a solid NHL-level player when its all said and done. Most of everyone the Devils’ can select at second overall can be just that. If Slafkovský is that guy, New Jersey should be very pleased.