NHL Draft 2022 - Updated top 10 stats - Slafzilla & Cooley

[wilfpaiement]

Considering how much criticism Juraj Slafkovsky has come in for among the esteemed hockey geniuses in this community, I wanted to see how exactly the big winger is stacking up against the top 10 in his draft class. Here's the updated top 10 from D2022:

I'd say Slafzilla has done very well for himself. But then, there will always be those who say "Sure he has 45 points but why not 46?"

Click to read more...

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

Sure he has 45 points but why not 46?
LOL Slafzilla .. love it!
If you go for Shane Wright total career stats you should do it with Slafkovsky too.
22-23: 8-1-1-2
23-24: 6-3-1-4

 

[wilfpaiement]

Sure he has 45 points but why not 46?
LOL Slafzilla .. love it!
If you go for Shane Wright total career stats you should do it with Slafkovsky too.
22-23: 8-1-1-2
23-24: 6-3-1-4

Thanks, fixed.

 

[Scintillating10]

I wanted Cooley in that draft. I see my mistake now

 

[Habs13]

While Cooley's stats are close, I think there's more to this than just numbers. What Slafkovsky brings to the Habs is so much more than stats. He's opened up that top line and allows Suzuki and Caufield to flourish - and it's just starting. I don't think Cooley would bring that in the same way.

I wanted Wright. I was wrong.

 

[CHwest]

Considering how much criticism Juraj Slafkovsky has come in for among the esteemed hockey geniuses in this community, I wanted to see how exactly the big winger is stacking up against the top 10 in his draft class. Here's the updated top 10 from D2022:

View attachment 848345

I'd say Slafzilla has done very well for himself. But then, there will always be those who say "Sure he has 45 points but why not 46?"

Great start, come out throwing insults. Winner winner.....

 

[wilfpaiement]

I wanted Cooley in that draft. I see my mistake now

Yeah, I was on the fence. But leaning toward big Slaf. He's only just beginning to pay off too.

A little exercise I just did. I wondered:

What if we struck from Slaf's stats all those games where he was on the second and third line, playing with scrubs like Evans and Anderson and Gallagher. What if we then extrapolated his top line games to a full 82 games and have him 22 minutes of ice time per game - true "star" minutes? Where would that put Slafkovsky in relation to the true big guns in the league?

The short answer is: He's still a work in progress. He's on his way - mostly likely not to the rarefied air guys like Kucherov and McDavid breathe - but Slaf is definitely on his way to somewhere very nice. And he is shaping up to be an absolute NIGHTMARE for opposition defence corps across the league. Anyway, here is what Slaf's top-line numbers this year extrapolate to in a full 82 game, 22 minutes per game season:

(GP-G-A-PTS-PIM-SHOTS-ICE)

I'm not trying to be funny here - I'm just looking for a little more insight into what kind of player Slafkovsky is going to become. Some say Joe Thornton though I disagree. Others have him pegged as some kind of sniper-to-be, like he'll be scoring 40 to 50 a year when he refines his shot. I disagree with that also.

I think, personally, Slafkovsky is going to be a terror to play against when he hits his prime. He's going to look like a Wayne Cashman type of player - without perhaps the wicked aggression and the pugilistic prowess.

You look at what a guy like Cashman brought to those great Bs teams back in the day - it was absolutely essential. Cash was a demon on the boards, great at digging out pucks for the scorers. Now Cash was FEARED as well, and I don't necessarily think Slaf will bring that quality, although he does have the size and strength to be a real terror.

Cash was good for, what, 25 goals and 50 assists "ish" back in the day - back at a time when scoring league-wide was similar to what it is right now? If Slaf becomes a solid, clutch 25-goal 50-assist man every year, well, then I think history will show that Montreal used their top pick VERY wisely.

Now, the possibly fly in the ointment there is that Cash had all these other great players to play with - and they had all that success because they had so many weapons (unless they played the Habs ha ha ha). The current Montreal Canadiens don't have a Phil Esposito or a Bobby Orr or a Ken Hodge or a John Bucyk or even a Gerry Cheevers in net, although Monty and Primeau are looking good most nights and we do have that kid Fowler.

So there are some key ingredients missing when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens so Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have their work cut out for them if they want to get to that next level - and to ensure the Canadiens don't remain a one-line pony (Slaf-Suzuki-Caufield).

Great start, come out throwing insults. Winner winner.....

Who did I insult? I'm sorry you took it that way.

While Cooley's stats are close, I think there's more to this than just numbers. What Slafkovsky brings to the Habs is so much more than stats. He's opened up that top line and allows Suzuki and Caufield to flourish - and it's just starting. I don't think Cooley would bring that in the same way.

I wanted Wright. I was wrong.

Meh, no one has a crystal ball - not important now I guess. It's just great to see Slaf morphing into Slafzilla before our eyes. I caught the Habs-Kraken game in Seattle recently - although Slaf wasn't the best player on the ice he was definitely very "big" on that ice.

 

[wilfpaiement]

While Cooley's stats are close, I think there's more to this than just numbers. What Slafkovsky brings to the Habs is so much more than stats. He's opened up that top line and allows Suzuki and Caufield to flourish - and it's just starting. I don't think Cooley would bring that in the same way.

I wanted Wright. I was wrong.

There's this swagger to Slafkovsky that a guy like Cooley, however undeniably talented he is, would not and will not bring. I can see 3 to 5 years from now, with the Habs knee-deep in the third round of the playoffs, in a war with some tough team like the current Panthers, and a guy like Slaf just waltzing into town and having a monster game, setting up a pair of goals and scoring another and laying the body. I can't see a guy like Cooley ever having that kind of effect come playoff time.

 

[windycity]

I wanted Cooley in that draft. I see my mistake now

Yeah I kept shifting between Cooley and Wright but I was clearly Wrong

 

[wilfpaiement]

Yeah I kept shifting between Cooley and Wright but I was clearly Wrong

You're far from alone. Cooley is going to be a very good player. 80+ points. And Wright, who knows? For some reason I see him becoming a Plekanec+ player ... two way excellent, 60 to 70 points. Thing is, I don't think anyone pointwise from D2022 is going to run away with the prize. But I (and a growing number) think Slaf is going to bring that nightmarish dimension that the other two won't. Slaf when he fills out will be 245 to 250 pounds. That's going to be tough for opposing D. Heck, it already is. One thing the guy needs to work on, though, still, is his balance. I think if he worked on that and on his shooting, we would see that 25-30 goal 45-55 assist guy. Who knows...maybe if Montreal's D prospects blossom into All-stars Slaf's numbers in a few years go even higher. Look what having Orr on the back end did for Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman.

Sure he has 45 points but why not 46?
LOL Slafzilla .. love it!
If you go for Shane Wright total career stats you should do it with Slafkovsky too.
22-23: 8-1-1-2
23-24: 6-3-1-4

I stole that nickname "Slafzilla" from the YouTube channel Habs Digest (https://www.youtube.com/@HabsDigest/videos).

 

[Habs]

Cooley is doing really well too

 

[Andrei79]

At some point, you can't always go for the flashy 5'10" player. A winger with Slafs size, skill, skating, agression and competitiveness comes along very rarely. I would be very surprised if Slaf isn't a beast in the playoffs. Maybe he gets outscored by a player drafted after him, but that doesn't mean he wasn't the right choice for this team.

 

[Tyson]

At some point, you can't always go for the flashy 5'10" player. A winger with Slafs size, skill, skating, agression and competitiveness comes along very rarely. I would be very surprised if Slaf isn't a beast in the playoffs. Maybe he gets outscored by a player drafted after him, but that doesn't mean he wasn't the right choice for this team.

Well said

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Slaf wasn’t atop my board but he did always have the highest ceiling. And it’s quite rare for a guy to actually get to their ceiling, but right now Slaf is looking like he could get there. A Rantanan/Draisatal outcome is really not so far fetched. Not saying he gets there for sure, but the growth he’s shown has been insane. It’s like a light turned. Never in all my years have I witnessed that happen, he basically went from struggling to great over night.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

the size is just undeniable.

at this point he can just park himself in front of the net on an offensive presence, and a goal will most likely happen. man's talented and BIG, he's turning into a points MAGNET

 

[Nedved]

I wanted Wright, would've settled for a Center in Cooley, didn't think enough wingers in the nhl can dominate the ice to make that pick at 1. he looks like he might be headed down that road, that's no easy feat as a winger, so I hope he keeps it up. also, he has played all season, no major injuries, which is huge for the big man.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I wanted Slaf and I wanted Rein.

 

[JianYang]

Yeah, I was on the fence. But leaning toward big Slaf. He's only just beginning to pay off too.

A little exercise I just did. I wondered:

What if we struck from Slaf's stats all those games where he was on the second and third line, playing with scrubs like Evans and Anderson and Gallagher. What if we then extrapolated his top line games to a full 82 games and have him 22 minutes of ice time per game - true "star" minutes? Where would that put Slafkovsky in relation to the true big guns in the league?

The short answer is: He's still a work in progress. He's on his way - mostly likely not to the rarefied air guys like Kucherov and McDavid breathe - but Slaf is definitely on his way to somewhere very nice. And he is shaping up to be an absolute NIGHTMARE for opposition defence corps across the league. Anyway, here is what Slaf's top-line numbers this year extrapolate to in a full 82 game, 22 minutes per game season:

View attachment 848354
(GP-G-A-PTS-PIM-SHOTS-ICE)

I'm not trying to be funny here - I'm just looking for a little more insight into what kind of player Slafkovsky is going to become. Some say Joe Thornton though I disagree. Others have him pegged as some kind of sniper-to-be, like he'll be scoring 40 to 50 a year when he refines his shot. I disagree with that also.

I think, personally, Slafkovsky is going to be a terror to play against when he hits his prime. He's going to look like a Wayne Cashman type of player - without perhaps the wicked aggression and the pugilistic prowess.

You look at what a guy like Cashman brought to those great Bs teams back in the day - it was absolutely essential. Cash was a demon on the boards, great at digging out pucks for the scorers. Now Cash was FEARED as well, and I don't necessarily think Slaf will bring that quality, although he does have the size and strength to be a real terror.

Cash was good for, what, 25 goals and 50 assists "ish" back in the day - back at a time when scoring league-wide was similar to what it is right now? If Slaf becomes a solid, clutch 25-goal 50-assist man every year, well, then I think history will show that Montreal used their top pick VERY wisely.

Now, the possibly fly in the ointment there is that Cash had all these other great players to play with - and they had all that success because they had so many weapons (unless they played the Habs ha ha ha). The current Montreal Canadiens don't have a Phil Esposito or a Bobby Orr or a Ken Hodge or a John Bucyk or even a Gerry Cheevers in net, although Monty and Primeau are looking good most nights and we do have that kid Fowler.

So there are some key ingredients missing when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens so Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have their work cut out for them if they want to get to that next level - and to ensure the Canadiens don't remain a one-line pony (Slaf-Suzuki-Caufield).


Who did I insult? I'm sorry you took it that way.


Meh, no one has a crystal ball - not important now I guess. It's just great to see Slaf morphing into Slafzilla before our eyes. I caught the Habs-Kraken game in Seattle recently - although Slaf wasn't the best player on the ice he was definitely very "big" on that ice.l

He reminds me a bit of Zubrus and Eller. Both guys came into the league as big guys with some flash, but alot of untapped potential. Eller and zubrus primarily turned into secondary or tertiary guys, but they were solid.

Slaf looks like he can become a rich man's zubrus, which is exciting to think of.

 

[Habssince89]

Slafkovsky lets Suzuki play without the puck, which is dangerous as hell for the opposition. Being able to put the two apart from one another really stretches defenses and I think it also puts less pressure on the D as well. So happy Slaf has got to play with Nick

 

[Paddyjack]

At the beginning of the season, Suzuki-Caufield was the infernal duo and it was hard to think about separating them, and the quest was to find a third player on that line. Today, I would say that Suzuki-Slaf is the real deal, and I would look for another winger than Caufield on that line now. Caufield can easily slot with Dach next year I'm quite sure that would be effective too.