Ed Ned and Leddy
Brokering the Bally Sports + Corncob TV Merger
If I were Steve Yzerman, I'd have it
1A: Lambert - 1B: Miroschnichenko - 3: Slafkovsky.
I'll also be upfront - I've only seen a handful of games from Ivan and Juraj so far. I think I've seen enough to get a good impression, but my opinions here aren't as strong as they are for some of the NCAA and USHL players who I've seen play dozens and dozens of games. My opinions are definitely subject to change as the '21/22 season progresses, especially considering COVID has hindered a lot of D-1/D-2 hockey for this class.
Slafkovsky - I'm still a bit more skeptical of this players then others seem to be. I think a first round grade is fair for a player with his size, skill, and pedigree, but I can't commit much further than that at the moment. From what I've seen, Slafkovsky generates a lot of his offense by attacking defensemen in transition, utilizing his plus stickhandling to beat RHD off the left half wall. While it's fun to watch, I don't see that part of his game translating up very effectively. Large NHL powerforwards rarely try to dangle past defensemen at the blueline - not necessarily because they can't (although, to be fair, many can't), but because they have such a large radius of puck control that NHL defensemen are often well-positioned to stick check the puck away and create transition offense in the other direction. Instead, players of Slafkovsky's size are better served leveraging their size and edgework to maneuver by defensemen. I'd like to see this player improve his skating and start leveraging his size more effectively before I project his transition offense up higher levels.
In controlled 5v5 or powerplay situations, I've seen some encouraging signs. He can disrupt in front of the net or drift behind to dictate play in back of the goaltender. There, he seems to have the vision to pick out dangerous passes for primary or secondary assists. Still, I'd have to see him do this more frequently as the year progresses to project him as a really high-impact NHL winger.
Miroschnichenko - I think plays a game that translates up more easily than Slafkovsky's does. He has a hard wrist shot and a quick, accurate release on his one-timer that to me is encouraging for his scoring in controlled 5v5 and powerplay scenarios. I'd say he has plus foot speed and puck skill, and he leverages his strong frame effectively when moving past defenders. From that, I can see him continuing to generate offense in transition at higher levels. I haven't seen great vision or playmaking for this player yet. But I think that his scoring threat will draw attention from defensemen and goaltenders, so if he can see the openings that creates and execute simple, dangerous passes from those openings he should be able to generate assists too.
It feels lazy to compare one Russian powerforward to the last one, but I genuinely do see some real similarities between what I like in Miroschnichenko and what I liked in Andrei Svechnikov a few years ago. I think Ivan is pretty comfortably a top 10 talent for me this draft (although I don't love doing extensive lists this early), and I could certainly see an argument for him over guys like Savoie, McGroarty, and even potentially Lambert as the year progresses.
Lambert - blends aspects of what I liked in both Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson's game in what I see as a more balanced center package*. Like Beniers, I think his combination of powerful skating on a strong frame makes him a real asset in center-ice transitions. However, I think Lambert is more poised in controlled 5v5 and powerplay settings than Beniers is. I like the way he works off the left half wall, he has the patience and vision to execute dangerous cross ice passes, but he also has a strong enough wrist shot to present a scoring threat. In those settings, he reminds me a bit of more of Kent Johnson than Matty Beniers.
*Not to say he's like a perfect hybrid of those players. Beniers is a more effective forechecker and a better two-way player at this stage. I think Johnson has a level of skill and vision that I haven't quite seen out of Lambert yet. But I think Lambert is a nice middle ground between those two high-end center prospects from last draft class.
I have some questions about his decision-making and consistency, but that's pretty common for prospects and doesn't usually turn me off to their upside. I think he has the frame, skating, and playmaking combination to be an NHL center, and I think he blends controlled and transition offense well enough to generate offense consistently at the NHL level. For me, he's the #2 prospect until I see really strong evidence to the contrary.
The last thing I'd say on draft order is that a close call is always going to lean in favor of the center project. Top six centers are worth their weight in gold, which I think is evidenced by Beniers, McTavish, and Johnson all going top 5 this year, the buzz around a potential Eichel trade, Petersson offer sheet, etc. It's so difficult to get those players that if you have a chance to bet on a guy like Lambert I think you're only going to turn it down if you have an even better bet at that same position (like Shane Wright), a similarly talented defenseman, or a really transcendent winger. From what we've seen in recent drafts, I'd bet that Lambert goes #2 barring some real turbulence this season.
As a Wings fans I'd happily add any of these players, particularly Lambert and Miroschinchenko. Our biggest needs are a top 6C and a big, scoring winger, so they'd slot in nicely.
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