Agreed. I think the only player teams may regret passing on that might be outside the top 5 is Cutter Gauthier. Has a great shot and may wind up a perennial 30 goal scorer, but no one’s going to take a chance on him until at least 6 or later.
- smellmyfinger

I think Philly considers him unless someone slides. They’re gonna look at Kemell, Gauthier, Savoie, and probably kick the tires on Jiricek and check out his health status. My guess is Wright, Cooley, Slafkovsky, and Nemec have a good shot at the top 4.

Cooley of Slafkovsky. You guys can’t go wrong with either one.

Absolutely agree. Cooley is my locked and loaded #2 pick. I just hope Fitz and the scouting team feels the same way. Agree i woudn't hate it if we go Slaf though, just seems like he's right up Fitz alley lol
- vlongo4419

Yeah Fitz has been saying size but think he was more referring to defense

But I wouldn't be shocked if he went with slaf at 2 due to the size and he is projected to be a good strong player and brings an aspect the devil's lack and while it shouldn't make too much of a difference in today's game but teams generally go for size unless the other player is markedly better with more potential that I can see them passing on Cooley being 5'11 and 170 for someone that's 60lbs heavier and had the size and skill but may not have as much upside potential

I prefere Jiricek but it dosn't make sense picking him at 2.
- cu45161

Trade #2 for both Buffalo picks.

Too hard to resist Slafkovsky. And no, he's not a bust. Might be two years for impact... but his ability to win puck battles and battle in front of the net is exactly what this team needs.

Too hard to resist Slafkovsky. And no, he's not a bust. Might be two years for impact... but his ability to win puck battles and battle in front of the net is exactly what this team needs.
- archromat

Sounds like Patrick Maroon on cliff notes

Not quite a bust

Too hard to resist Slafkovsky. And no, he's not a bust. Might be two years for impact... but his ability to win puck battles and battle in front of the net is exactly what this team needs.
- archromat

He would be my choice at 2. Shame I’m not picking there.

Lol, Zacha part II. This time I will throw my phone through the TV if they draft him.
- smellmyfinger

We’ll revisit in 5 years but I will bet Geekie turns out better than Slaf.

Juraj Slafkovsky on Hughes left side for the next couple of years doesn’t sound so bad.

So what team drafts Jack Hughes this year?

So the way I see it.

-Wright will be gone
-Cooley would be a great pick and should be the pick
-Slafkovsky is a good pick
-Jiricek is a fine pick
-Nemec or anybody else would be a disaster
- vlongo4419

Unless you don’t think his style is a fit I would say that’s a bit of a hot take on nemec considering how some of the models project him. This is just my opinion but if I’m selecting 2nd I’m taking one of Cooley or nemec. Jiricek I think has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than nemec, as for slafkovsky his offensive outburst at the Olympics is too small of a sample size to ignore the fact that he only had 2 points in the Finnish league up until that point. I’m not sure I would draft him in the top 5 let alone number 2 but I have also been horribly wrong on prospects before so who knows

Utica down 2-0 after I, 5SOG

I just know everybody who values Tall/60 is generally wrong.

Juraj Slafkovsky is all yours!

Unless you don’t think his style is a fit I would say that’s a bit of a hot take on nemec considering how some of the models project him. This is just my opinion but if I’m selecting 2nd I’m taking one of Cooley or nemec. Jiricek I think has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than nemec, as for slafkovsky his offensive outburst at the Olympics is too small of a sample size to ignore the fact that he only had 2 points in the Finnish league up until that point. I’m not sure I would draft him in the top 5 let alone number 2 but I have also been horribly wrong on prospects before so who knows
- RedC21

Nemec definitely does not have more upside than Jiricek lol. Jiricek's tools are way more translatable to the NHL game, and Nemec is being massively overrated from the season he had which is very unsustainable lol. But its starting to correct itself, slowly, but its doing it. Even the biggest Nemec supporters who planted their flags are starting to walk back on it.

IE Cam Robinson from EP, who had Nemec #2 on his board all year long is starting to admit Jiricek is probably better with a higher projection: https://twitter.com/Hocke...&t=Wxriqcswevh8dXzRbIa-2Q

Nemec at 2 would be a massive mistake. Jiricek is way more acceptable if going D, but in reality it should be one of the forwards(preferably Cooley, please.)

Not gonna lie I was hoping we’d stay at 4. Now fans, as well as myself, can look at the devils and blame their winning on how lucky they got to win the lottery THREE times in 6 seasons. Sure, Nico was no Crosby, and Hughes no Malkin.. but I always had a side eye to the pens for landing generational talent when they picked high, not to mention a franchise goalie, a Whitney turned into Kunitz, and Jordan staal.

While our picks likely aren’t on that level, we’ve been so lucky to win 3 out of 6 drafts -_-
Don’t call me negative lol. The perspective makes sense.

Utica tied the game at 3 after 2

Nemec definitely does not have more upside than Jiricek lol. Jiricek's tools are way more translatable to the NHL game, and Nemec is being massively overrated from the season he had which is very unsustainable lol. But its starting to correct itself, slowly, but its doing it. Even the biggest Nemec supporters who planted their flags are starting to walk back on it.

IE Cam Robinson from EP, who had Nemec #2 on his board all year long is starting to admit Jiricek is probably better with a higher projection: https://twitter.com/Hocke...&t=Wxriqcswevh8dXzRbIa-2Q

Nemec at 2 would be a massive mistake. Jiricek is way more acceptable if going D, but in reality it should be one of the forwards(preferably Cooley, please.)
- vlongo4419

I agree that Jiricek has caught up to nemec and will admit that nemec is just my personal preference but I think the two are interchangeable enough to say that claiming selecting one over the other would be a disaster is a hot take.

I’ve also followed this Byron bader guy for a while who’s model I don’t think takes into account defence enough but is pretty accurate offensively quote tweeted cam Robinson’s with this thread: https://twitter.com/byron.../1522642598338342912?s=21

As someone who’s had the pleasure of watching makar burn my flames more often than not it’s no surprise here why I stand with nemec as my preference

As far as sustainability goes unless a guys riding someone’s coattails I would rather bet on the guys that’s done it once to do it again than the guy who hasn’t done it at all.

Not gonna lie I was hoping we’d stay at 4. Now fans, as well as myself, can look at the devils and blame their winning on how lucky they got to win the lottery THREE times in 6 seasons. Sure, Nico was no Crosby, and Hughes no Malkin.. but I always had a side eye to the pens for landing generational talent when they picked high, not to mention a franchise goalie, a Whitney turned into Kunitz, and Jordan staal.

While our picks likely aren’t on that level, we’ve been so lucky to win 3 out of 6 drafts -_-
Don’t call me negative lol. The perspective makes sense.
- MartysBetter88

Luckily we’re the Devils and no one cares about us.

Not gonna lie I was hoping we’d stay at 4. Now fans, as well as myself, can look at the devils and blame their winning on how lucky they got to win the lottery THREE times in 6 seasons. Sure, Nico was no Crosby, and Hughes no Malkin.. but I always had a side eye to the pens for landing generational talent when they picked high, not to mention a franchise goalie, a Whitney turned into Kunitz, and Jordan staal.

While our picks likely aren’t on that level, we’ve been so lucky to win 3 out of 6 drafts -_-
Don’t call me negative lol. The perspective makes sense.
- MartysBetter88

Maybe they will maybe they won't. I don't see anybody saying that about Florida? Their top 3 players are all lottery picks. Huberdeau was #3, Barkov #2, and Ekblad #1. Heck they even had a failed #3 pick in Gudbranson in that time frame too. They had 4 top 3 picks in 5 years. In the end, who really cares lol. Also, Hughes is one of the better #1 picks in this decade, the only ones I'd take over him from 2009 through 2022 are McDavid, Matthews, and MacKinnon.

Luckily we’re the Devils and no one cares about us.
- RubberBiscuitz

Also, who gives a (frank) that we won the lottery with <9% chances each time. It's not like when the Oilers were winning them where they could only fall to 2OA at worst and had a 50% chance at 1OA every time.

People want to female dog about that a team less deserving got the pick but it's Buffalo's fault for tanking on purpose for McDavid so the owners as a group changed the system to decentivize teams from tanking.

Not gonna lie I was hoping we’d stay at 4. Now fans, as well as myself, can look at the devils and blame their winning on how lucky they got to win the lottery THREE times in 6 seasons. Sure, Nico was no Crosby, and Hughes no Malkin.. but I always had a side eye to the pens for landing generational talent when they picked high, not to mention a franchise goalie, a Whitney turned into Kunitz, and Jordan staal.

While our picks likely aren’t on that level, we’ve been so lucky to win 3 out of 6 drafts -_-
Don’t call me negative lol. The perspective makes sense.

Maybe they will maybe they won't. I don't see anybody saying that about Florida? Their top 3 players are all lottery picks. Huberdeau was #3, Barkov #2, and Ekblad #1. Heck they even had a failed #3 pick in Gudbranson in that time frame too. They had 4 top 3 picks in 5 years. In the end, who really cares lol. Also, Hughes is one of the better #1 picks in this decade, the only ones I'd take over him from 2009 through 2022 are McDavid, Matthews, and MacKinnon.
- vlongo4419

People think that the draft picks means your team is just good now when it actually takes years, even with top level talent, to convert that into meaningful wins. Edmonton still blows and might lose to a very medium Kings in the first round, which would be a major embarrassment.

Also, people like to ignore the fact that you can just draft bad players with your picks. They aren't guarantees at all. Point to the Devils draft history and taking lots of poop players who never amount to anything.

People think that the draft picks means your team is just good now when it actually takes years, even with top level talent, to convert that into meaningful wins. Edmonton still blows and might lose to a very medium Kings in the first round, which would be a major embarrassment.

Also, people like to ignore the fact that you can just draft bad players with your picks. They aren't guarantees at all. Point to the Devils draft history and taking lots of poop players who never amount to anything.
- Pomegrant

Agreed!

Scott Wheelers initial thoughts on the pick:

What should the Devils do with No. 2?

"No matter how tonight played out, or who won the No. 2 pick, I think there were only five players who were going to be in any of the teams’ conversations for second overall: Logan Cooley and Juraj Slafkovsky as the front-runners, defencemen Simon Nemec and David Jiricek, and maybe Matthew Savoie if the right team won the second pick. Now that it’s the Devils, things get trickier. Given what they know they have coming in Luke Hughes on the back end, I suspect their meeting ahead of the combine became about Cooley and Slafkovsky, who are very different players. I think most of the teams that were likely to win the lottery would have gone with Cooley, the centre, but I wonder if, because of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier down the middle, the Devils are tempted by Slafkovsky, a big winger with oodles of skill. I’m partial to Cooley as a player, but the fit with Slafkovsky is real."

Absolutely agree. Cooley is my locked and loaded #2 pick. I just hope Fitz and the scouting team feels the same way. Agree i woudn't hate it if we go Slaf though, just seems like he's right up Fitz alley lol
- vlongo4419

Too small and don’t block enough shots.

Utica wins game 1 6-3! Important to get up early because this round is only a best-of-5.