After 50 games, Juraj Slavkovsky was the worst first-round pick in terms of production in 26 years and was among the three least productive forwards in 50 years. After 100 games we are somewhere else.
The Slovakian played his 100th game in the NHL against the Lightning. Yes, he's still among the worst: 29th of the last 35 forwards drafted first overall, but his poor performance in the first 50 games hasn't really allowed him to get back on track.
But if we look at games 51 to 100 and compare him to the other first picks, the gigantic Canadian winger is putting in an exceptional performance for a 19-year-old.
He is 21st of 35. He was notably better than John Tavares, Vincent Lecavalier, Pierre Turgeon, Jack Hughes, Mike Modano, Mats Sundin and Joe Thornton. Not that bad though.
In November I published a column analyzing Slafkovsky's production In early November, he effectively recorded his point total compared to the other first-round picks. The observation was not fancy.
If I were a columnist from Buffalo it would be over, but being in Quebec, I get the impression that many fans believe that I have a duty to cuddle the Canadian and especially our young Juraj. As if it were our child. Even if they are statistics, facts. I was picked up. It was spectacular.
As I wrote back in November, I like Slafkovsky and it would be great if he became a great player. Fans in Montreal have waited too long for this.
There were still doubts about his game. The advanced statistics showed it. He lost the puck, didn't win his battles in the corners of the ice, didn't make many defensive moves to take the puck away from his opponent. That is, situations in which we believed that things wouldn't get any worse, even if it didn't help. I heard fans in the open rows saying that Juraj didn't score, but at least he was big and strong on the boards to win pucks. It was completely wrong.
But then everything changed. He really shut me up.
L'The switch must be clamped
On the power play, I don’t know what happened. But it looks like someone updated it, like a computer. As if someone opened their brain in the night and flipped the switch: Very good on the power play while being stuck on average.
His feel for the game has taken a significant step forward. He finds passing lines that we didn't even see. He keeps the puck, he retrieves it and protects it much better than most guys on the ice.
Before the holidays, the Coyotes mocked the Canadian for not getting Logan Cooley to choose Slafkovsky. The latter is three points taller than Cooley, but also nearly a head and 60 pounds more muscle. This mockery will age really badly.
But let's not panic. I don't want to send Slafkovsky straight into the Hall of Fame. After 100 games, good old Alex Galchenyuk had 53 points (12 more than Slafkovsky) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi had 39.
Still, Juraj's ceiling appears to be higher. I believe the Canadian has a special player on his hands. And I was anything but sure before Christmas.
Return of top picks overall over 50 years
After 100 games
- 1984 Mario Lemieux 147
- 2005 Sidney Crosby 132
- 1981 Dale Hawerchuk 132
- 1991 Eric Lindros 128
- 2004 Alex Ovechkin 128
- 2015 Connor McDavid 108
- 1978 Bobby Smith 106
- 2007 Patrick Kane 96
- 1977 Dale McCourt 94
- 2001 Ilya Kovalchuk 90
- 2016 Auston Matthews 90
- 1973 Denis Potvin 80 (D)
- 1985 Wendel Clark 75
- 2013 Nathan MacKinnon 74
- 2011 Ryan Nugent Hopkins 74
- 2010 Taylor Hall 72
- 2008 Steven Stamkos 70
- 1975 Mel Bridgman 68
- 2009 John Tavares 66
- 2017 Nico Hischier 65
- 1995 Bryan Berard 64 (D)
- 1993 Alexandre Daigle 62
- 2002 Rick Nash 58
- 2018 Rasmus Dahlin 56 (D)
- 1989 Mats Sundin 56
- 1980 Doug Wickenheiser 55
- 2006 Erik Johnson 54 (D)
- 1987 Pierre Turgeon 51
- 2014 Aaron Ekblad 46 (D)
- 2021 Owen Power 46 (D)
- 1990 Owen Nolan 44
- 2012 Nagel Yakupov 44
- 1983 Brian Lawton 43
- 2019 Jack Hughes 42
- 1988 Mike Modano 42
- 2022 Juraj Slafkovsky 41
- 1979 Rob Ramage 40 (D)
- 1998 Vincent Lecavalier 39
- 1986 Joe Murphy 37
- 1994 Ed Jovanovski 36 (D)
- 1999 Patrik Stefan 35
- 1974 Greg Joly 33 (D)
- 2020 Alexis Lafrenière 33
- 1976 Rick Green 31 (R)
- 1992 Roman Hamrlik 30 (D)
- 1997 Joe Thornton 25
- 1982 Gord Kluzak 22 (R)
- 1996 Chris Phillips 22 (R)
Match 51 to 100
- 1984 Mario Lemieux 78
- 2005 Sidney Crosby 74
- 1981 Dale Hawerchuk 71
- 1991 Eric Lindros 64
- 2004 Alex Ovechkin 62
- 1978 Bobby Smith 62
- 2015 Connor McDavid 54
- 2007 Patrick Kane 51
- 2008 Steven Stamkos 50th
- 1977 Dale McCourt 49
- 2016 Auston Matthews 47
- 2001 Ilya Kovalchuk 46
- 1973 Denis Potvin 45 (D)
- 1975 Mel Bridgman 43
- 2011 Ryan Nugent Hopkins 41
- 2013 Nathan MacKinnon 40
- 1990 Owen Nolan 38
- 1985 Wendel Clark 37
- 1995 Bryan Berard 34 (D)
- 2017 Nico Hischier 32
- 1980 Doug Wickenheiser 31
- 2002 Rick Nash 29
- 2022 Juraj Slafkovsky 29
- 2018 Rasmus Dahlin 28 (D)
- 2021 Owen Power 28 (D)
- 1993 Alexandre Daigle 26
- 2009 John Tavares 26
- 2019 Jack Hughes 22
- 1998 Vincent Lecavalier 22
- 1979 Rob Ramage 22 (R)
- 1987 Pierre Turgeon 22
- 1974 Greg Joly 21 (D)
- 2006 Erik Johnson 20 (R)
- 1982 Gord Kluzak 19 (R)
- 1986 Joe Murphy 19
- 1983 Brian Lawton 18
- 1997 Joe Thornton 18
- 1994 Ed Jovanovski 17 (D)
- 1989 Mats Sundin 17
- 2014 Aaron Ekblad 16 (D)
- 1992 Roman Hamrlik 16 (D)
- 2020 Alexis Lafrenière 15
- 1999 Patrik Stefan 14
- 1988 Mike Modano 13
- 2012 Nail Yakupov 13
- 1976 Rick Green 11 (R)
- 1996 Chris Phillips 10 (R)