Garnish me with some tomatoes, I’ll make some spaghetti sauce. I know it seems forbidden to criticize Juraj Slafkovsky, and I like him. I feel like everyone likes him. He wasn’t the one who went for the first overall pick. And he could be a future Hall of Famer. But the reality is that through his first 50 games, he is the lowest-performing first pick in the last 26 years.
It’s hard not to get attached to Slafkovsky. He works hard, he smiles, he defends his teammates and he looks a bit like a growing Labrador whose paws grow too fast and who spends his time getting stuck everywhere. It’s a bit charming.
After the Kotkaniemi and Galchenyuk cases in Montreal, I get the impression that everyone wants to be more patient with Slafkovsky to convince themselves that things will work out with him.
The Slovakian therefore enjoys a certain immunity from criticism. This is normal, he is very young and we are constantly reminded of him. Every time he makes a bad play, we are told again that he is only 19 years old and that we must not forget that.
The same was true for Kotkaniemi and Galchenyuk before they reached the breaking point where they went from brilliance to disappointment.
Photo Martin Chevalier
But the reality is that there are doubts about Slafkovsky. I don’t know anyone who is not connected to the Canadian, who works in hockey and who has no doubts about the future.
In three years at the professional level (including his year in the league in Finland), he scored 10 goals in 81 games.
He had the opportunity to play with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on Saturday night. He finally scored. It was not bad. He made some good plays with the puck. But he just wasn’t up to it.
Not easy for trust
It must be difficult for confidence and development when you never dominate in three years, except at international events.
He is certainly in good hands in Montreal with Martin St-Louis. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t go to Laval.
And playing with Josh Anderson isn’t easy. He is the worst playmaker on the team. Neither does Newhook, who is increasingly showing that he is not a great passer. Slafkosvky wouldn’t have picked up just two points this season if he hadn’t played in this trio in the first ten games.
On top of that, he was injured last year, which prevented him from progressing.
Personally, I like that he’s in Montreal. A first overall pick is more entertaining to watch and analyze than a Rem Pitlick. But is this the best solution for Slafkovsky? Is his place really already in the NHL?
And we might well think that he would be better off spending time in Laval to dominate. But imagine if he had been ordinary in Laval and not produced more. It would be even worse for his confidence and cause concern for fans.
If Slafkovsky had been a third-round pick, I doubt he would still be with the big club.
To the worst
The Slovakian played his 50th career game on Saturday. He has a total of 12 points.
I pulled out the list of all first picks in 50 years and their offensive stats in their first 50 games. Some didn’t start in the NHL a year after being drafted. But it shows that Slafkovsky is in a class of his own. And not really the gifted class.
Only three players in 50 years had fewer points than him after 50 games. Even flops, even big players who aren’t supposed to do that much, and even defenders, sometimes very defensive.
Nail Yakupov, Erik Johnson, Roman Hamrlik, Patrik Stefan, Doug Wickenheiser, Rob Ramage; These are all players who had more points than Slafkovsky in their first 50 games.
At least it’s pretty reassuring to see who did worse than him.
Joe Thornton had 7 points in his first 50 games. But he played 6 to 8 minutes a game with Pat Burns.
With the Nordiques, Owen Nolan only scored 6 points in those first 50 games.
The other is Gord Kluzak, a Bruins defenseman who hasn’t played 300 games in the NHL. He had scored 3 points.
How strong is he?
I repeat, I love him, Juraj Slavkosky. I think he will be a good player. But I’m a little worried that he won’t be as good as the player we expect. I thought he had a better feel for the game, but I still have a hard time understanding what his greatest strength is.
On paper we know it, but on the ice I’m still looking for what it is.
It’s rare that I watch a game and see him play really impressively. And that worries me. But I’m seeing it this week even in players like Tanner Pearson, in Jesse Ylonen, and…even in Joel Armia. I wish that would happen more often with Slafkovsky.
That being said, I really hope I’m wrong and our top pick starts to shine.
Here is the list of the first elections in 50 years and the number of points for them‘They achieved the following in their first 50 games:
- 2022 Juraj Slafkovsky 12
- 2021 Owen Power 18
- 2020 Alexis Lafrenière 18
- 2019 Jack Hughes 20
- 2018 Rasmus Dahlin 28
- 2017 Nico Hischier 33
- 2016 Auston Matthews 43
- 2015 Connor McDavid 54
- 2014 Aaron Ekblad 30
- 2013 Nathan MacKinnon 34
- 2012 Nail Yakupov 31
- 2011 Ryan Nugent Hopkins 43
- 2010 Taylor Hall 31
- 2009 John Tavares 40
- 2008Steven Stamkos 20
- 2007 Patrick Kane 45
- 2006 Erik Johnson 17
- 2005 Sidney Crosby 58
- 2004 Alex Ovechkin 66
- 2002 Rick Nash 29
- 2001 Ilya Kovalchuk 44
- 1999 Patrik Stefan 21
- 1998 Vincent Lecavalier 17
- 1997 Joe Thornton 7
- 1996 Chris Phillips 12
- 1995 Bryan Berard 30
- 1994 Ed Jovanovski 21
- 1993 Alexandre Daigle 36
- 1992 Roman Hamrlik 14
- 1991 Eric Lindros 64
- 1990 Owen Nolan 6
- 1989 Mats Sundin 39
- 1988 Mike Modano 29
- 1987 Pierre Turgeon 29
- 1986 Joe Murphy 18
- 1985 Wendel Clark 38
- 1984 Mario Lemieux 69
- 1983 Brian Lawton 25
- 1982 Gord Kluzak 3
- 1981 Dale Hawerchuk 61
- 1980 Doug Wickenheiser 24
- 1979 Rob Ramage 18
- 1978 Bobby Smith 44
- 1977 Dale McCourt 45
- 1976 Rick Green 20
- 1975 Mel Bridgman 25
- 1974 Greg Joly 12
- 1973 Denis Potvin 35