Juraj Slavkovsky “ranked too high”?

Shane Wright or Juraj Slavkovsky? That’s the question on everyone’s lips in light of the National Hockey League draft taking place in two weeks’ time.

However, according to Hockey Prospecting, an analytical tool developed by Byron Bader to predict the future performance of the NHL’s prospects, there is no debate about it.

In fact, according to his final rankings, published on Tuesday, Wright sits at the top while Slavkowski finds himself in 16th place!

It is important to note that this is not a traditional recruit rating, but rather a ranking according to the players’ chances of establishing themselves in the pitman circle and becoming a superstar there.

It should also be added that NHL teams use the Bader tool, which makes it very credible.

“Slavkovsky makes me really nervous and I’m afraid he ranks too high,” Bader wrote. He has the profile in the player tool that you will take in the middle of the first round or even towards the end.

“I can’t find any possible justification for choosing Slafkovsky as much as we see it on the lists. I’m not even able to find any to take it into the top ten.

“When you look at the data of all the players who have a similar profile to Slafkovsky’s, there are very few who have become stars and it is better to have one in second place.”

Bader says the names Valeri Nichushkin and Jesse Puljujarvi are often mentioned as comparisons, and as he points out, these two players would certainly be selected in similar ranks to where Slafkovsky would place if the 2013 and 2016 drafts were repeated.

To read Byron Bader’s full report on the top 32 possibilities according to his tool, he is here.

Watch Anthony Martineau’s interview with Juraj Slafkovsky in the video above.