New Jersey Devils: Pros And Cons In Trading 2nd-Overall Pick

Con: Risk Of Losing A Superstar In Juraj Slafkovsky

The biggest con of this deal is what Juraj Sladkovsky could become. We always hear analysts talking themselves into players before the draft, but when it’s come to the point that we’ve seen with Slovak Juraj Sladkovsky, it usually means this is a pretty set prospect. Even if he doesn’t become a super-duper star, he still should be an incredible player. Just look at Kaapo Kakko, who is gaining comps for Slafkovsky for obvious reasons. Teams likely wouldn’t be terribly happy with that outcome off the top, but Hockey Reference’s point shares has him ranked eighth in the class. Maybe there is a games played adjustment, but Kappo feels like the floor for Slafkovsky at this point.

He’s still a risk, but his risk isn’t as high as the players the Devils were taking fifth or sixth overall. Slafkovsky seems fated to be an NHL player at the very least and a scoring superstar who brings size and toughness to a top six at his very best. That upside is so hard to ignore.

The Devils would be possibly letting go of a superstar just to get some net gains right now. It also doesn’t fix the Devils’ biggest problem, which is the goaltender position. That’s a lot of risk, and that alone could put Tom Fitzgerald on the hot seat. The thought of Slafkovsky coming into New Jersey and protecting Hughes or Hischier for the next decade is hard to say no to. This is a player who is going to be help this team for a long time, and trading him away for help now might not be worth the risk.