REPORT: Insider states where Juraj Slafkovsky would have been drafted if he were in the 2023 NHL Draft

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Ryan
January 5, 2023 (1:24 PM)

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The Montreal Canadiens had the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and shocked the hockey world when they chose to pass on projected first overall pick Shane Wright and instead opted to take the big Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky.

Through 33 games this season for the Habs, Slafkovsky has 4 goals and 10 points.

Scott Wheeler, who is an Analyst for The Athletic, decided to have a little fun comparing Slafkovsky to the prospects in the 2023 stacked draft, and well, let's just say Slafkovsky doesn't compare to the top 5 and would slide from that first overall pick status.

The 2023 draft has possibly three franchise players in Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov and a few more who are superstar potential, here is where Wheeler believes Slafkovsky would have landed if he were in the 2023 draft:

1. Connor Bedard
2. Adam Fantilli
3. Matvei Michkov
4. Leo Carlson
5. Zach Benson
6. Brayden-Yager
7. Dalibor Dvorsky
8. Eduard Sale
**9. Juraj Slafkovsky
10. Calum Ritchie

He goes on to say that all three of Bedard, Fantilli and Michkov would have been selected first overall over the last three first overall picks in Lafreniere, Power and Slafkovsky.

That's how absolutely insane this upcoming draft is, and explains why teams are tanking for it.

This is a great read, you should go check it out:

My preliminary #2023NHLDraft ranking has dropped:
- Top 64 prospects
- 50 honourable mentions
- Nearly 10,000 words of evaluation
- Quotes from sources
- Player tiers

More @TheAthletic: https://t.co/IHQUIbSdvl� Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) November 1, 2022