Juraj Slafkovsky is unquestionably one of the most talented players available in the 2022 NHL Draft class. The combination of his size, skill, shot, and versatility makes him unique, and his ceiling is tantalizingly high for scouts and observers alike.
Still, whenever Slafkovsky is brought up in the context of the first overall selection, there is one massive elephant in the room: 10 points in 31 games. That is what Slafkovsky put up in his draft year playing with TPS in Liiga.
It is a number that not only pales in comparison to the most recent high-profile wingers (or centres who played as wingers during their draft-eligible year) from the Liiga such as Patrik Laine and Kaapo Kakko, but it is one that fails to stack up against players with much less fanfare such as Mikko Rantanen and yes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi.