Slafkovsky has historic tournament, draft stock likely to rise

Saturday marked a historic moment in Slovak hockey. For the first time as an independent nation, Slovakia won a medal at the Winter Olympics by defeating Sweden in the bronze medal game.

The team was led by 17-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky, a 2022 draft eligible prospect who plays his club hockey for TPS Turku in Finland's SM-Liiga.

In seven games at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Slafkovsky put up seven goals to lead the tournament. His seven points is also tied for the tournament lead with Adam Tambellini (Canada), Sakari Manninen (Finland), and Teemu Hartikainen (Finland).

Slafkovsky, who will turn 18 at the end of March, was ranked second among international skaters in the NHL Central Scouting mid-term rankings, only behind Joakim Kemell (JYP - SM-Liiga).

The last nine months have been busy for Slafkovsky on the international stage. He was selected to represent Slovakia at the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Latvia, he didn't record any points in six games, but he left a lasting impression on general manager Miroslav Satan. Three months later, Slafkovsky was selected once again for the national team, this time to help them qualify for the Olympics. In three games at the Final Qualifying Tournament, he had one assist while they defeated Austria, Poland and Belarus to reach their eighth consecutive Winter Olympics.

His strong play at the 2022 Winter Olympics has definitely caught the eye of NHL scouts and in my personal opinion, I believe he has closed the gap between himself and Shane Wright, the projected number one overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. It wouldn't be too shocking to see if he him go second overall in July and he'll have an opportunity to further close that gap at the World Championship in May.

Slafkovsky possesses a lethal shot, which mixed with his strong vision and hockey IQ, makes him a dangerous offensive threat to any team he plays against. He also plays a physical game, which can help create offensive chances for his line mates. The only real weakness in Slafkovsky's game is his skating, which he is working on and has gotten slightly better at over the last several months.

The Kosice (Slovakia) native will now return to TPS Turku where he'll finish the 2021-22 campaign, before re-joining the national team in mid-May for the World Championship in Finland.

What could possibly be next for the 17-year-old sensation? @HockeySlovakia #Beijing2022 #icehockey pic.twitter.com/M9RFyYtKn7— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) February 19, 2022

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