Is Slaf for Svech a no brainer?

[Tiramisu]

Then why can't I send it? Lol!!!

[Overated Veteran]

Then why can't I send it? Lol!!!

I don't understand that part but yeah Svechnikov is way more valuable.

[Bubba55]

Ya, pretty much a no brainer. Let's put it this way, Svech has played 20 less games than Slaf this year but is still leading in the vast majority of your scoring cats. Slaf will improve, but for the next 2 - 3 years, I'm betting Svech remains the better own. In fact, this year and next, I anticipate the difference to be significant. That too, could be the case in the long term. I'm certainly not as high on Slaf as some, I personally think he tops out as a 2C 70pt forward with a 55 - 60 3YP and, playing on the bottom feeding Habs doesn't really help much either. Svechnikov is a whole lot more, absolute PPG potential, still 23 years old, and playing on one of the better offensively rich teams in the NHL. My opinion only but, ya pretty much a no brainier.

[evans334]

I moved away from Svech in the offseason because he is too often injured to be relied upon.

I would consider moving Svech for Slaf but I'd want a bit more coming back aswell simply for the points made above.

However I don't think it's a slam dunk that the Svech is the better own than Slaf.

He has one 82 game season and one 78 game season in his first 5 seasons, excluding this one, where he has already missed substantial time - https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...php?pid=196147

If you could move Svech for Slaf and another up and coming prospect who is on the cusp or another producing but older forward, I would consider that move.

[Pengwin7]

re: Svechnikov vs Slafkovsky
It's a great, great case-study.

Players come into the NHL at very different points of their "full game".
And that's the thing for NHL scouts/teams/fantasy-GMs... we have to "guess" at what amount of that potential they are AT.

(Benchmarking players vs: McDavid as a player with 100 potential that came into the NHL as a 85/100... and then reached his 100... as a lock)
(Also - some sports peg prospects on a 2-8 range... for the very reason that almost nobody is a "10" on entering the NHL. Keeps shit in check for discussion.)

Svechnikov, IMO, came into the NHL as a 65 with the potential to be an 85 player (ie. I think the highest one could hope for is that he would become what McDavid was at age 18. How crazy, but sort of true!)
Slafkovsky, IMO, came into the NHL as a 50 with the potential to be an 85 player


And the "curve" that gets them where they need to be is different.
By end of year #2, Svechnkov was probably a 75-80 player (gaining "10" in two years is amazing)... but were we really seeing him as a 90pt player?
By end of year #2, Slaf is more what typical prospects go through... a VERY rough first seaosn and even a VERY rough opening to 2nd season... showing potential.

So... DraftQ, AfterYr2, Potential, Realistic
Svech: 65, 75, (still 85?), 78-80
Slaf: 50, 65, (still 85?), (???)

If you are a numbers-trend person... you look at Slaf and you can say "He might hit that 85... but also... like Svech... the big JUMP in progression might be in that Yr2... and then the improvement might be minor in Yr3/4/5 & beyond".


IDK.. this is as HARD as it gets.

And I think the way it comes down is this:

If you want the player MOST certain to give you some amount of quality - then you choose Svechnikov.
If you need to risk on the HIGHEST UPSIDE to really be a top team in your fantasy league - then you choose Slafkovsky.


This is what is called "Risk vs Reward".
Svech is safer, IMO. (And - we've seen that Svech is a top 2 line fixture for CAR... but he has never been a lock PP1 guy)
But Slaf is more upside. (And - we're seeing MON give Slaf top line Suzuki/Caufield time and PP1 time... will that stay?... will they land another 3rd forward that displaces Slaf???)


On a fun note -
Both are long-lastname "S" players, three syllables.
Oh how fun for comparing... for me.


[One last way to think of it. I own Slaf in a league. So I follow him closely. If somebody offered me Svechnikov for Slaf... and I'm a rebuilding "basement" team... I'm probably holding Slaf. I have other players I'm hoping to all *pop* at the same time. I don't want to be "middling" in a league. I want to hopefully have a JUMP from the bottom to middle+ to upper in 2-3 years. The middle of fantasy leagues is worst play to be... usually.]

[berni67]

Svech for sure, as an Habs fan

[deadwood]

Even as a Slaf truther, I would accept Svech in a heartbeat.

[Tiramisu]

re: Svechnikov vs Slafkovsky
It's a great, great case-study.

Players come into the NHL at very different points of their "full game".
And that's the thing for NHL scouts/teams/fantasy-GMs... we have to "guess" at what amount of that potential they are AT.

(Benchmarking players vs: McDavid as a player with 100 potential that came into the NHL as a 85/100... and then reached his 100... as a lock)
(Also - some sports peg prospects on a 2-8 range... for the very reason that almost nobody is a "10" on entering the NHL. Keeps shit in check for discussion.)

Svechnikov, IMO, came into the NHL as a 65 with the potential to be an 85 player (ie. I think the highest one could hope for is that he would become what McDavid was at age 18. How crazy, but sort of true!)
Slafkovsky, IMO, came into the NHL as a 50 with the potential to be an 85 player


And the "curve" that gets them where they need to be is different.
By end of year #2, Svechnkov was probably a 75-80 player (gaining "10" in two years is amazing)... but were we really seeing him as a 90pt player?
By end of year #2, Slaf is more what typical prospects go through... a VERY rough first seaosn and even a VERY rough opening to 2nd season... showing potential.

So... DraftQ, AfterYr2, Potential, Realistic
Svech: 65, 75, (still 85?), 78-80
Slaf: 50, 65, (still 85?), (???)

If you are a numbers-trend person... you look at Slaf and you can say "He might hit that 85... but also... like Svech... the big JUMP in progression might be in that Yr2... and then the improvement might be minor in Yr3/4/5 & beyond".


IDK.. this is as HARD as it gets.

And I think the way it comes down is this:

If you want the player MOST certain to give you some amount of quality - then you choose Svechnikov.
If you need to risk on the HIGHEST UPSIDE to really be a top team in your fantasy league - then you choose Slafkovsky.


This is what is called "Risk vs Reward".
Svech is safer, IMO. (And - we've seen that Svech is a top 2 line fixture for CAR... but he has never been a lock PP1 guy)
But Slaf is more upside. (And - we're seeing MON give Slaf top line Suzuki/Caufield time and PP1 time... will that stay?... will they land another 3rd forward that displaces Slaf???)


On a fun note -
Both are long-lastname "S" players, three syllables.
Oh how fun for comparing... for me.


[One last way to think of it. I own Slaf in a league. So I follow him closely. If somebody offered me Svechnikov for Slaf... and I'm a rebuilding "basement" team... I'm probably holding Slaf. I have other players I'm hoping to all *pop* at the same time. I don't want to be "middling" in a league. I want to hopefully have a JUMP from the bottom to middle+ to upper in 2-3 years. The middle of fantasy leagues is worst play to be... usually.]

I love this post! I couldn't add rep but wanted to say tha...

[Tiramisu]

Curious have opinions changed? I was all aboard the svechnikov express early on but he's not getting the deployment to be a true gamebreaker in fantasy and thats not likely to change in Carolina. I'm at the point where I sort of feel like this actually is what he is right now- at least until a trade or a systems shake up.

Conversely they amped up the timeline on Slaf immensely AND hes getting visibly better every game.it feels like- hea shown content dominance already. If he can find that consistently I actually think its a no brainer the other way.

In the end my compete window doesn't start until next year and will probably take a year or two to amp up with Michkov as a core piece- so as P7 said im just happier to wait and let him pop.when the rest of my team is popping. Knowing the AS GM as I do it would take a kings ransom on top to get a deal done lol! When I initially posted this I thought he'd have interest as a habs fan but have since confirmed thats not a factor for him- which makes sense...