Analyst Shocks With Question Involving Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky: Does One Has the Edge Over the Other?

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Elias Edmonson
January 7, 2024 (8:45 PM)

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When he was drafted first overall in the 2022 draft, it was clear that Juraj Slafkovsky was going to face pressure. Not only was he a top draft pick, but he also landed in one of the NHL's most critical cities.

If the Slovak's start to the season was somewhat surprising, playing with Kirby Dach, the loss of his centerman proved to be a bad omen. The young man subsequently seemed to lose his bearings, and many hoped that the CH would send him to Laval to regain confidence.

The young man's problems now seem to be a thing of the past as he has been impressing greatly for a few weeks. He is starting to get comfortable and complements Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield very well.

By the way, hadn't he already said he was going to do just that right before his draft?

The progression of CH's number 20 is very reassuring and proves that he will have an important role in the CH's offensive future. It makes one wonder where he stands in the team's hierarchy? Has he surpassed established players?

On this topic, Mathias Brunet, during a recent appearance on BPM Sports, asked a question that might surprise many:

"Now it's me who's going to ask you a question, one I would never have imagined asking six months ago, not even a month ago. If you have the choice right now, you can only keep one, the other leaves. Do you keep Slafkovsky or Caufield?" - Mathias Brunet

The question is hypothetical, admittedly, but very revealing. It boils down to which of these two players has the most value, right now, for the organization.

Considering that Caufield recently went through an offensive drought and it was the arrival of Slaf in his line that relaunched him, the answer seems simple.

Moreover, the host of the show, Greg Lanctot, did not hesitate for long...

"My answer right now is easy: I keep Juraj Slafkovsky" - Greg Lanctot

Nothing says that the very first pick of the 2022 draft will continue on this path for much longer. However, he proves that the CH did well to select him as he definitely has the potential to become a big winger. However, as Félix Forget from the site DLC asks, it remains to be seen if that's worth more or less than a guy who has the potential to score 40-50 goals per year for a good ten years.