the valiant effort
settle down, bud
- Apr 17, 2017
- 5,694
- 7,137
At his best so far in his ~173 GP Slaf has shown advanced (for his age) defensive engagement and instincts, solid wheels, very good board play, a knack for moving pucks out of danger, excellent playmaking, and, not often enough, man strength and a good shot. Most lacking pretty much from game one are pucks on net, unwillingness to transport through the NZ, and a tendency to telegraph.
This season at his worst he’s perpetually stuck in mud and looking to defer to Suzuki at first puck touch. It’s a fairly clear sign that he’s struggling with confidence and still very much lacking experience. The likelihood that this is the final form of Slaf is just not very high in my eyes. I have nothing but patience to see if he can put most or hopefully all of those good qualities together.
On draft day 2022 Cooley was my guy because he was clearly the best combo of speed and requisite skill, and not a late rising Euro. Almost 3 years later despite Slaf’s ups and downs the Cooley what-ifs simply do not cross my mind because I am perfectly content with the Slaf gamble. In 2025 Cooley’s profile is a tad JAGgy.
This season at his worst he’s perpetually stuck in mud and looking to defer to Suzuki at first puck touch. It’s a fairly clear sign that he’s struggling with confidence and still very much lacking experience. The likelihood that this is the final form of Slaf is just not very high in my eyes. I have nothing but patience to see if he can put most or hopefully all of those good qualities together.
On draft day 2022 Cooley was my guy because he was clearly the best combo of speed and requisite skill, and not a late rising Euro. Almost 3 years later despite Slaf’s ups and downs the Cooley what-ifs simply do not cross my mind because I am perfectly content with the Slaf gamble. In 2025 Cooley’s profile is a tad JAGgy.
