Prospect Info: [2022 - 1st] Juraj Slafkovsky

[Belial]

Olympic game goals against the US and Latvia.

So it's 100% potential-driven pick... let's see...

 

[Saxon]

Honestly I think this is what tilted it in Slaf's favour: making a difference.

I wanted Wright but posters who watched him saying he did nothing to elevate his team in the playoffs. He didn't take over games and he wasn't gamebreaking type guy.

Slaf, in very limited and questionable circumstances, at least proved he could be that guy.

Like in his playoffs?

 

[No More Subban]

It was almost a sure thing that NJ wasn't taking him, but Arizona was a shocker. It does indeed make me feel better on missing out on Wright, but I wasn't expecting to have to settle for a "let's wait and see" attitude after picking 1OA

Agreed with NJ. They already have Hischier and Hughes. Their needs were either a winger (Slaf) or a dman. With Arizona, I think they simply didn't want to change their mind and just stuck with Cooley thinking MTL was gonna draft Wright for sure.

 

[DAChampion]

I liked his personality in his interview. He comes off as confident but not full of himself.

 

[Andrei79]

So it's 100% potential-driven pick... let's see...

Oh, you're arguing in bad faith. I understand, carry on then.

 

[Hannibal]

We're not year one of rebuild man!? What are you smoking?

Are you expecting 5 more years of us being last in the league?

You’re delusionnal. You expect us to be in the playoff race next year? Lol

Sorry for the reality check, but we’re in a rebuild here.

 

[Saundies]

One thing I do like is howl the big name Slovaks are behind him and say he deserved to go #1. Gaborik, Satan, and Pleks are three that I've seen so far.

 

[le_sean]

Exactly FFS, I don't think I saw one damn goal with a nice wrister.

We're clearly missing something here and they think he's gonna explode soon...

His goals against the US, Switzerland, Sweden. All great wristers. No idea if you’re just being contrarian for the sake of it.

 

[Belial]

Oh, you're arguing in bad faith. I understand, carry on then.

And wha's the bad faith your bright mind managed to discern?

 

[Retired]

We're not year one of rebuild man!? What are you smoking?

Are you expecting 5 more years of us being last in the league?

You read like you will keep being an angry man no matter the situation. Try some « mindfulness », there are tons of youtube vids, books etc.

You will never find any hapinness or enjoyment in habs games if all you see is successes past, and a theoretical, made-up future. Enjoy the draft, enjoy watching games, it’s a beautiful, FUN sport. They’re not winning a cup anytime soon!

 

[admiralcadillac]

183 cm... nowhere near 6'2... That's the info I found.

But I saw some concerns that he could grow even bigger...

183cm is 6’

 

[durojean]

Seems to be a coaching and system problem rather than a Slafkovsky problem. Get him good coaching and he will know where to be on the ice.

Remember that Liiga is quite structured and defensive, the NHL is a far more open and offensive league. So the fact you believe he thrives in that is a positive.

Liiga is probably more defensive but NHL is the best league in the world. Everything is faster and the play is actually way tighter.

If your not at the good speed or does not process the game quick enough, you are a sitting duck in the NHL. If you can’t change the pace of the play or are just a little too slow you are actually dead.

Example, if his hands which are actually one of his strong point, are not quick enough, or his release has a deficiency or is predictable, your weapons become irrelevant at NHL level.

You can look like a speedster in the Liiga and look slow in the NHL, that is how good that league is.

Can Slaf adapt to that ? We better hope, but size only won’t help you that much in the big stage.

 

[le_sean]

Liiga is probably more defensive but NHL is the best league in the world. Everything is faster and the play is actually way tighter.

If your not at the good speed or does not process the game quick enough, you are a sitting duck in the NHL. If you can’t change the pace of the play or are just a little too slow you are actually dead.

Example, if his hands which are actually one of his strong point, are not quick enough, or his release has a deficiency or is predictable, your weapons become irrelevant at NHL level.

You can look like a speedster in the Liiga and look slow in the NHL, that is how good that league is.

Can Slaf adapt to that ? We better hope, but size only won’t help you that much in the big stage.

I think he can adapt to that. He doesn’t just beat you with his size, there’s a much more complete offensive player there. His play away from the puck definitely needs to improve, but his play with it is very good already.

 

[Belial]

183cm is 6’

amazing information! thank you a lot!

 

[Belial]

You read like you will keep being an angry man no matter the situation. Try some « mindfulness », there are tons of youtube vids, books etc.

You will never find any hapinness or enjoyment in habs games if all you see is successes past, and a theoretical, made-up future. Enjoy the draft, enjoy watching games, it’s a beautiful, FUN sport. They’re not winning a cup anytime soon!

I agree that sometimes text is being perceived the wrong way but believe me, we're all here to have some fun and exchange opinions. Don't ever take my posts as negative or extremely serious.

 

[417]

This management group seems to be big on "project-ability", which is something I found previous management really struggled with.

There's more of an element of risk when you go down that road, but there's also a greater chance of reward.

Slaf screams "project-ability", he's 18yrs old, 6'4 and 225lbs...will be interesting to see where he's at as a player when he's 23-24-25.

The question is, will Habs fans/media have the patience?

In my experience...the answer is no.

 

[le_sean]

What a good kid

 

[Belial]

His goals against the US, Switzerland, Sweden. All great wristers. No idea if you’re just being contrarian for the sake of it.

Would you say he has a great shot?

Who's the contrarian now?

 

[Habano]

I don't love the pick, but I have nothing against Slaf. I hope he proves me wrong. We need him to.

Same here and I'm gonna support the kid and hope he becomes a star.

The worst part about this pick is having to admit McCagg was right

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Welcome to Montreal Juraj & Kirby. May your run be long and successful!

 

[le_sean]

Would you say he has a great shot?

Who's the contrarian now?

Why am I a contrarian? He wasn’t my pick but I’m not going to whine about it. I’m going to accept him as a member of the team I cheer for and hope he dominates. You’re welcome to stew in anger but what good will it do?

And he has a really good shot. I hope he can quicken the release a bit but that’s my only knock.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

His goals against the US, Switzerland, Sweden. All great wristers. No idea if you’re just being contrarian for the sake of it.

No, they're all Slafshots.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

If Wright wins the Calder and Slaf is so so next season, boy i wouldn't like to be in Hughes shoes.

 

[gifted88]

Like the player, hate where he was picked.

He'll have that 1st overall label following him around.

 

[Apfel Struble]

That's what I'm saying like I was doing something else with a stove at 15 years old whats the big deal?!?

I mean this was while living in another country with another language and working as a pro athlete and training to boot. I get that you are tongue in cheek but that guy is like the anti-Galchenyuk, that level of autonomy is absolutely not common. Dude speaks probably 3 languages, there might be a hungry brain in there, let's hope he can develop his hockey IQ too

On another note, while the level of play at the Olympics and the WC wasn't that high, the best players in the SHL and Liiga still went there. Treating 1/3 of his games played last season as anecdotal because they were international tournaments is lazy analysis