Prospect Info: [2022 - 1st OA] Juraj Slafkovsky (LW) Part 2

[ReHabs]

You'd still like a 1st OA to have way better stats.

He's a Quantum 1OA:

When you criticise his profile and suitability as a 1OA, you will observe replies insisting that he's a consensus 1OA, skilled in every way ("can deke at full speed") and there is very little to doubt about him and he's easily our best prospect... ...when you ask what he will project to be, you will observe replies suggesting that at his peak he will have a Max Domi's one good season sort of level production. Huh?

I'm genuinely stating here for posterity: If scoring remains as high as it has been the last two years (where even Nazim Kadri broke PPG) our 1OA forward should get more than 75 pts a season in his best season.

 

[Kennerback]

Ryan Getzlaf: hit over PPG by his third season (82 in 77), and had seven seasons of PPG or more. This is all before the big explosion in points scored of the last few years.

Clark Gillies is before my time, can't comment on him.

John LeClair was flirting with 100 pt seasons in the dead-puck era. Between the 94-95 season (when he was traded by the Habs) through to the 99-00 season he was well over PPG while facing the neutral zone trap every night every game pretty much.

If you have such high comparables for Slafkovsky you shouldn't be so shy as to think he'll only peak at being the 45th highest scorer of the most recent season. It doesn't add up.

Slafkovsky has been compared to literally every winger-with-size this board can mention at this point, so my understanding of this player's profile is less clear by the day. I've seen Jagr, Hossa, Rick Nash, Rantanen, Poolparty, Gaudreau (playmaking ability), LeClair, Radulov, Kovalchuk, Kovalev, and probably many others mentioned. I wish we had a consensus on his closest comparables.... the uncertainty isn't so fun.

In your opinion @Kennerback, what player is Slafkovsky most like?

His coach Craig Ramsey compared him to Gillies (minus the fights) and LeClair. He knows him well.

With respect to the contrary opinion, I don’t see Kovalev, Gaudreau, Radulov, Laine, Poolparty, Svechnikov.

In terms of style only (not goals or points), he looks most like Jagr in the past. Rantanen in the present. Jagr even said Slaf reminded him of himself at 17.

 

[SlafySZN]

You'd still like a 1st OA to have way better stats.

Stats are irrelevant now. He can’t be compared with wright or even cooley. Wright put up points in juniors, slafkovsky was PPG in international tournaments against men. If he played in the CHL no one would talk about stats.

 

[JoelWarlord]

He’s gonna be a beast, he’s gonna be the 45th highest scorer in the NHL!

I would hope your picture of his future prime would be a bit more ambitious than a sub-PPG player.

This is silliness. If Andrei Svechnikov is an outcome you're somehow going to be upset with on this player then nothing will please you short of a 1st ballot hall of famer.

 

[Pacciosoftie]

He thinks every 1OA should be a McDavid or Crosby type. Wright isn’t anywhere near them.

 

[ReHabs]

This is silliness. If Andrei Svechnikov is an outcome you're somehow going to be upset with on this player then nothing will please you short of a 1st ballot hall of famer.

Svech is nowhere near his prime and you can bet Canes supports expect him to break PPG some time.

I only see this lowering of standards when it comes to Slafkovsky. A 35-35 player is not the saviour. The 1OA if not a generational player (this wasn’t the draft for that) should at least be a freakin PPG player in a league with dozens of PPG players.

 

[SlafySZN]

Svech is nowhere near his prime and you can bet Canes supports expect him to break PPG some time.

I only see this lowering of standards when it comes to Slafkovsky. A 35-35 player is not the saviour. The 1OA if not a generational player (this wasn’t the draft for that) should at least be a freakin PPG player in a league with dozens of PPG players.

Great, he should be a saviour now…

 

[vlady]

Svech is nowhere near his prime and you can bet Canes supports expect him to break PPG some time.

I only see this lowering of standards when it comes to Slafkovsky. A 35-35 player is not the saviour. The 1OA if not a generational player (this wasn’t the draft for that) should at least be a freakin PPG player in a league with dozens of PPG players.

on this rare occasion I find myself agreeing with you. I think it is reasonable to expect a 1OA (forward) to be a PPG player. And I do believe Slaf will be that player.

 

[Redux91]

You'd still like a 1st OA to have way better stats.

It's just that different in Europe, especially for kids man..

People were bitching about Wrights 92 pts in 63 OHL games FFS, you just cant win when it comes down this this whole debate until 3-4 years down the road

Everybody is just that impatient lol

I wish there was a universe in which Slaf played OHL instead of Liiga so certain people would shut up about junior production and its comparables

 

[Redux91]

Svech is nowhere near his prime and you can bet Canes supports expect him to break PPG some time.

I only see this lowering of standards when it comes to Slafkovsky. A 35-35 player is not the saviour. The 1OA if not a generational player (this wasn’t the draft for that) should at least be a freakin PPG player in a league with dozens of PPG players.

Can you please give us a long term strategy you are planning on using for this topic? Like can you promise us if Slafkovsky outproduces Wright by year 4 you will leave forever type thing?
I dread having you around 4 more years but if the alternative is having you here permanently because they "botched" picking the best player in the entire draft and we ended up still with the 2nd or 3rd best player anyway, do we really have to hear about it from you forever? Like 7 times a day?
It's already unbearable with the debate seemingly Tied. So I wonder..

 

[Kennerback]

He's a Quantum 1OA:

When you criticise his profile and suitability as a 1OA, you will observe replies insisting that he's a consensus 1OA, skilled in every way ("can deke at full speed") and there is very little to doubt about him and he's easily our best prospect... ...when you ask what he will project to be, you will observe replies suggesting that at his peak he will have a Max Domi's one good season sort of level production. Huh?

I'm genuinely stating here for posterity: If scoring remains as high as it has been the last two years (where even Nazim Kadri broke PPG) our 1OA forward should get more than 75 pts a season in his best season.

But that’s not the Habs reality. We already had no real puck moving Ds anymore. And the Ds who could scrape a few points are now gone. We now have less than the worst transition game. It’s a mystery to me how we’ll get the puck out from deep in our zone this season. Half our Ds might be minor pro level…

How will forwards ever get the puck?

If Slafkovsky had played last season and had 44 points he’d be 2nd on the team. Our scoring superstar would be tied for 5th in points and 8th in goals for the Avs.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Ryan Getzlaf: hit over PPG by his third season (82 in 77), and had seven seasons of PPG or more. This is all before the big explosion in points scored of the last few years.

Clark Gillies is before my time, can't comment on him.

John LeClair was flirting with 100 pt seasons in the dead-puck era. Between the 94-95 season (when he was traded by the Habs) through to the 99-00 season he was well over PPG while facing the neutral zone trap every night every game pretty much.

If you have such high comparables for Slafkovsky you shouldn't be so shy as to think he'll only peak at being the 45th highest scorer of the most recent season. It doesn't add up.

Slafkovsky has been compared to literally every winger-with-size this board can mention at this point, so my understanding of this player's profile is less clear by the day. I've seen Jagr, Hossa, Rick Nash, Rantanen, Poolparty, Gaudreau (playmaking ability), LeClair, Radulov, Kovalchuk, Kovalev, and probably many others mentioned. I wish we had a consensus on his closest comparables.... the uncertainty isn't so fun.

In your opinion @Kennerback, what player is Slafkovsky most like?

The best comparable for Slafkovsky is Andrei Svechnikov.

 

[Xirik]

The best comparable for Slafkovsky is Andrei Svechnikov.

I humbly disagree, Svech is more of a north south player great skater who also is a big hitter. I don't see that in Slaf.

When I was watching slafkovsky videos before the habs drafted him I saw him slowing down the game by protecting the puck along the boards for extended periods of time before using his great vision and playmaking to find an open teammate who then goes onto score. There is one player who immediately comes to mind when I see Slafkovsky do this.

my comparable is....

"For such a big body, he actually can be quite slippery,"

"_______ uses a patient style that works well with his size and reach. He uses his creativity and control to great effect."

"He protects the puck so well, he slows the game down"

I'm sure some of you can guess which player these quotes are about and points to you if you did but its...

Jaromir Jagr.


---------------------
Before I get crucified by suggesting anyone is like jagr, I'm not saying that he will have the same career or be as good as Jagr. Just that Slafkovsky has the same skillset and style.

 

[Runner77]

Before I get crucified by suggesting anyone is like jagr, I'm not saying that he will have the same career or be as good as Jagr. Just that Slafkovsky has the same skillset and style.

Yeah, but … can Slaf move like Jagr/ Jagger?

 

[Xirik]

Yeah, but … can Slaf move like Jagr/ Jagger?

you made me sigh so hard that it hurt.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

you made me sigh so hard that it hurt.

 

[Runner77]

you made me sigh so hard that it hurt.

Duly noted. I’ll try someone who appreciates levity next time.

Hoping you didn’t get injured.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Duly noted. I’ll try someone who appreciates levity next time.

Hoping you didn’t get injured.

...well, in defense of us "older posters", we do have an affinity for bad Dad jokes...

 

[Kennerback]

Jagr is the best stylistic comparison. In a certain way, it’s unfortunate because associating with such a player, people believe you’re delusional. Just imagine Jagr producing like Kotsitsyn. It’s not about how good Slafkosky is, just style.

Why could that be? Jagr was drafted out of Czechoslovakia so there might be some sort of learning tree. Or it could be they just have a very similar physique.

 

[Runner77]

...well, in defense of us "older posters", we do have an affinity for bad Dad jokes...

I don’t know about that. Toene has been sprinkling some real doozies in multiple threads lately.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

I don’t know about that. Toene has been sprinkling some real doozies in multiple threads lately.

...his bathroom post is still haunting me...never should have read it...

 

[ReHabs]

Jagr, then… okay…

You guys sure you want the rest of the NHL to think Habs fans think the best stylistic comparison for Juraj Slafkovsky is Jaromir Jagr? Is that the real final answer?

 

[Kennerback]

Jagr, then… okay…

You guys sure you want the rest of the NHL to think Habs fans think the best stylistic comparison for Juraj Slafkovsky is Jaromir Jagr? Is that the real final answer?

Closest in the NHL right now is Rantanen. But Rantanen is not as physical as Slafkovsky. The player that was physical like Slaf: not by doing big body checks but by taking so much abuse was Jagr. He’d take hits, cross-checks, he’d have Ds hanging onto him but he continued skating with the puck.

Furthermore, Jagr was a puck posession kind of player. He would often take it himself from blue line to blue line. And they both cut to the slot from the boards a lot.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Jagr, then… okay…

You guys sure you want the rest of the NHL to think Habs fans think the best stylistic comparison for Juraj Slafkovsky is Jaromir Jagr? Is that the real final answer?

...are you aware that Jaromir Jagr himself made the same stylistic comparison??...as did Marion Hossa??...

 

[SlafySZN]

Jagr, then… okay…

You guys sure you want the rest of the NHL to think Habs fans think the best stylistic comparison for Juraj Slafkovsky is Jaromir Jagr? Is that the real final answer?

If you’re not happy with any answers why do you ask?

Yes his game ressemble Jagr no one said he will have as good as a career.