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

[ReHabs]

I mean hey, if you really want to throw your lot in with that list to support your prior takes then be my guest, but I don't think that is a very good way to support those takes. That list is utterly atrocious.

As you well know, I had my take on Slaf’s downside risks (which are plentiful and serious) before this list was published.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Harris probably not, but I think the other 3 start in Laval unless they force hands.

If Slavkofsky can't play in the NHL on last year's 32nd place team, then he will be the least prepared NHL 1OA in decades.

 

[Treb]

If Slavkofsky can't play in the NHL on last year's 32nd place team, then he will be the least prepared NHL 1OA in decades.

Don't really care about that. I prefer him in the AHL rather than losing someone on waivers.

 

[GTA]

If Slavkofsky can't play in the NHL on last year's 32nd place team, then he will be the least prepared NHL 1OA in decades.

Which is fine - we shouldn’t be making any decisions based on the optics vs other first overall picks. Trying to force the issue is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Colezuki]

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?

I think Hossa is what management has said so I’d gravitate towards that personally

 

[JoelWarlord]

As you well know, I had my take on Slaf’s downside risks (which are plentiful and serious) before this list was published.

I know, but I would definitely not be using that prospect list to go "see, I had a point!".

Anyways, I'll try to stop going back and forth on this topic at this point for a while until there's some new information to cover.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Don't really care about that. I prefer him in the AHL rather than losing someone on waivers.

Are you sure? Would you be opposed to losing a bad contract on waivers? I only wish........

Which is fine - we shouldn’t be making any decisions based on the optics vs other first overall picks. Trying to force the issue is a recipe for disaster.

I'm not calling for decisions based on optics, nor based on fear of "affecting confidence".

Players should play at the level they are capable of. 1OAs are usually capable of playing in the NHL but the decision should be based on merit like other teams do, not fear that our coaches will again be talent-suffocators.

 

[Treb]

Are you sure? Would you be opposed to losing a bad contract on waivers? I only wish........


I'm not calling for decisions based on optics, nor based on fear of "affecting confidence".

Players should play at the level they are capable of. 1OAs are usually capable of playing in the NHL but the decision should be based on merit like other teams do, not fear that our coaches will again be talent-suffocators.

Except Pezzetta/Pitlick are the guys likely to be waived in that scenario.

 

[SlafySZN]

 

[Hannibal]

Holy shit! He’s such a physical beast!! Have you seen those legs?

 

[SlafySZN]

Holy shit! He’s such a physical beast!! Have you seen those legs?

Plus he apparently focused more on his upper body this off season

 

[BaseballCoach]

Except Pezzetta/Pitlick are the guys likely to be waived in that scenario.

Are you sure? Even last year's bozo waived Byron before Pezzetta once Pez got to Montreal and was marginally useful.

Gallagher has a NMC and can't be waived, but Hoffman, Armia, Wideman and Savard can be waived if Hughes wants to, plus the 5 guys with expiring contracts (can only retain on three anyway).

 

[Treb]

Are you sure? Even last year's bozo waived Byron before Pezzetta once Pez got to Montreal and was marginally useful.

Gallagher has a NMC and can't be waived, but Hoffman, Armia, Wideman and Savard can be waived if Hughes wants to, plus the 5 guys with expiring contracts (can only retain on three anyway).

We need to send 2 forwards down, we have 16.

I think we can afford to have Slaf get accustomed to NA in Laval for a few months until we trade guys. Again, that's unless he forces hands with his play.

 

[Tyson]

Even at 18 he will be a handful for big Dmen to deal with.

 

[Walrus26]

Even at 18 he will be a handful for big Dmen to deal with.

And he will be great fun for the increasing number of smaller D to deal with, too.

 

[BaseballCoach]

We need to send 2 forwards down, we have 16.

I think we can afford to have Slaf get accustomed to NA in Laval for a few months until we trade guys. Again, that's unless he forces hands with his play.

Byron is injured for sure, and possibly Monahan and/or Drouin to start the season. If both are good to go, then waive the worst of Hoffman, Armia, Drouin, Dadonov. Personally I would rather it not be an expriring contract but if Hoffman and Armia are both lighting it up, then it would not be fair to waive them.

Another realistic option is that the Habs might trade an overpriced forward for an overpriced defenceman.

I guess the difference between posters on this issue is between those who would be happy if Slaf is good enough to play in the NHL versus those who want him to force-fit some agenda of theirs and disappear for 1-2 years.

 

[Paddy17]

It's good that for a big guy, he seems to have fast-twitch muscle fibers. It's important for explosiveness and agility.

 

[Treb]

Byron is injured for sure, and possibly Monahan and/or Drouin to start the season. If both are good to go, then waive the worst of Hoffman, Armia, Drouin, Dadonov. Personally I would rather it not be an expriring contract but if Hoffman and Armia are both lighting it up, then it would not be fair to waive them.

Another realistic option is that the Habs might trade an overpriced forward for an overpriced defenceman.

I guess the difference between posters on this issue is between those who would be happy if Slaf is good enough to play in the NHL versus those who want him to force-fit some agenda of theirs and disappear for 1-2 years.

Or maybe just posters that want Slaf to actually earn his spot?

I said very clearly we should make room for him if he forces hands with his play. If he's not one of our 8 wingers that fit the best in our lineup, send him down. If he is, the you make the appropriate decisions.

 

[MON4NHLTOR4MLB]

My ACL hurts just watching that video

 

[Sagikev]

My ACL hurts just watching that video

Especially that one legged squat jump from the side with weight, me knees would've explode on the first jump (I have really shitty knees lol)

 

[Tetragrammaton]

The next Lindros winger version? Big man at 18

 

[Zilo44]

Slafkovsky is a physical freak.

I usually see NFL players as the most physically gifted athletes in North America (i.e this is where you see the weirdest physical freaks). Slaf at 18 year, in terms of size, is somewhere between Julio Jones and Megatron. Think about that for a second.

In terms of physical freak for a forward, the Jagr-Lindros comparisons are not foolish. Let’s see how skilled he is.

 

[MoneyManny]

Slafkovsky is a physical freak.

I usually see NFL players as the most physically gifted athletes in North America (i.e this is where you see the weirdest physical freaks). Slaf at 18 year, in terms of size, is somewhere between Julio Jones and Megatron. Think about that for a second.

In terms of physical freak for a forward, the Jagr-Lindros comparisons are not foolish. Let’s see how skilled he is.

If he can skate at the same level that Megatron ran, he will be very special.

 

[Peteux]

I may be late to the party to say that, but I was on the Wright bandwagon predraft. Each of his interview made me less and less like him. He bore me to death and felt phoney.

Each Slafkovsky interview was interesting since he didn't play the same game Wright was playing. He was sincere. Cooley was great to listen to too, to a lesser extent.

The Behind the draft video emphasized how Slaf's personality was important in the choice of picking him and I think he has great personality to shine in Montreal. Some ex-Habs had troubles to adjust to the huge market of Montreal (Pacioretty...) or others enjoyed the city too much (Galchenyuk) or was hard to coach (KK). I don't buy into the Bobrov speech about hockey historians and shits. He'll have to prove his worth in the NHL and it's very different from what Slaf experienced lately.

I'm really happy with this pick. He's very skilled, big, fast and has an attitude that will help him succeed in Montreal. He's a rare player, even if we don't take into account his personality.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

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?

We can agree that all three of Getzlaf, LeClair and Gillies are absolutely terrible comparables to Slafkovsky. It should be pointed out however that it took Getzlaf 5 years after he was drafted to reach a PPG. Either way he is a bad comparison as he is a pure playmaker and plays a very different style than Slafkovsky.

The Gillies comparison is bizzare as he was one of the most feared fighters in the history of the league and while he was skilled he was mostly the big bruiser on one of the the greatest lines in history that was carried primarily by Bossy and Trottier. LeClair might be the closest of the three but his stats were significantly inflated by playing with Lindros. LeClair was very much a straight line power forward with size, speed and a great shot who stylistically is more similar to Josh Anderson than Juraj Slafkovsky. I was a big fan of all three of these guys but none of them remind me very much of Slafkovsky.

Slafkovsky stylistically tries to play more like Jagr and Sundin, whether he has any success with that remains to be seen but he loves to play to contact and use his size/hands to carry the puck from the corner to the front of the net. I am not in any way claiming that he will be nearly as successful as these two but there are some significant stylistic similarities. Maybe he ends up closer to a Dainus Zubrus who also shares many similarities, who knows but these are much closer stylistic comparisons than any of Getzlaf/LeClair/Gillies are.