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

[morhilane]

We aren't.. it's just people picking the same bone because they are mad the Habs didn't draft who they wanted.

and in some case who they wanted was an imaginary superstar player that wasn't available in the 2022 draft.

We have Slaf now, lets be happy the Habs won't have to play against him. Just ask the poor Devils first line last night, they couldn't generate any offense when he was on the ice and it's not because he's a star defensively. He just want the puck and gets in the way.

 

[Mandala]

Sign me up for that as a spectator sport, it’s prime entertainment.

Two things:

1) We might disagree on who was the best player to pick at first and for years wonder what if.

2) We all want Slafkovsky to succeed as a power forward because that would be great for the team. That type of role can take years to nurture so we have to be patient with his development. In my opinion I prefer in the NHL away from AHL goons.

 

[Kennerback]

The levels of insecurity is going to reach epic proportions if Wright or Cooley scores or grabs an assist tonight.

Wright should do Ok on the PP. If he can get his shot off or can attack the net from up close he’ll do well. Given time and space, he could score. There is no reason to be insecure about that.

Much more interesting is to see if he adjusts his pace to the NHL. I would also like to see if he’s built muscle and strength... He was very weak at the end of last season and would only ever risk contact if he was in the low slot area with the puck on his stick. Otherwise, he would flee traffic. Having put a few extra pounds could have corrected this.

 

[Paddy17]

These hot takes and definitive calls on his potential and career will go on all year, and even well into next year if he doesn't reach instant superstar status. It won't even matter if he's in the NHL or AHL. The same naysayers will keep at it non-stop. The good news is, there's an ignore button that comes in quite handy.

 

[WeThreeKings]

b-b-but Liiga!!!

 

[Goldenhands]

this was not a great draft, probably one of the weaker ones the last 10 years.

At the top I agree, it was pretty weak, but luckily, we found the GEM of the bunch.

 

[417]

Wright should do Ok on the PP. If he can get his shot off or can attack the net from up close he’ll do well. Given time and space, he could score. There is no reason to be insecure about that.

I meant in the sense that Wright scoring would reinforce the insecurities Habs fans feel about Slafkovsky.

Much more interesting is to see if he adjusts his pace to the NHL. I would also like to see if he’s built muscle and strength... He was very weak at the end of last season and would only ever risk contact if he was in the low slot area with the puck on his stick. Otherwise, he would flee traffic. Having put a few extra pounds could have corrected this.

Personally, couldn't give a damn about how Wright does lol

 

[WeThreeKings]

I meant in the sense that Wright scoring would reinforce the insecurities Habs fans feel about Slafkovsky.

Personally, couldn't give a damn about how Wright does lol

More people need to have the mindset I do.

As soon as the draft is over, I forget about who we didn't draft. This is all about the Habs making the right choice and doing the right things developmentally.

Basically, the odds are very small that you'll take the best player from the draft. Even if you are picking at #1. The problem recently is the selections we've made were developed so poorly that the choices were mostly wrong ones in hindsight.

I get people are in PTSD from Bergevin but you gotta let the new regime do its thing, you can't bring the past in here. It's clearly a completely different operation even if some people still remain in place.

 

[417]

More people need to have the mindset I do.

As soon as the draft is over, I forget about who we didn't draft. This is all about the Habs making the right choice and doing the right things developmentally.

Proud member of the Church of WTK on that front.

I apply the same logic when a Habs player gets traded or signs elsewhere.

Cut the chord lol.

Basically, the odds are very small that you'll take the best player from the draft. Even if you are picking at #1. The problem recently is the selections we've made were developed so poorly that the choices were mostly wrong ones in hindsight.

I get people are in PTSD from Bergevin but you gotta let the new regime do its thing, you can't bring the past in here. It's clearly a completely different operation even if some people still remain in place.

Agreed, especially the first part.

 

[Kennerback]

I meant in the sense that Wright scoring would reinforce the insecurities Habs fans feel about Slafkovsky.

Personally, couldn't give a damn about how Wright does lol

I followed Wright a lot last season. I’m curious mostly to test and adjust my evaluation of prospects.

To me, Wright had great abilities but serious drawbacks. He looked weak, averse to contact and had a slow pace. I believed if Hugo drafted him they knew they could fix this. However, I also found it almost impossible to get this guy ready for the NHL in one summer. Whether the Habs or anyone else drafted him it would take a couple seasons. I still do.

If he shows that he’s ready now for the NHL, I’ll have either misjudged him last season ( I doubt it) or I’ll have misjudged the progress a player can make in one summer (it will blow my mind).

 

[417]

I followed Wright a lot last season. I’m curious mostly to test and adjust my evaluation of prospects.

To me, Wright had great abilities but serious drawbacks. He looked weak, averse to contact and had a slow pace. I believed if Hugo drafted him they knew they could fix this. However, I also found it almost impossible to get this guy ready for the NHL in one summer. Whether the Habs or anyone else drafted him it would take a couple seasons. I still do.

If he shows that he’s ready now for the NHL, I’ll have either misjudged him last season ( I doubt it) or I’ll have misjudged the progress a player can make in one summer (it will blow my mind).

Fair...I wanted Wright at the draft but I did have concerns with how much more growth he has left in his game.

Whereas it's the opposite with Slafkovsky for me, I think there's so much more room for growth in his game and that's exciting for me personally. I thought it was a bold pick considering.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Two things bother me a little with Slafkovsky. It's that first, he really like stickhandling the puck in sometime dangerous or unnecessary positions and also (I am nitpicking) he has monster size, strength, reach, hands and skating but he has a hard time protecting the puck like a Draisaitl(I know he is god tier in that regard) to create chances on his own or teammates. He is only 18 years old and it's normal but even Draisaitl at 18 years old was impossible to take the puck away from him. So I would like to see him work on that. Other than that he has the tools to be a superstar.

 

[Xirik]

Two things bother me a little with Slafkovsky. It's that first, he really like stickhandling the puck in sometime dangerous or unnecessary positions and also (I am nitpicking) he has monster size, strength, reach, hands and skating but he has a hard time protecting the puck like a Draisaitl(I know he is god tier in that regard) to create chances on his own or teammates. He is only 18 years old and it's normal but even Draisaitl at 18 years old was impossible to take the puck away from him. So I would like to see him work on that. Other than that he has the tools to be a superstar.

Drai had two years playing the North American style of Hockey in the WHL before he played his first game as an Oiler. Slaf definitely need a lot more time to get used to the playing style.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Basically, the odds are very small that you'll take the best player from the draft. Even if you are picking at #1. The problem recently is the selections we've made were developed so poorly that the choices were mostly wrong ones in hindsight.

Yeah I agree, the math of choosing one player vs. the entire class is pretty heavily stacked against all but the McDavid tier of players. Even a prospect that had absolutely massive hype in Dahlin is not definitively the best player from 2018, I would take Svechnikov and maybe even Tkachuk over him right now. I realize this will be called lowering expectations but what matters is that you added a player that lives up to their approximate draft slot and contributes good value to your team (and the draft slot thing even diminishes in the long run because you're always going to have later picks rise in value too - the Avs aren't really upset they got Landeskog instead of Huberdeau).

Stressing over whether every 1st round pick becomes the absolute BPA from the remaining 200+ players in the draft class is silliness. Guhle is an excellent example of this. Mercer is a better player right now, and if you could swap the players one for one right now we would, but you can't, so who gives a shit other than to say fair play to the people who wanted him on draft day. Guhle is a great prospect and will play a big role for the Habs for a long time, so why should I be sitting here freaking out that another team got a better player.

 

[morhilane]

Two things bother me a little with Slafkovsky. It's that first, he really like stickhandling the puck in sometime dangerous or unnecessary positions and also (I am nitpicking) he has monster size, strength, reach, hands and skating but he has a hard time protecting the puck like a Draisaitl(I know he is god tier in that regard) to create chances on his own or teammates. He is only 18 years old and it's normal but even Draisaitl at 18 years old was impossible to take the puck away from him. So I would like to see him work on that. Other than that he has the tools to be a superstar.

Slaf isn't used to the NHL rink size + speed of play yet, this impact his timing. He will adapt as he gain experience in the league.

Saying that, skating into defenders is how he plays. Technically, what he wants to do is a quick change of speed to outpace the dmen while protecting the puck. This drag the dmen to him and open his linemate while bringing the puck behind the dmen. But he lacks the timing and feet speed to do it right now and I'm not sure how well that will work against the more mobile dmen in the league.

 

[the]

We don't deserve no 1st overall picks. What a cesspool this thread is

 

[Wats]

We don't deserve no 1st overall picks. What a cesspool this thread is

Why stop there, don't even deserve a team unless you can do nothing but cheer for them.

 

[Habs]

We don't deserve no 1st overall picks. What a cesspool this thread is

we certainly deserve it, just have to have a planned tank with the NHL like Edmonton and Pittsburgh. The only real way out is to get the top pick next year.

 

[NotProkofievian]

The levels of insecurity is going to reach epic proportions if Wright or Cooley scores or grabs an assist tonight.

Oh buddy, we're gonna bring the servers down lol.

 

[Whitesnake]

This thread will take a dangerous turn in about....9 hours. Good luck to all.

For the record...again....I had quite a few No1 picks during last year. Thought that Cooley was more spectacular. Was dissapointed by Wright playoffs. But...I wanted Wright. STILL would have taken Wright. Yet...all this is moot...what Wright does TONIGHT is completely irrelevant to what the near future and both of their respective careers will end up being. Yet...good luck to all.

 

[Andy]

Reading this thread, I am 100% certain we would have driven MacKinnon out of town because of his production in his first 4 seasons.

 

[austin316]

The issue I have with sending Slaf to the AHL is who exactly will his linemates be? RHP?

There is no talent in Laval in our forward group. I'd rather see Slaf develop in the NHL than play top line AHL minutes with scrubs for linemates.

 

[417]

Oh buddy, we're gonna bring the servers down lol.

I'm sick of doing bridge patrol....y’all wanna jump, be my guest lol

Reading this thread, I am 100% certain we would have driven MacKinnon out of town because of his production in his first 4 seasons.

I detect zero lies

 

[NotProkofievian]

Reading this thread, I am 100% certain we would have driven MacKinnon out of town because of his production in his first 4 seasons.

And then we'd say ''HE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT HERE,'' while simultaneously saying that Michel Therrien was good at developing players because ''MacKinnon got 64 points his rookie season.''

We can't have nice things.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Two things bother me a little with Slafkovsky. It's that first, he really like stickhandling the puck in sometime dangerous or unnecessary positions and also (I am nitpicking) he has monster size, strength, reach, hands and skating but he has a hard time protecting the puck like a Draisaitl(I know he is god tier in that regard) to create chances on his own or teammates. He is only 18 years old and it's normal but even Draisaitl at 18 years old was impossible to take the puck away from him. So I would like to see him work on that. Other than that he has the tools to be a superstar.

I think you nailed what my worries are that I couldn't articulate because I don't know enough about the finer points of the game.

You have to love that he has the finesse he has at his size but he's gotta use it more sparingly especially with his insane size where once he grows into his body he's going to be a nightmare to handle.

Yours should be a pinned post on this thread. He learns to remedy these things he's gonna be a monster. Best take I've read on him so far.