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

[durojean]

You should elaborate, because your argument is nonsense. You're saying the Canadiens reached for the player ranked...1st. Make sense of that.

I personally feel like they fell in love with a player that had a lot of question mark because of his size and because he got hot at the good time.

I feel like a lot of NHL team tend to make the same mistake.

I also feel like the fact that Slaf kept playing during COVID while other players had to stop is a big factor of why Slaf rose that much. His curb of progression looked normal so for a lot of the scouting staffs in the NHL, the pick looked safer because of that.

 

[durojean]

??? Slaf played against the top lines and d-pair in the two pre-season games with zero sheltering and most of those players were NHL players and mostly not bottom 6/bottom pair ones at that.

Most played against:
Devils: Tatar/Hischier-Boqvist/Bratt + Graves/Severson
Leafs: Nylander/Jarnkrok/Robertson + Morgan Rielly was the D he played most against (they had to rotate the rest since two left the game, but a single of the Leafs D wasn't a NHLer).

Still he was not on the ice everytime at the same time as those players and he did also play with NHLers. That Nylander Jarnkrok Robertson line is not that good and Leafs D yesterday was subpar after the injuries.

 

[Seb]

It was recency bias. Everyone knew Wright had a better track record. Slaf scored versus team France .

Mckenzie was also clear it was close and it was only a sample of 10 scouts


Not selecting clear Bpa

Stop making things up, there was no clear BPA and we all know NJ would also have drafted him first overall.

You're disappointed with the pick, I can understand but you're not being honest.

 

[Favster]

HFBoards in June: "We need to rebuild and take our time with our prospects!"

HFBoards after 2 preseason games: "Our 1st overall pick is a bust!"



Seriously though, Slaf is probably a weaker 1st overall pick in the last 10 years and I think most of the dissapointment isn't directly towards him, more to the fact that we couldn't bottom out when there was a true 1st overall pick clearly above his peers. We've been really unlucky in the last decade with our high draft picks.

I still think he will be a good player but clearly won't have an immediate impact as many here seemed to expect from a 1st overall pick, which isn't that unreasonable IMO. This draft just didn't have that kind of player unfortunately.

 

[ReHabs]

Still he was not on the ice everytime at the same time as those players and he did also play with NHLers. That Nylander Jarnkrok Robertson line is not that good and Leafs D yesterday was subpar after the injuries.

I don’t think it’s necessary to micro-analyze these things. A top3 draftee who had played at the WC and Olys shouldn’t look out of place on any shift against any opponent.

 

[Hannibal]

Lafreniere would have been killed here with stats like his first two seasons. Ouff

 

[ReHabs]

This draft just didn't have that kind of player unfortunately.

What if it did?

I’m referring to the centreman of course. Owen Beck.

 

[le_sean]

Oh, I definitely was listening to the pre draft talk.

I have no opinions on slaf, Cooley, or Wright yet, but I'm just a little numb to the whole "have patience" thing. I haven't really seen it play out in a positive way yet.

All of our impact players (price, subban, caufield, Suzuki, even Gallagher) made an impact and impression during their first dozen games.

Again, no judgment yet, but forgive me for being cautiously pessimistic with the patience thing and highly rated prospects

The players you listed, how many of them made an NHL impact at 18 years old?

It was recency bias. Everyone knew Wright had a better track record. Slaf scored versus team France .

Mckenzie was also clear it was close and it was only a sample of 10 scouts

What is scouting if it’s not recency bias? The job is projecting the future, not hanging on to the 15 year old season of a player.

Doesn’t matter if it was close. It was NHL scouts and they preferred Slafkovsky. So it’s not a reach.

 

[RealityHurts]

Stop making things up, there was no clear BPA and we all know NJ would also have drafted him first overall.

You're disappointed with the pick, I can understand but you're not being honest.

Of course New Jersey would have drafted him 1st overall. The top center isn't Bedard and you have Hughes and Hischier which you both drafted 1st oa. It was clear as day they wouldn't draft Wright at 1.

Wright was at moment of draft, way better than Slaf

 

[SlafySZN]

Of course New Jersey would have drafted him 1st overall. The top center isn't Bedard and you have Hughes and Hischier which you both drafted 1st oa. It was clear as day they wouldn't draft Wright at 1.

Wright was at moment of draft, way better than Slaf

If Wright was as good as you try to say and the supposed clear BPA, devils would’ve screamed of joy and would’ve drafted him without thinking about it twice. Having Hughes and Hischier is not a good argument if Wright is supposed to be as good as you seems to think.

 

[FerrisRox]

This fanbase has zero patience. People claim they are ok with the rebuild and waiting for prospects to develop, but everything they write says otherwise.

I don't understand why people continue to weigh in with definitive opinions on things they know nothing about.

You would have to be a complete idiot to think a few red vs. white scrimmages and two pre-season games was somehow the kind of sample required to give an opinion on the relative worth of a player.

There are people here saying that it was a bad pick based on that, or that he can't even play in the AHL, or better yet, he should go to the OHL and "see if he dominates, but I doubt that."

The level of stupidity required to make claims like this is off the charts, and it would be one thing if it was just a handful of people saying such things, but there's all kinds of idiotic hot takes. It's totally embarrassing for this forum.

I understand being impatient, but why would anybody arrive at any kind of conclusions about a player based on seeing so little? It doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[Whitesnake]

It was recency bias. Everyone knew Wright had a better track record. Slaf scored versus team France .

Mckenzie was also clear it was close and it was only a sample of 10 scouts


Not selecting clear Bpa

Geez..having trouble following your own point.....So it was CLOSE.....but we didn't select the CLEAR BPA....

Good job.

 

[Hins77]

I remember the first pre season game KK vs Tkachuk. That was Bambi vs the monster. But, I recall, after the game, Tkachuk went to the mic and said that KK will become a good player into the league. At that game, I remember, I said, why we havent drafted Tkachuk, he is already a beast? And everybody told me, : « you need to be patient with KK. ». Yeah, Im still patient…
In Slaf case, I honestly thought he was going to be better than this. Cause I read many comparison with Jagr, and the fact he was a first pick. Maybe my expectations are too high, but This is the first overall pick Im talking about.
But, this is only 2 pre season games. So, I need to evalute him on longer stretch, but right now, Im not satisfied.

 

[Benstheman]

i'm not worried one bit. Chill out people.

 

[ArtPeur]

I don't understand why people continue to weigh in with definitive opinions on things they know nothing about.

You would have to be a complete idiot to think a few red vs. white scrimmages and two pre-season games was somehow the kind of sample required to give an opinion on the relative worth of a player.

There are people here saying that it was a bad pick based on that, or that he can't even play in the AHL, or better yet, he should go to the OHL and "see if he dominates, but I doubt that."

The level of stupidity required to make claims like this is off the charts, and it would be one thing if it was just a handful of people saying such things, but there's all kinds of idiotic hot takes. It's totally embarrassing for this forum.

I understand being impatient, but why would anybody arrive at any kind of conclusions about a player based on seeing so little? It doesn't make any sense at all.

IMO.

A "lot" of people were ecstatic about picking Slaf over everyone else. He was, as many other prospects and players before him, quite a bit overhyped since June. The people who accepted this fate probably feel a bit let down by his recent performance. They're expecting more based on what people said about him.

At the end of the day, he's a project. I, myself, expected a bit more but I'm also realist. The guy hasn't played all that much at a high level for his whole life. I mean, he didn't get much hockey training. He's raw. KK was kinda raw too. People want their new saviour but Slaf may not be that guy.

Can he become a good/great top6 player? Time will tell but we'll have to be patient. People on all sides, the hypers to the haters, do have to calm down quite a bit.

 

[DAChampion]

The posts revisiting the draft day selection are becoming nauseating in their repetitiveness and redundancy. I think st this point people should focus more on discussing how the Habs are handling Slaf, even if that means that on some days there might not be anything new to say.

 

[CAUFIELD]

I would let him in the AHL for a full year and reevaluate at next year camp.

I’m not worried for him. People need to hold their horses.

He is a project like Kk was . Let’s not repeat the same mistake and bring him to fast in the show.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Of course New Jersey would have drafted him 1st overall. The top center isn't Bedard and you have Hughes and Hischier which you both drafted 1st oa. It was clear as day they wouldn't draft Wright at 1.

Wright was at moment of draft, way better than Slaf

Are you saying NJ won't take Bedard if they have first pick in the spring? Your draft by needs drivel is ignorant BS. Everyone knew the top players in this past draft weren't ready to make immediate impacts in the NHL.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

The people crying after 2 preseason games really look dumb

But im assuming you guys are just extra emotional because toronto spanked us in a pre season game and it made you guys sad , adds a little fuel

 

[RealityHurts]

Are you saying NJ won't take Bedard if they have first pick in the spring? Your draft by needs drivel is ignorant BS. Everyone knew the top players in this past draft weren't ready to make immediate impacts in the NHL.

No, read it again.. I'm saying it's precisely because it wasn't a Bedard tier prospect that they weren't going to draft a center. Their center need is fulfilled and so as long as it's not anyone mind blowing, they weren't going to draft a center at all.

Personally, I am really high on Nemec but it's mostly a feeling and part scouting on my end than a consensus. The fact they picked him proves they picked for need

 

[Gustave]

Let him simmer in the AHL or OHL in Erie. You realise that’s ok right? That it’s the right path for a prospect, like Beck, Roy, Mesar and countless others.

That’s the whole point of this; to develop. It’s where we are in our rebuild.

Besides maybe one poster, he was never expected to be special right away, nevermind generational. Yes he’s a 1st OA, but he’s not a Crosby type and never expected to be. There weren’t any like that available. So just follow the normal course for a prospect and he’ll turn out good to very good. That’s all there is to it.

Just forget about Jagr Hossa 80-90 points etc, and the likes, that was BS. And it’s fine, he doesn’t need to become those at all.

 

[HostileCapSpace]

The posts revisiting the draft day selection are becoming nauseating in their repetitiveness and redundancy. I think st this point people should focus more on discussing how the Habs are handling Slaf, even if that means that on some days there might not be anything new to say.

Well, yeah, the interesting part now is what management will do with him this year. I could see them go many different ways. The rest of the camp should give us more clue but as for now I have no idea what they'll do.

Not sure it's a good idea to have him in the NHL this year.

 

[RealityHurts]

Geez..having trouble following your own point.....So it was CLOSE.....but we didn't select the CLEAR BPA....

Good job.

I'm saying the scouts were blinded by recency bias. Wright was always the better player. Like I said in the past, I'd be thrilled to be wrong but both my pre draft and post draft assessment remain the same. He wasn't worthy of 1st oa

If Wright was as good as you try to say and the supposed clear BPA, devils would’ve screamed of joy and would’ve drafted him without thinking about it twice. Having Hughes and Hischier is not a good argument if Wright is supposed to be as good as you seems to think.

I don't think Wright is generational. I think he's a cut above Slaf as you can tell, but he's not going to be a difference maker the point that you have to go for him if your organisation doesn't need a center and you're set for the next decade. I'm one for drafting BPA, but there was absolutely 0 center need for them. Further, if you draft a center in their situation, they'd have to trade one of the 3 in the long run and they never would have traded at full value.

At time of draft, Nemec and Jiricek were projected 4-5 iirc. I love nemec but, based on where things were, NJD probably had Wright and cooley higher on their list but went for need because their immediate objective is roster building. Their rebuild is over and they want the next step

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

*wasent worthy of first overall* is absolutely cringe considering you dont even know how good any of these kids will become and the best forward will most likely be like the 9th guy picked. How are you people speaking in certainties with so much confidence is beyond me but i suppose its the internet after all

Personally I dont like Wrights scrunched up face so he was on my No Draft List

 

[Vachon23]

Can we give Slafkovsky time and not panic after 2 pre season games ? Who cares if he's not ready this year ? The important is how he will look like in 3 yrs.

And by the way I was 100 % team Wright (and I would still take Wright) but Slaf is the choice and can only hope he was the good choice