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

[Goldenhands]

id keep Slaf in the NHL,, he needs about 2-3 weeks and he will be up to speed and absolutely clowning some of these teams in our division

Thats what I think too, has some minor stuff to figure out, but he is almost there.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

lol you think there were better players available over Slaf? Someone with his power, size and strength combo with his high IQ? Who??

Oh. You're serious. Ok...

 

[rahad]

lol you think there were better players available over Slaf? Someone with his power, size and strength combo with his high IQ? Who??

Homerun with the first overall pick.......

 

[Kennerback]

Oh. You're serious. Ok...

C’mon who? Nathan Gaucher? Conor Geekie?

 

[OldCraig71]

That hasn’t stopped others from sharing their opinion. Some may even think you’re in the best position to assess his game.

I am not the best scout for talent lol. I thought that Joel Teasdale and Ryan Poehling would be solid NHL players.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

C’mon who? Nathan Gaucher? Conor Geekie?

Joel Armia

 

[Habano]

Thanks to hurricane Fiona I haven't seen the kid play one single shift. Should I go back and read what posters are saying about him or should I just skip it?

Skip it brother, skip it.....

Sounds like they got that right on Wright, too. If he's already yelling and throwing tantrums at AHL coaches in Seattle.

What happened? I missed it. **EDIT never mind I found the article and the podcast.

 

[Mrb1p]

Did I just read that Hughes said the exact same thing I said about his two games? Damn.

@417 Wanna have a word with him and tell him hes wrong plz.

 

[Mrb1p]

A Slovak poster mentionned a while ago on HF that Nemec wouldn’t have been able to handle MTL media pressure + 1st OA. Nice kid but kinda shy/introverted.

This town is crazy, more media coverage for an intra-team scrimmage then some other teams receive for NHL games.

Markov fared pretty well, and so did Pleks and even Price.

I think Slaf is maybe a little TOO heavy at 238 right now.

He 100% is too heavy, cant gain that much weight in two months. At 20, hes gonna be a solid 240.

I’ve watched him tons too before camp. Adding what I’ve seen at camp, these are my concerns.

Slaf can do all the fancy dekes, fancy passes, trick plays. A bunch no one in NA has seen yet, Very impressive for a big man. Even unseen. Nevertheless because goalies have gotten much better in the past years, goals are more at a premium than assists. The guy you passed to needs to be an excellent finisher or very lucky to finish. So you better learn to finish yourself.

Because of his strength and speed, Slafkofsky can get to scoring areas as easily as anyone I’ve ever seen. But he doesn’t have the selfishness and the obsession to shoot and drive the net. He has a very heavy shot but just doesn’t use it enough. Ramsey at the Olympics and the Worlds practically had to beg him to shoot on net.

His best plays during preseason are when he put the puck on the net. It seems a no-brainer that when you have a heavy shot like that and an ease to get to the net, because you’re 240 pounds, you do it all the time. But he doesn’t. This nose for the net that seems so obvious and simple might not be teachable. And perhaps the Canadiens want to prop other aspects of his games. To me the elephant in the room is his unwillingness to shoot on net.

More than the shooting, imo, its the lack of willingness to use his body to create space in the slot. He defers a lot, too much even, to the outside.

 

[Redux91]

Did I just read that Hughes said the exact same thing I said about his two games? Damn.

@417 Wanna have a word with him and tell him hes wrong plz.

HE said the 2 games were a little underwhelming for the kid who's not NHL ready, prepping the fans for an AHL stint

YOU and couple others said.. much different things and insinuated they botched the draft pick that THEY said was a long term projection from the get go

Oh and your boy Shane just f***in TORE it up last night btw, 3g 2a and 10/10 face offs, go check it out quick!

 

[Mrb1p]

HE said the 2 games were a little underwhelming for the kid who's not NHL ready, prepping the fans for an AHL stint

YOU and couple others said.. much different things and insinuated they botched the draft pick that THEY said was a long term projection from the get go

Oh and your boy Shane just f***in TORE it up last night btw, 3g 2a and 10/10 face offs, go check it out quick!

I said those things? Or you made up your mind about things I havent said?

 

[River Meadow]

I said those things? Or you made up your mind about things I havent said?

It's easier to group everyone into the same box.

smh

 

[Kennerback]

Markov fared pretty well, and so did Pleks and even Price.

He 100% is too heavy, cant gain that much weight in two months. At 20, hes gonna be a solid 240.

More than the shooting, imo, its the lack of willingness to use his body to create space in the slot. He defers a lot, too much even, to the outside.

Not worried about that as he habitually does that. Much more so than the 2 exhibition games. And he can almost do it at will, but still doesn’t do it enough. What worries me is he’ll then try a nifty pass instead of shooting. Or pass to someone else out of the way to be 100% sure to keep puck possession… For example when you get a shooting lane in the slot, you don’t pass it to Dach. You shoot.

 

[sheed36]

Thanks to hurricane Fiona I haven't seen the kid play one single shift. Should I go back and read what posters are saying about him or should I just skip it?

I hope you skipped it. This Slafkovsky thread and the one on the prospects board are like that crazy scene the day John Crosbie shut the cod fishery down here in NL in 1992.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not worried about that as he habitually does that. Much more so than the 2 exhibition games. And he can almost do it at will, but still doesn’t do it enough. What worries me is he’ll then try a nifty pass instead of shooting. Or pass to someone else out of the way to be 100% sure to keep puck possession… For example when you get a shooting lane in the slot, you don’t pass it to Dach. You shoot.

I dont know, I obviously have seen him do it more, but Im not sure its nearly enough. It needs to be drilled into him, really.

Also I would like it if he worked on his backhand.

 

[Kennerback]

Thats what I think too, has some minor stuff to figure out, but he is almost there.

I agree he’ll likely make the team. But to instill a merit-based culture, I’d really like him to blow the socks off forwards fighting for the last Top-4 winger spot. To me that would mean putting up points during his 10 day trial.

 

[417]

Did I just read that Hughes said the exact same thing I said about his two games? Damn.

@417 Wanna have a word with him and tell him hes wrong plz.

But who said otherwise?

I don't get it? What did I say about his performance so far? I said I thought he's been fine, Hughes said he was underwhelming...

What's that got to do with me? Lol

And like I've about 10 times now, I don’t care about the NOW.

Preseason performances might determine career arcs for you.

Not me cuz lol

I've told you, I've got no issue with your takes on Slafkovsky other than I think you're drawing way too many far-reaching conclusions on tiny samples.

 

[River Meadow]

I agree he’ll likely make the team. But to instill a merit-based culture, I’d really like him to blow the socks off forwards fighting for the last Top-4 winger spot. To me that would mean putting up points during his 10 day trial.

Yeah..

Keeping him up because he was 1st OA.... VS keeping him up because he DESERVES to be up should be two different things.

He needs to earn it, period.

Otherwise he will become an entitled baby just like KK was.

 

[417]

I said those things? Or you made up your mind about things I havent said?

You’ve said MUCH more than just “he's been underwhelming”.

So not quite sure why you decided to break out the pom poms based on Hughes saying he was underwhelmed.

Maybe one day you'll be able to pump your chest about your takes on Slafkovsky.

That day ain't today lol

 

[Redux91]

It's easier to group everyone into the same box.

smh

Hey it's simple
Be more realistic, be less hyperbolical.
Be more understanding of the actual situation and be less ridiculously critical for no reason.
And then maybe you may get out of the box lol.

There.was.No.Generational
Talent.this.year.
This is Slafkovsky's fault..?

Because if you like Shane Wright that much and I mean THAT much... I mean.... --> ?

I said those things? Or you made up your mind about things I havent said?

 

[Mrb1p]

You’ve said MUCH more than just “he's been underwhelming”.

So not quite sure why you decided to break out the pom poms based on Hughes saying he was underwhelmed.

Maybe one day you'll be able to pump your chest about your takes on Slafkovsky.

That day ain't today lol

I said he wasn't good, Hughes said he wasn't good. I said he is a much better player than what he shown in those two games, Hughes said the same thing.

Like what, selective reading is incredible here.

 

[River Meadow]

Hey it's simple
Be more realistic, be less hyperbolical.
Be more understanding of the actual situation and be less ridiculously critical for no reason.
And then maybe you may get out of the box lol.

There.was.No.Generational
Talent.this.year.
This is Slafkovsky's fault..?

Because if you like Shane Wright that much and I mean THAT much... I mean.... --> ?

I'm being realistic though.

Slaf didn't look great in his 2 pre-sason games. He looked great in 1 rookie tournament game though, showed nice flashes there.

Maybe next game he will show us more, similar to some moves he pulled in rookie tournament.

I didn't like Wright, in fact I kept saying he looked so boring to watch, etc. However I will say, Kraken highlights from 2 days ago, he looked decent.

 

[peate]

I heard something interesting on RDS. There are no first round picks who got sent down to the minors, in a long while. I didn't get the exact statement. The only exception is Nail Yakupov, but he was just a bust.

 

[1909]

We will all have to be patient with Slaf. The guy could really become our best forward in like 3 or 4 seasons. Lafleur became a star at his fourth season. His first three years are forgettable.

But I am scared that not only some will compare him to Wright every occasions they have, but some might even compare him to KK and his 30 some points in his first season. KK was looking better than him in preseason games.

 

[417]

I said he wasn't good, Hughes said he wasn't good. I said he is a much better player than what he shown in those two games, Hughes said the same thing.

You said he wasn't good...Hughes said was underwhelming (lets not remix words)...I said he was fine...other posters said he was good or bad or fine, etc.

What's your point though?

Who cares about the freakin’ preseason lol

Like what, selective reading is incredible here.

There's no selective reading, I'll repeat it because you seem to keep glossing over it.

I've got no issues with YOUR takes about Slafkovsky other than I find you’re a bit premature with some of your criticisms.

It doesn't make them wrong, just premature.

But either way man...do you I guess lol