Prospect Info: 2022 - 1st OA] Juraj Slafkovsky (LW) Part 4

[The Gr8 Dane]

He didn't even play badly yesterday, and he was still benched. Drouin was a headless chicken most of the game in the d-zone and Anderson and Slaf had to cover for him in front of the net. What ensued was a discombobulated line and porous zone exits, as well as getting hemmed into their own zone. Yet Drouin still receives ample PP time and opportunities. I won't even start on Dadonov.

MSL is very inconsistent with the messages he's sending, and I frankly don't believe he's been putting Slafkovsky in a position to succeed lately. There's been a sense of optimism growing about the future of this club with our new personnel - in management and coaching roles - but apart from Caufield's emergence, MSL has shown squat at developing young players.

Yeah im not a fan of MSL's love fest for Drouin. but you know he's a *ptit gars d'ici* of course lol

 

[Mrb1p]

This thread has so much volatility.

And it still sucks.

This threads gonna suck as long as Slaf sucks.

HA

 

[Skala24]

send him to Laval or wjc

wjc and then laval

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

If he's going to stay in the NHL, put him in Dadonov's role where he's playing 13-14 minutes on the third line with regular linemates like Dvorak/Hoffman and getting 2nd PP unit minutes.

If he's going to on a new line every game or two and getting benched for 26 year old AHLers, then send him somewhere where he'll get regular minutes.

 

[Tyson]

He didn't even play badly yesterday, and he was still benched. Drouin was a headless chicken most of the game in the d-zone and Anderson and Slaf had to cover for him in front of the net. What ensued was a discombobulated line and porous zone exits, as well as getting hemmed into their own zone. Yet Drouin still receives ample PP time and opportunities. I won't even start on Dadonov.

MSL is very inconsistent with the messages he's sending, and I frankly don't believe he's been putting Slafkovsky in a position to succeed lately. There's been a sense of optimism growing about the future of this club with our new personnel - in management and coaching roles - but apart from Caufield's emergence, MSL has shown squat at developing young players.

He has shown good things with how he is handling the young D though.

Lets face it...Slaf has hit a wall and needs to go to lower tiered league to actually develop his game.

 

[nhlfan9191]

wjc and then laval

Why the fixation with the WJC? It’s not like he’d be getting sent to a top tier team down there. He should go to the AHL.

 

[The Great Weal]

I don't care about the WJC but if they aren't going to use him just send him down. This is worse than KK and Chucky development.

 

[Tyson]

Like that Avs fan posted on this site earlier...Rantanen played a season in the AHL.

 

[1909]

Another season in Finland or AHL would had been beneficial to Slaf. Look at Lafrenière. It's gonna take 2-3 seasons or more to reach his potential, whatever this potential is.

I don't care about the WJC but if they aren't going to use him just send him down. This is worse than KK and Chucky development.

Right now, he is looking less NHL ready than KK or Galchy were.

Quality of vet forwards in this team is just pathetic. Mony is the only player who could be a good mentor for our young forwards. You do not want to have 23y old Suzuki mentoring 18y old Slafkovsky. Thankfully, there is Savard, Eddie and Matheson in D.
I remember Lecavalier said that he played his first NHL season in 3rd line with some good vets and it helped him a lot.

I think Slaf-Monahan-Gally could had worked.

 

[Justsayin]

Is he Dach with a shot?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Is it the case that Slaf would be "safer" in

Is it the case that Slaf would be "safer" in the AHL

Undoubtedly so, I’m not sure why we feel obligated to play him in the NHL and continue to get his bell rung while the team is a cesspool. There is no reason to keep him here, he’s 100% not ready.

He’s 1OA and tall, so he’s too good for lesser leagues. I’ll never understand the logic, but neither do those that support it.

I think some are just fearful that they won’t have any excuses left if Slaf doesn’t dominate or look great in the AHL either.

 

[Heffyhoof]

Undoubtedly so, I’m not sure why we feel obligated to play him in the NHL and continue to get his bell rung while the team is a cesspool. There is no reason to keep him here, he’s 100% not ready.

He’s 1OA and tall, so he’s too good for lesser leagues. I’ll never understand the logic, but neither do those that support it.

I think some are just fearful that they won’t have any excuses left if Slaf doesn’t dominate or look great in the AHL either.

Try not to sound too excited about that.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Try not to sound too excited about that.

Good one. Sucks to suck, but you’ve been wrong at every turn about Slaf. He’s not ready and hasn’t been. It’s been obvious since the beginning and now the Habs who heralded MSL as a developmental saviour are turning on him. It’s everyone’s fault except Slaf’s. There’s nothing to be excited about.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think under different circumstances it might’ve worked. He was just starting to do well with Monahan. He’s clearly got skills and I think if things were a little more stable then it might’ve been okay.

But it’s very clearly not working out. I think it’s time to bite the bullet. Probably too late for the WJT but…

 

[JoelWarlord]

I think some are just fearful that they won’t have any excuses left if Slaf doesn’t dominate or look great in the AHL either.

Lol the AHL fetishists are the ones trying to soothe themselves by watching the number go up

 

[Mrb1p]

The same shit was being said about KK when he hit his wall (which was ironically much later than Slafs) and I told them he would bust.

Its the same bullshit. I remember the "No, Kotkaniemi is too good to bust, he is going to be good".

 

[JoelWarlord]

I really just can't take all the consternation in here seriously. Three weeks of steady progression and good play and then one bad game followed up by one OK game and the sky is falling again. It's just very odd, especially when nobody else in the draft class has accomplished jack shit either.

For the record I'm not opposed to him being sent to the AHL either, I just don't get the agita around that decision as until the last two games there has been visible and obvious progression in his game if you are being remotely honest when observing his play.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Good one. Sucks to suck, but you’ve been wrong at every turn about Slaf. He’s not ready and hasn’t been. It’s been obvious since the beginning and now the Habs who heralded MSL as a developmental saviour are turning on him. It’s everyone’s fault except Slaf’s. There’s nothing to be excited about.

I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s Slafkovsky’s fault. He’s 18 and very green. Very common. We knew this was going to be the case when we drafted him. He’s been better then I excepted, I just don’t think he’s ready. It comes down to Marty St. Louis and HuGo to put him in situations to succeed and throwing him to the bottom of the lineup is just a very weird approach for development.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I don't care about the WJC but if they aren't going to use him just send him down. This is worse than KK and Chucky development.

I'm not sure it's worse, but they did have a development plan for him that included games off for development purposes, and even made a grand announcement of that after his 1st game off. Remember the rookie D were going to switch off too.

Then injuries hit & Slafkovsky played better than they probably thought he would. That plan seems to have flown out the window.

He definitely should be getting time off for development purposes. This was the action plan that TB took with Stamkos after he struggled in his 1st few months in NHL. They got him in the workout room, developed him with their coaches, and went over video with him. It's a legit development strategy & one that Seattle is trying to implement with Wright too.

That seemed to be the way Montreal wanted to handle someone who is an NHL tweener - close to NHL ready, able to play shifts and produce at a modest rate, but struggles against the grind of the NHL game.

The big issue is the crap on this team is way worse than expected. Dadonov, Evans, Drouin, Gallagher, even Hoffman are not contributing at all. Slafkovsky's 10 pts has him tied for 8th in scoring with Hoffman. Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, Monahan, Dvorak, Guhle & Anderson are the only ones out producing him, and he's only one point back of Anderson having played less games & getting fewer minutes.

And, MSL seems to be trying to win? Wtf is that about?! He's not completely benching him in 3rd. His ice time is 5-5-2 to get him to 12 minutes. Regular shift 1st & 2nd period, odd shift in 3rd.

He needs to play with a stable veteran. The only one we have is Monahan. No coincidence at all that Slafkovsky looked his best playing with him. The rest of the veterans are a bunch of incompetent yahoos.

 

[Wats]

Like that Avs fan posted on this site earlier...Rantanen played a season in the AHL.

But Slaf apparently is better.

 

[ReHabs]

But Slaf apparently is better.

How did Rantanen survive all those head hunting goons in the AHL?

 

[Heffyhoof]

Good one. Sucks to suck, but you’ve been wrong at every turn about Slaf. He’s not ready and hasn’t been. It’s been obvious since the beginning and now the Habs who heralded MSL as a developmental saviour are turning on him. It’s everyone’s fault except Slaf’s. There’s nothing to be excited about.

I actually haven't opined on Slaf much, considering I work too much to catch games. I come here for info but instead get countless repeated pages by the same two or three posters saying the same two or three things. Again, try not to enjoy it too much.

 

[SlafySZN]

Some people here are unbelievable lol

Calling the kid a bust.

We really don’t deserve these prospects. Some don’t know what patience mean.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Some people here are unbelievable lol

Calling the kid a bust.


We really don’t deserve these prospects. Some don’t know what patience mean.

I don't see posts like those anymore cause I just ignore people who form an opinion on nothing and then won't move off that opinion no matter what.

People who can't admit they are wrong are people not worth discussing with.

 

[NotProkofievian]

One thing I have noticed is he is not confident and that can wear on you. When he played with his country in international play, he was a go to type player. On the Habs, he is a bystander with limited ice time.

So yeah, It is getting to the point where he needs the puck on his stick a bit more and that happens with more ice time. I'd think different if his confidence was high but it's not at the moment.

Would have been a good time to loan him to the WJC. Would have been a fresh change for him

AHL? I worry that even with more ice time, he has little talent to play with? Not sure... I don't watch Laval games.

The problem is that the game is too hard for him at the NHL level. He needs a game that he can beat, have regular successes and build on them. That's all development is, really.