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

[Skip Bayless]

Every player will.

Nah, vets are used to the schedule. We might see slumps, but hitting the wall is something else.

 

[417]

Nah, vets are used to the schedule. We might see slumps, but hitting the wall is something else.

It might be described or interpreted as something else, but it’s really all the same.

82 games is a lot for anyone, but sure, I suppose when you’ve been through it, you *should be* better prepared to deal with it.

Just don’t think it always manifests itself like that.

 

[vlady]

Slaf will hit the wall at some point this season though. Y'all better not blame MSL for an 18 year who never played more than 11 games in a single year losing his energy in the world's fastest league.

11 games? He played over 90 games last year, actually.

 

[Skip Bayless]

It might be described or interpreted as something else, but it’s really all the same.

82 games is a lot for anyone, but sure, I suppose when you’ve been through it, you *should be* better prepared to deal with it.

Just don’t think it always manifests itself like that.

I don't think a vet who plays 10-12 minutes per game is expected to be too tired to compete at any point during the season.

A rookie like Slafkovsky who's main focus is too keep up the pace is way more likely to face the physical hurdles of an 82 game schedule in the NHL in a more extreme manner.

A player like McDavid will play 23 min. per night, but he will always go 100MPH because he's a physical/athletic specimen. It's not fair to compare him to every other player in the NHL either.

Every player will face fatigue during the year, but it's not wise to relativize it to everyone.

 

[jrom]

I don't think a vet who plays 10-12 minutes per game is expected to be too tired to compete at any point during the season.

A rookie like Slafkovsky who's main focus is too keep up the pace is way more likely to face the physical hurdles of an 82 game schedule in the NHL in a more extreme manner.

A player like McDavid will play 23 min. per night, but he will always go 100MPH because he's a physical/athletic specimen. It's not fair to compare him to every other player in the NHL either.

Every player will face fatigue during the year, but it's not wise to relativize it to everyone.

I think last year was quite the load for him, playing for multiple teams, coachs, different roles in the lineup, different league play styles, lotsa travel / jet lag, media interviews for the draft, in Slovakia, living on his own, etc.

For sure he will hit a slump / some fatigue this year but it’s nice for him to finally have some stability.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I think last year was quite the load for him, playing for multiple teams, coachs, different roles in the lineup, different league play styles, lotsa travel / jet lag, media interviews for the draft, in Slovakia, living on his own, etc.

For sure he will hit a slump / some fatigue this year but it’s nice for him to finally have some stability.

Yeah, but he played about 60 games and a big part of it was in a small country. Not saying last year was a piece of cake, but playing in the NHL is something else. It's not just the travel and the amount of games, it's the actual pace of the game.

 

[Scriptor]

It will never look "fine" unless Gallagher can score 20 per year, in which case the overpayment might only be around $1M.

However to be fair, almost every team probably has SOME bad contracts. Eventually they get out of them by some method, either by running them out, buying them out, incentivizing someone to take them, or LTIR "blessing".

If Gallagher is our only remaining bad contract in three years or less, there will be plenty of cap space to take on new players, give pay raises to DESERVING young veterans or weaponize space like we did with Monahan or the original Armia deal.

The biggest mistake to avoid is to commit big money and term to a core player who is not as good as youj thought he was, while the biggest temptation to resist is overpaying support players.

The Habs if managed properly could be in a positon to contend for quite a while, starting in 2024-25, if they evaluate well and manage their cap well, all the while maintaining a strong flow of new prospects, properly supported and developed. I've shown the basics of such a management plan elsewhere.

"...while the biggest temptation to resist is overpaying support players."

Here is the key. Overpaying a star player that does produce, even if a little less than anticipated, is not a problem because he will still have an impact for the buck.

Montreal, for the longest while, had to do so because they needed to pay a premium to land or keep quality players.

Overpaying support players like they are the cat's meow is a problem longer term as other, better opportunities cities arise.

Contracts to Armia and Byron at 3.4M are deadly. Contracts to a one-trick pony with defensive liability at 4.5M to a player like Hoffman is deadly. Contracts at 6.5M for term to pay for past performance to a player like Gallagher is bad business, period, as much as I like the kid.

It's bad cap management, period.

Byron should have been traded for a 2nd round pick at the trade deadline in the final year of his 1.167M contract, for example.

Every team signs a bad contract with a player (call it Gallagher's contract) when a GM usually falls in love with a player and stops assessing their value over time properly, but repeatedly extending bad contracts to supporting cast players is bad management and a fireable offense.

 

[Kennerback]

Three 18 year olds are up right now, Jiricek, Slaf and Wright. Their place in the depth chart:

Jackets are in a bind. They've been plagued by injuries Jiricek has looked great in the AHL and is a natural call up. But unlike Xkaj, Kovacevik and Harris, he hasn't been able to follow the NHL pace. So he's a bad 6th right now for the worst team in the NHL.

Kraken are a much improved team from last year, and all their 4th line players have been playing great. Their fans find no one to criticize. Their PP is excellent. How do you carve Wright a niche?

Habs have a terrible PP. Even with the Saturday PP free-for-all, they're still 27th. Aside from Suz,Cole,Monahan and Anderson, the next best offensive player right now is Slafkovsky. I'd put him even ahead Dach offensively, even though Dach is more well-rounded. So there's many spots available for Slaf.

 

[rahad]

Do you know guys know which team in the Junior Slafkovsky will play (if they send him in the junior)?

​

 

[FF de Mars]

Do you know guys know which team in the Junior Slafkovsky will play (if they send him in the junior)?

​

Why does this question pops up again and again? Why don't you just google Slafkovsky junior team ohl? It's the Erie Otters.

 

[River Meadow]

Yeah, but he played about 60 games and a big part of it was in a small country. Not saying last year was a piece of cake, but playing in the NHL is something else. It's not just the travel and the amount of games, it's the actual pace of the game.

If he gets tired and slows down, I'm done. Ship him back to Finland.

 

[rahad]

Why does this question pops up again and again? Why don't you just google Slafkovsky junior team ohl? It's the Erie Otters.

I did. Still could not find any information about his junior team. Most of the article is about him playing in Montreal or Laval.

 

[Skip Bayless]

If he gets tired and slows down, I'm done. Ship him back to Finland.

If he doesn't score next game ship him back to Finland. Enough is enough.

 

[MilesNewton]

So if you keep him up is the solution to trade someone? and if so who?

 

[Kennerback]

If he doesn't score next game ship him back to Finland. Enough is enough.

 

[BenchBrawl]

The next Frank Mahovlich?

 

[Belial]

Once he gains experience, he's going to be a pain in the ass on the forecheck with his long reach.

And he'll start hitting like a truck when he gains his man strength!

 

[Xirik]

Yeah the NHL is a different beast compared to other leagues for both your body and your brain. Better rookies then Slafkovsky (they exist) has had the mid season slump. One of the recent rookies that definitely felt it was Mercer, He was keeping up in the calder race until January where he sputtered and died for the rest of the season. Slafkovsky definitely plays a more physical game and will take more abuse from opponents because he's such an athletic freak and they probably will get away with it to.

Its a different sport but Hack a shaq was definitely a thing.

Its definitely going to wear him down eventually.

(edit) not saying Mercer is better then Slafkovsky, Was just using him as an example of the slump.

 

[Belial]

Yeah the NHL is a different beast compared to other leagues for both your body and your brain. Better rookies then Slafkovsky (they exist) has had the mid season slump. One of the recent rookies that definitely felt it was Mercer, He was keeping up in the calder race until January where he sputtered and died for the rest of the season. Slafkovsky definitely plays a more physical game and will take more abuse from opponents because he's such an athletic freak and they probably will get away with it to.

Its a different sport but Hack a shaq was definitely a thing.

Its definitely going to wear him down eventually.

(edit) not saying Mercer is better then Slafkovsky, Was just using him as an example of the slump.

That might be the reason they're not overplaying him...

He's playing around 11 minutes per game.

They want to slowly give him more and more as the season goes on instead of seeing him hit a wall in January.

 

[Kojo]

Yeah the NHL is a different beast compared to other leagues for both your body and your brain. Better rookies then Slafkovsky (they exist) has had the mid season slump. One of the recent rookies that definitely felt it was Mercer, He was keeping up in the calder race until January where he sputtered and died for the rest of the season. Slafkovsky definitely plays a more physical game and will take more abuse from opponents because he's such an athletic freak and they probably will get away with it to.

Its a different sport but Hack a shaq was definitely a thing.

Its definitely going to wear him down eventually.

(edit) not saying Mercer is better then Slafkovsky, Was just using him as an example of the slump.

He's going to have to learn to respond in kind like Xhekaj does at some point, not fighting but keeping the opponents honest. If they slash him there could be some repercussion, if he gets mad.

 

[Xirik]

He's going to have to learn to respond in kind like Xhekaj does at some point, not fighting but keeping the opponents honest. If they slash him there could be some repercussion, if he gets mad.

You know how reffing works now in days. Slaf's reaction would be penalised instead of the guys hacking him.

The good ol fashion "your bigger then them so you can take it" logic.

 

[Skip Bayless]

He's going to have to learn to respond in kind like Xhekaj does at some point, not fighting but keeping the opponents honest. If they slash him there could be some repercussion, if he gets mad.

Angry Slaf is score. They will know.

 

[stenlis]

5 shots
2 goals
2 hits to the goalpost

 

[ReHabs]

He did forecheck well and when he lost the puck he recovered it. This is him adapting to the NHL and gaining confidence (not over thinking).

But his hockey IQ does need to improve so he doesn’t give the puck away constantly. Is it better to figure it out in the NHL or elsewhere? Not sure! It’s worth discussing but it seems there is no interest in that discussion.

 

[Xirik]

He did forecheck well and when he lost the puck he recovered it. This is him adapting to the NHL and gaining confidence (not over thinking).

But his hockey IQ does need to improve so he doesn’t give the puck away constantly. Is it better to figure it out in the NHL or elsewhere? Not sure! It’s worth discussing but it seems there is no interest in that discussion.

on the + side even if he never makes gains in "hockey IQ" he has his reach which allows him to slow down his game a bit. That should allow his IQ to catch up to play.

There are a lot of All-Star players that have a unique skill which they use as a crutch for their less polished skills. So its not entirely bad.