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

[RationalExpectations]

I guess the Habs can ask every opposing team very nicely not to hit Slafkovsky while he is adapting to the NHL

… and don’t hit him when he’s exhausted, y’all

Snark aside, these Welcome To The NHL things happen and isn’t a problem itself but the image is clear: he has a lot to learn.

He does have a lot to learn. That being said, Thompson was a bust until his D+5 so we have Time

 

[waffledave]

Needs to keep his head up and be more aware.

 

[dinodebino]

In the end, it does not matter at all whether he was exhausted, off balance, etc.
He get knocked too easily and he can get hurt (potentially a very bad injury). This is obviously his main struggle with transition from Europe to NA. In Europe, we have bigger ice, so it is harder for opponents to finish their checks.
I am afraid that move to AHL would be even more dangerous as he would become a target no. 1 for opponents.

There are major f***ers in the AHL.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm less concerned game by game. He's gonna be awesome.

 

[ReHabs]

He does have a lot to learn. That being said, Thompson was a bust until his D+5 so we have Time

Emulating the Buffalo Sabres isn’t exactly my idea of a good development strategy but on the other hand the Habs’ method of rushing otherwise promising teenagers into the NHL isn’t very fruitful either.

To be fair: so far, he’s shown flashes of genuinely impressive ability but is still incredibly raw with his decision making and has already gotten a minor injury.

I’ve given up the fight, he’s in the NHL because he is not worse than Dadonov Pitlick and such. Okay, fair enough but it doesn’t seem to me that it’s the wisest way to develop a prospect’s hockey IQ. And full disclosure: I’m really warming up to him, he’s genuinely fun to watch and track around the ice.

 

[Retired]

Emulating the Buffalo Sabres isn’t exactly my idea of a good development strategy but on the other hand the Habs’ method of rushing otherwise promising teenagers into the NHL isn’t very fruitful either.

To be fair: so far, he’s shown flashes of genuinely impressive ability but is still incredibly raw with his decision making and has already gotten a minor injury.

I’ve given up the fight, he’s in the NHL because he is not worse than Dadonov Pitlick and such. Okay, fair enough but it doesn’t seem to me that it’s the wisest way to develop a prospect’s hockey IQ. And full disclosure: I’m really warming up to him, he’s genuinely fun to watch and track around the ice.

Nice to read

He seems to have 2 modes, “full beast I want the puck“ where he stiffens up, and “I’m thinking right now about what to do next“ where he just stands up like he’s in line for coffee.

 

[BLONG7]

Emulating the Buffalo Sabres isn’t exactly my idea of a good development strategy but on the other hand the Habs’ method of rushing otherwise promising teenagers into the NHL isn’t very fruitful either.

To be fair: so far, he’s shown flashes of genuinely impressive ability but is still incredibly raw with his decision making and has already gotten a minor injury.

I’ve given up the fight, he’s in the NHL because he is not worse than Dadonov Pitlick and such. Okay, fair enough but it doesn’t seem to me that it’s the wisest way to develop a prospect’s hockey IQ. And full disclosure: I’m really warming up to him, he’s genuinely fun to watch and track around the ice.

I think we are all warming up to him....................but no doubt about it, he and the habs are still very much a project.

 

[Justsayin]

I think we are all warming up to him....................but no doubt about it, he and the habs are still very much a project.

To the surprise of no-one.

 

[Wats]

He needs to practice putting himself in a better positions while having puck and not getting hit. Feel like this was always an issue, even his pre-draft highlights showed this as a bit of an issue. AHL will actually give him more practice with the puck with opponents coming to hit. Really hope Habs don't keep him up to appease the fans that just want instant entertainment/sell tickets with the 1st overall hype.

 

[hardcorehabs]

Wish he had an edge to his game. Like Svech.

Instead he's playing like Armia/Drouin. Knocked down by 5'9 Rossi? Jesus.

 

[57special]

Rossi is a smart player that knows how to use his body. He put all his weight into hitting Slafkovsky's hips.

Remember, Rossi is the guy who trains by walking on a tightrope while doing deke movements with a hockey stick.


If there is a small guy who know how to use his weight and balance effectively and target opponents weak points its him.

For the record, the rap on Rossi so far is that he was getting abused at the AHL level, nvm the NHL. He is not at all a physical player. He is a finesse player.

Mistakes aside yesterday from Slaf, I thought he showed a lot of promise. You can tell that he is going to be a handful once he matures. I do question having him up in the NHL at this point, though. I think he would be better off in Europe... he isn't physically mature yet.

 

[Redux91]

Wish he had an edge to his game. Like Svech.

Instead he's playing like Armia/Drouin. Knocked down by 5'9 Rossi? Jesus.

Yeah Svech is 23 now bub
Wait til you see this kid at 23

Lol @ making a big deal about getting hit from behind unsuspectingly, which he will have to be more alert on no doubt, but LOL if he had come up to him in full view and in front he most likely clenches and doesnt budge
But no yeah, breaking news Teenager in NHL gets bumped from behind into the boards = bust

 

[MarkovsKnee]

We all knew Wright bombed the NHL Combine team interviews. Now, according to Elliot Friedman the specific question that turned off many teams was his answer to the question: “Why didn’t you go play in Europe last season?”. Not sure what he answered but they didn’t like his response.

Apparently, he wanted a break. He taught himself how to play golf according to an article about it. USHL, like Savoie did, would have been a better avenue. I'm sure executives wondered about his commitment to hockey. It sounds like he didn't really do much, so he really did lose a year of development.

 

[tooji]

I thought overall he had a good game besides the obvious lapse at the end. He’s more engaged shift over shift

 

[Tyson]

He has been really good.
For those who think he belongs in Laval are mistaken.
There is more thuggery in the AHL.

He is being developed with 15-17 shifts per game and now is on the PP.
Keep him in Montreal.

 

[BLONG7]

Yeah Svech is 23 now bub
Wait til you see this kid at 23

Lol @ making a big deal about getting hit from behind unsuspectingly, which he will have to be more alert on no doubt, but LOL if he had come up to him in full view and in front he most likely clenches and doesnt budge
But no yeah, breaking news Teenager in NHL gets bumped from behind into the boards = bust

Agreed................all the kid did wrong there, was let up thinking he would not get hit, from behind mind you.

People are way over reacting about this..........

 

[nhlfan9191]

For the record, the rap on Rossi so far is that he was getting abused at the AHL level, nvm the NHL. He is not at all a physical player. He is a finesse player.

Mistakes aside yesterday from Slaf, I thought he showed a lot of promise. You can tell that he is going to be a handful once he matures. I do question having him up in the NHL at this point, though. I think he would be better off in Europe... he isn't physically mature yet.

We have the best of both worlds. We have not only juniors, but the AHL if need be. No need for Europe. He needs to be playing on North American ice. I think a lot of the things he struggles with comes from the speed and not being adjusted to the game over here yet. The question is where does he go if he doesn’t stay. I wouldn’t keep him up here all season.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I'd prefer he'd be in the AHL developing his offensive potential like I said prior to his being drafted, after he was drafted & since training camp. The fact that he's better than some worthless NHLers that we're carrying really shouldn't change that. We should be in a tanking year.

But, people who use last night's hit as some kind of example of the player he is or will be really don't know shit about hockey.

 

[Mrb1p]

Top 6 + PP time or AHL. Enough of this already, he needs the puck on his stick.

12 minutes and 50 seconds of PP again, in a meaningless game.

 

[Kennerback]

Top 6 + PP time or AHL. Enough of this already, he needs the puck on his stick.

12 minutes and 50 seconds of PP again, in a meaningless game.

You wish.

 

[Mrb1p]

Yeah Svech is 23 now bub
Wait til you see this kid at 23

Lol @ making a big deal about getting hit from behind unsuspectingly, which he will have to be more alert on no doubt, but LOL if he had come up to him in full view and in front he most likely clenches and doesnt budge
But no yeah, breaking news Teenager in NHL gets bumped from behind into the boards = bust

Not that the hit says anything about Slaf aside from him not protecting himself but Svech always had a physical edge, 23 or not. He is pretty much as close as you can have to Ovechkin.

You wish.

I wish hed play more? Yes, exactly thats what I just said.

You wish.

I wish hed play more? Yes, exactly thats what I just said.

 

[Hannibal]

Laval’s a mess. Keep Slaf and X far from that.

 

[57special]

We have the best of both worlds. We have not only juniors, but the AHL if need be. No need for Europe. He needs to be playing on North American ice. I think a lot of the things he struggles with comes from the speed and not being adjusted to the game over here yet. The question is where does he go if he doesn’t stay. I wouldn’t keep him up here all season.

I think the AHL is getting to be a bad development league for young skilled players. Refs let way too much go, which favors older, lesser skilled players. Main thing for Slaf is to let his body develop naturally, while allowing him to work on his puck skills as much as possible. You wan this guy to be a top 6, if not top line guy as much as possible, and not fart around being targeted by grinders in the AHL. Ironically, that was what Rossi was faced with last year in the AHL... he did ok, but only after getting his face rubbed about 27 times, and missing a couple of games due to a high (head) hit after a whistle.

An 18 yo doesn't need to deal with that crap from a bitter 27 yo minor league lifer. Slaf will be a completely different person physically when he is 20 or 21 yo. The difference between Boldy at 19yo(giraffe on skates getting knocked over regularly in the AHL) and Boldy now at 21(winning board battles in the NHL, and laying heavy hits) is mind blowing. Boldy had the advantage of being able to play two years in college and some AHL before being in the NHL. You would hope that Slaf is a bit more advanced as a player, but MTL should be taking similar care not to rush him... he's still a kid, relatively speaking. Very, very few players are ready for the NHL right away. You just have to take a look at Lafreniere to see how not to develop a 1 oa player. Slaf has to deal not only with physical and mental immaturity, but also a new culture and language... that's a load.

Sorry for the rant...i know I've invaded your forum as an outsider, but I grew up in Montreal years ago during the glory years, and have a special interest in the team.

 

[rik schau]

Should be in the AHL,needs to find his footing, in a manner of speaking.lol.

 

[Tyson]

I think the AHL is getting to be a bad development league for young skilled players. Refs let way too much go, which favors older, lesser skilled players. Main thing for Slaf is to let his body develop naturally, while allowing him to work on his puck skills as much as possible. You wan this guy to be a top 6, if not top line guy as much as possible, and not fart around being targeted by grinders in the AHL. Ironically, that was what Rossi was faced with last year in the AHL... he did ok, but only after getting his face rubbed about 27 times, and missing a couple of games due to a high (head) hit after a whistle.

An 18 yo doesn't need to deal with that crap from a bitter 27 yo minor league lifer. Slaf will be a completely different person physically when he is 20 or 21 yo. The difference between Boldy at 19yo(giraffe on skates getting knocked over regularly in the AHL) and Boldy now at 21(winning board battles in the NHL, and laying heavy hits) is mind blowing. Boldy had the advantage of being able to play two years in college and some AHL before being in the NHL. You would hope that Slaf is a bit more advanced as a player, but MTL should be taking similar care not to rush him... he's still a kid, relatively speaking. Very, very few players are ready for the NHL right away. You just have to take a look at Lafreniere to see how not to develop a 1 oa player. Slaf has to deal not only with physical and mental immaturity, but also a new culture and language... that's a load.

Sorry for the rant...i know I've invaded your forum as an outsider, but I grew up in Montreal years ago during the glory years, and have a special interest in the team.

Well said about the AHL's decline as a development league.