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

[Xirik]

He wont ask them, but they will probably propose him that option, the good habits he is acquiring right now are there to stay, playing at the WJC just can be good for his confidence... Lets face it, the only good fowards on this team are Suzuki and Caufield while Dach is blossoming playing with them, any other lines Slaf might play on are trash loaded of washed up vets. So whats best for his development, playing with bottom liners or living a great experience being a headliner in a such tournament? It would also give Hughes more time to showcase his washed up vets to eventually clean the house and it would help the tank. You kill 2 birds with a stone...

Not to mention that Slovakia hasn't been great internationally recently and this could be the start of them becoming great with the likes of Mesar, Nemec, and Slafkovsky Denying him the chance of making his country proud would be like kicking a cute puppy.

I don't see how allowing him to become a leader for his team and having him dealing with the intensity of having an entire country cheering him on is a bad thing. If he lead the team to a medal? great! If he doesn't he'll deal with the harshness of losing on the grand stage.

So many players have said it took them losing at the worlds, Olympics, Stanley Cup. For them to realize what they need to do to become better and find that next gear. Let him go to the WJC

 

[417]

Juniors aren't even two weeks long. It's 11 days, I'm sure Slovakia would be perfectly fine if Slaf missed most of training camp.

again

What's in it for the Montreal Canadiens? (speaking of as of this moment?)

I get that watching our prospect play these games are fun, but the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t careless (again, assuming his progression continues the way it has).

Send him to Eerie, Finland, Slovakian Junior National Team, etc. Seems like a lot of people want him to play anywhere but where he's showing he's developing the most.

Meanwhile only 2 players have scored more goals then he has on the team up to this point.

This is a trip lol

 

[Kennerback]

I wonder if this would be a topic if Slafkovsky was a Canadian player that was invited to be on team Canada.

No difference. If Slaf had Wright’s current usage sure. Otherwise, hard pass.

 

[Kojo]

He doesn't even want to go to the WJC, he wants to play with the Habs.

 

[Tyson]

I am OK either way whether Slaf plays for Slovakia or stays in Montreal.
The tie breaker is I would lean towards letting him play at the WJC because the Habs are not in a playoff race...

 

[Canadienna]

He doesn't even want to go to the WJC, he wants to play with the Habs.

Is this based on something he's said or are you interpreting here?

 

[Kojo]

Is this based on something he's said or are you interpreting here?

In his interviews he keeps talking how he wants to play against the best players in the top league.

 

[Canadienna]

In his interviews he keeps talking how he wants to play against the best players in the top league.

Yeah, but this isn't an either/or thing.

He would miss a 5 game road trip, and 1 home game. That leaves 76 games "against the best players".

HuGo will know what he wants, and they should at least take it into account.

 

[Goldenhands]

again

What's in it for the Montreal Canadiens? (speaking of as of this moment?)

I get that watching our prospect play these games are fun, but the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t careless (again, assuming his progression continues the way it has).

Send him to Eerie, Finland, Slovakian Junior National Team, etc. Seems like a lot of people want him to play anywhere but where he's showing he's developing the most.

Meanwhile only 2 players have scored more goals then he has on the team up to this point.

This is a trip lol

Still, Slaf clearly belongs with the Habs, he is progressing and doing great. Im not proposing to send him in the AHL to play top minutes with grinders, Im proposing to give him a 3 weeks break to play with his countrymates and have fun through a very demanding 1st NHL season where he doesnt have much opportunities to play with good players. Also, Im not sure you realize how important it is for young players to represent their country and battle for a medal in a prestigious tournament. As @Xirik pointing out, Slovakia has a new generation of highly promising young players and Im not sure when is the last time they really had a chance to really compete for a medal... At the end, if Slaf prefer to keep playing with the Habs, they wont send him there, if both clans think thats possibly whats best at this point in the situation we are in, dont fall beside your chair to learn they release him for 3 weeks.

 

[Kojo]

Yeah, but this isn't an either/or thing.

He would miss a 5 game road trip, and 1 home game. That leaves 76 games "against the best players".

HuGo will know what he wants, and they should at least take it into account.

I would rather keep him close to home. If he keeps improving his forechecking skills he's going to need some rest for the second half of the season.

 

[417]

Still, Slaf clearly belongs with the Habs, he is progressing and doing great. Im not proposing to send him in the AHL to play top minutes with grinders, Im proposing to give him a 3 weeks break to play with his countrymates and have fun through a very demanding 1st NHL season where he doesnt have much opportunities to play with good players. Also, Im not sure you realize how important it is for young players to represent their country and battle for a medal in a prestigious tournament. As @Xirik pointing out, Slovakia has a new generation of highly promising young players and Im not sure when is the last time they really had a chance to really compete for a medal... At the end, if Slaf prefer to keep playing with the Habs, they wont send him there, if both clans think thats possibly whats best at this point in the situation we are in, dont fall beside your chair to learn they release him for 3 weeks.

We’ll see how he's playing as the WJC approaches but I think it's unlikely.

His arrow is pointing up right now as he’s responded pretty well to the limited exposure they've given him so far.

If that changes between now and then, you can look at that option.

But personally, I couldn't give a damn about sending him there, would much rather see him in the NHL or at worst the AHL.

 

[morhilane]

After the Olympics and the (adult) Worlds this year, I think Juraj graduated from junior International level competition.

 

[Kojo]

After the Olympics and the (adult) Worlds this year, I think Juraj graduated from junior International level competition.

That's how it usually work. He's probably going to play in the WC with his crew of Craig Ramsay, Mesar and Nemec next year anyway.

 

[the valiant effort]

There is nothing wrong in sending him represent his country against the best aged juniors in the world, kid would produce alot and Slovakia would be pretty fun to watch. Its not like sending him to the AHL to play with grinders, its sending him there to have fun with his countrymates, gets ton of points and maybe get a medal. I see only positives personally.

Let's get there and see what we have in front of us.
If Slaf is progressing, he's staying but if he's without a point for like 10 games and the team is in the crapper.....WJC will be an option.

For sure, but I am positive that he is not going to request a leave of absence from a professional hockey team to hang out in Moncton over the holidays.

It certainly would not shock me if he ends up going there.

 

[Colezuki]

Anderson suspension may be a blessing in disguise might let him play up in the lineup and see if he continues to improve

 

[Retired]

That might be true if he wasn't playing...but he is.


If he would rather play for Slovakia instead of the Habs with his current usage, that would be a red flag for me .

if anything it’d be a perfect, high intensity learning / growing experience. I imagine Hughes would value it as an event every 18 year old athlete should dream of. Give RHP some minutes or something.

 

[Sorinth]

again

What's in it for the Montreal Canadiens? (speaking of as of this moment?)

I get that watching our prospect play these games are fun, but the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t careless (again, assuming his progression continues the way it has).

Send him to Eerie, Finland, Slovakian Junior National Team, etc. Seems like a lot of people want him to play anywhere but where he's showing he's developing the most.

Meanwhile only 2 players have scored more goals then he has on the team up to this point.

This is a trip lol

I'll first say I doubt very much Slaf goes to the WJC. However if he asked and I was GM I wouldn't say no.

Yes he's contributing to the team but we don't really care if the team loses a few extra games because Slaf went to the WJC. Hell most would probably argue that losing more is a selling point for him going since it helps the tank.

The only reason the team should say no is if they feel it would hurt/disrupt his development. Frankly I have a hard time believing that would be the case but at the same time I don't think it would really do anything to help his development either. So really it boils down to the relationship you want to build with the player so in the end if he wants to go you let him.

 

[calder candidate]

This isn't remotely the same situation, St-Louis was a well established player who had won a Hart trophy, forget it was the Olympics.

The Montreal Canadiens drafted him and signed him to a contract to be a Montreal Canadien, the Slovakian junior national team is really of no concern for them.

Can you just imagine him walking into Kent’s office today and asking for a 3 week leave of absence so he can go win a wjc medal?

MSL damanding a trade because he wasn't pick, had nothing to do with is job has a NHL player, yet it had significant effect... Did Yzerman have a obligation to pick the best team or manage is relationship with a star player.

If Slovakia is asking that isn't the same as if Slaf is asking, since if Slaf is asking in the first place you know it is important to him. KH will have to decide if how he manages is relationship with a futur star player.

I don't want him to go but if he want to go... That should not be a issue, this isn't preferencial trement that other player will resent. Player don't need the team, the team need players if you are going to make them unhappy over trivial thing like 5 games where he going to play 4th minute it might not end well. KK walk out over being bench in the playoff should the team have manage it relationship with KK or play Stall on the 4th line for 1 game...

Considering that Slaf has a Olympic medal, he going to have chances at OG, WC and Stanley Cup, he isn't going to have any other chance of winning a WJC. Bergeron when to the WJC after making the NHL, a lot of other top player were lended and had very positive experience, Playing 4 line minute in 5 regular season games vs. leading a team in a high intensity tourney playing against the best player in the world in his age group, there might be more intensity in this tourney than in a few NHL game during that same time period. I don't see that going to the WJC will be negative for him short or long term, I can see more positve coming from it, which will benifit him and MTL.

 

[calder candidate]

Seriously, who cares. Value for DROUIN, DADONOV OR HOFFMAN will never be that high. Putting them ahead of a kid's development is silly. Waive them if need be and accept the fact they were never worth very much.

They couldn't give Dadonov away in the past at the deadline. Now, he's just an older version of that. Drouin is snake-bitten when shooting with the puck and Hoffman' s only skill -- goal-scoring -- is still MIA.

I just want to manage our assets, Salf is a best asset out of the bunch and for me to manage that asset going forward he should either be playing top 9 minutes in the NHL or top line minute in the AHL and have the Dadonovs, Hoff, Drouin can ride the bench in the NHL, if they don't hold any value, there is no value. Right now Slaf is riding the bench and we are rotating these guys in and out of the lineup so they aren't able to get any momentum or show any value, we aren't managing any of our asset... A decision has to be made very soon. Is Slaf better serve by staying in the NHL? if yes than which of these other guy can get traded or dump to the curve so that we can make it happen.

 

[417]

I'll first say I doubt very much Slaf goes to the WJC. However if he asked and I was GM I wouldn't say no.

Yes he's contributing to the team but we don't really care if the team loses a few extra games because Slaf went to the WJC. Hell most would probably argue that losing more is a selling point for him going since it helps the tank.

The only reason the team should say no is if they feel it would hurt/disrupt his development. Frankly I have a hard time believing that would be the case but at the same time I don't think it would really do anything to help his development either. So really it boils down to the relationship you want to build with the player so in the end if he wants to go you let him.

I think we might be over estimating how much the wjc mean to players.

Just my opinion, but I think Slafkovsky would rather continue being an NHL player then go play for Slovakia for a few weeks. He's on the cusp of being able to lock down a top 6 spot by the end of this year because Drouin, Hoffman, Armia, Dadonov, are doing nothing, if he keeps this up, i’d be surprised if he just decided to leave.

It's the NHL, if you don't want a job, someone else will.

But hey, that's just me.

 

[Sorinth]

I think we might be over estimating how much the wjc mean to players.

Just my opinion, but I think Slafkovsky would rather continue being an NHL player then go play for Slovakia for a few weeks. He's on the cusp of being able to lock down a top 6 spot by the end of this year because Drouin, Hoffman, Armia, Dadonov, are doing nothing, if he keeps this up, i’d be surprised if he just decided to leave.

It's the NHL, if you don't want a job, someone else will.

But hey, that's just me.

And that's perfectly fair, I too doubt the WJC mean all that much to Slafkovsky. But I also don't know the guy, either way it's not a "red flag" if he wants to go, but yeah chances are if he wants to go it's because things aren't going great in the NHL at that moment in time.

 

[BaseballCoach]

He's created more than others have in his limited ice time imo.

I'm not sure what Marty is waiting for to try him with Monahan and give him around 15 minutes of ice time.

I also hope MSL saw the tape of Evan's on the wing in our playoff run. Because Evan's should get a shot next to Slaf and Monahan.

How many games do you remember Evans playing LW before Lehkonen took over?

 

[Plante]

That might be true if he wasn't playing...but he is.


If he would rather play for Slovakia instead of the Habs with his current usage, that would be a red flag for me .

It really shouldn't be a red flag if a teenager wants to win a medal with his home country in front of friends and family.

Pump the breaks a bit there bud.

 

[ReHabs]

It’s a do-nothing season and he’s not in the running for the Calder… there is no loss in letting Slaf play in the WJCs if he asks to be released for it.

 

[BaseballCoach]

It’s a do-nothing season and he’s not in the running for the Calder… there is no loss in letting Slaf play in the WJCs if he asks to be released for it.

You researched the top forwards picked earlier. How many went to the WJC after making the NHL team and playing a regular shift? In other words, not what Shane Wright is going through (though Wright was not the top forward picked).