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

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Sorinth said:
Well first off he's not playing 5-7 minutes. Exaggerating doesn't really help.
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I would note that in my post I didn't claim that Slafkovsky is playing 5 or 7 minutes, but that I couldn't see how " ..... playing 5 or 7 minutes more a game against lesser opposition will enhance or accelerate this young player's development."

While I agree that exaggerating doesn't really help, I would suggest that misquoting a post is equally unhelpful if not disingenuous.
 
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The ice time thing seems rather overblown to me. If you asked me my own personal opinion as a dumb guy that watches the games on TV, I do think it's time to stick him with Monahan for an extended period and give him 2nd line minutes, but I don't think there's a problem with him learning and developing processing speed in a lower role for the time being. Ideally we'll reach a point where they have to cut bait on trying to recover trade value for the vets. He did get some 2nd line shifts with Monahan (and unfortunately Anderson too) late in the game last night, so hopefully that's where he'll be for next game and onwards. However, we're still seeing regular improvements in the current role so I'm not particularly concerned.

The other thing I'd say is that for all the talk on this board about how he (or other prospects more generally) should stay in Europe, what Montreal is doing with Slafkovsky right now is pretty much exactly how KHL/SHL/Liiga clubs will develop young players. I think this whole idea that you absolutely HAVE to play 1st line minutes at 18/19 or you're hampering future growth is pretty specious given how many successful players come out European leagues playing 6-8 minutes a night as teenagers, or playing 30-40 games a year in college.

It can be the right thing for some players, but I don't think it's the only good path for every player. I think a lot of the "X player went back to the CHL and played 20 minutes a night and put up a gazillion points, now he's a star" line of reasoning is conflating something a lot of good players were forced to do with something that's beneficial for good players. I would say the same for the AHL as well given it's often the only option for players who have left college or are done in junior but aren't physically ready for the NHL yet.

I think with Slafkovsky it's as simple as he visibly looks capable at the NHL level and is continuing to develop and is being given the freedom to test his limits. If Laval was a better overall environment with more talent around I'd be more open to it, but I think the NHL remains the best environment for him.
 
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Slaf needs to shoot the damn puck when he has open ice instead of passing to plugs. he’s a good passer, but he should take more chances himself and keep the D guessing.
 
ExpatHabs said:
I don't only use limited stats and never said my approach is even right. But it is my approach and so far we've seen Slaf struggle to put up points. This is not a complicated concept: he has not put up a significant PPG anywhere he's played since leaving the children's leagues.

If you work with stats you'd know there are likely events and there are events that are Std Dev.s away from expected. Cheechoo is irrelevant to any discussion, no need to bring it up other than to expose your unfamiliarity with some of these concepts. Thompson is not so much of an outlier as he is a somewhat late-bloomer who had his career nearly derailed due to the Buffalo curse and Covid hitting at the same time. Two examples that don't really fit with the analysis of the 1OA.

For instance, when I say nobody with Slaf's Draft-year PPG in Liiga ever hit a high NHL ppg I don't mean that a high draft-year Liiga PPG is a necessary indicator that the player will have a high NHL ppg. Many here had trouble with that argument. The only player that came close is Roope Hintz, and guess what? -- he wasn't drafted in the first round.
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Fair enough, I'll leave you with your stats to be pessimistic. :D
 
JoelWarlord said:
The other thing I'd say is that for all the talk on this board about how he (or other prospects more generally) should stay in Europe, what Montreal is doing with Slafkovsky right now is pretty much exactly how KHL/SHL/Liiga clubs will develop young players.
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Absolutely, thank you! This is a standard way to develop prospects in Europe. Jagr, Koivu, Pastrnak, Forsberg, Carlsson, you can name tons of those players. Once they were ready to play pro they started in 4th line with limited ice-time.
This mantra of "dominating CHL-AHL-NHL" seems to me like Don Cherry kind of living back in 80s. It is not the only development path for young players.
 
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rik schau said:
No doubt,he has hardly deviated much from the training camp formations,wrote stuff on paper and stuck with it. Seems to me he squandered camp by his stubbornness to not experiment more.
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I trust MSL more than I trust myself so it will take me a lot of blunders to question MSL decisions. He has more information than us too.
 
rik schau said:
I actually don't like any of the lines,not sure what Marty is doing.
I know squat about juniors but think Slaf would be better off with a shifty center with speed and passing ability.Beck comes to mind.
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I prefer Slaf with a center like Suzuki but we only have one. MSL is doing the best he can with what he has.

Slaf in Juniors only helps him put up points. It won't help him adapt to the pro game with less time and space and very good skaters. Ideally, we need to find a good center behind Suzuki. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
 
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Habs Halifax said:
I prefer Slaf with a center like Suzuki but we only have one. MSL is doing the best he can with what he has.

Slaf in Juniors only helps him put up points. It won't help him adapt to the pro game with less time and space and very good skaters. Ideally, we need to find a good center behind Suzuki. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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I wasn't suggesting sending Slaf to the juniors,down the road.
 
I would like to get an explanation from MSL why he does’nt move up Slaf to Top-9. Our 1st PP eats up a huge 90 seconds on the ice (not a typical 70 seconds). 4th line duties with Pezetta and 2nd PP line scraps is not enough.
 
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I had a feeling if we struggled they'd have a look at Slaf on the monahan line. Small sample size but I think he did enough in his cameo to be penciled in there next game. Certainly more likely than him going down to the AHL.
 
Fandangle said:
I had a feeling if we struggled they'd have a look at Slaf on the monahan line. Small sample size but I think he did enough in his cameo to be penciled in there next game. Certainly more likely than him going down to the AHL.
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For all we know, they tried it in practice and they don't like what they see at the moment. Lots of behind the scenes stuff we just don't know in many cases.

Slaf has been on the 2nd PP unit more and more as the season went along. They didn't start that way so maybe (just maybe), they are tinkering with things in practice before they try it in real games. Not many thinking about that area
 
417 said:
Coaching staff should pay attention because teams are overplaying the Suzuki-to-Caufield cross ice pass.

They don't respect whoever is playing the point (In this case, it's usually Dach who has zero interest in shooting from there).
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If secondary scoring continues to be flat, it's going to make other teams ability to contain our top line easier. Things are going to start to tighten up the deeper the season moves along too. It happens every year.

The other area of improvement is generating goals from causing turnovers down low. We are among the worse in the NHL from what I seen. A of of our offense is generated in transition and teams know this by now. Coaching and management at who you are facing each game is a real thing
 
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ExpatHabs said:
I dismiss tournament numbers with regard to draft picks because I find it's too noisy in predicting future NHL success. League play is a far better indicator (though imperfect) of suitability and likelihood of future success.

Conversely, if now that he's in the NHL and the reigning 1OA, he underproduces against WJC opponents my concern would be that his playmaking ability really is not sufficient -- since he will be back on international ice and playing against much weaker opposition. His playmaking ability (which means his ability to produce points, not "beautiful passes") is the biggest question mark I see in the player. His size, speed, stride, jawline, etc. are all fine and dandy but if he won't be able to put up points then he won't be any better than Josh Anderson or Joel Armia (... GOD FORBID!)

Slaf put up two points on mighty Kazakhstan at the WC, not two goals. My mistake. His performance at the D-list Olympics is irrelevant imo, and his performance at the WC is only somewhat relevant -- but we don't need to litigate this. He's drafted, he was bound to be a topX pick, and he's our 1OA. So we have to have a certain level of expectations from him as a 1OA (ie we can't just be impressed by "beautiful passes" that don't accomplish anything on the scoresheet) and we also have to root for his success and be optimistic (something I admit I struggle with).

I think HuGo drafted him because Gorton has a nasty, hardly concealed fetish for the unicorn winger. Kaako, Laf, and now Slaf. Let's hope third time's the charm
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Confirmed, this guy is Byron Bader!
 
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