Is Slafkovsky the worst #1 pick ever ?

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

That's all in hindsight. Let's not pretend there was a large community on these boards ready to pick Cooley #1 had the choice been theirs. Definately most people on here had Wright pegged #1.

No it's not. I had Cooley as 1st well before the draft.

 

[Elvs]

No it's not. I had Cooley as 1st well before the draft.

You are not "most people". But kudos to you.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Seems like anytime Montreal gets a top 5 pick, the draft class is absolute garbage

No they’ve picked poorly. Tkachuk, Cooley, Michkov, Rielly, Forsberg, Vasilevsky…..

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

You are not "most people". But kudos to you.

That doesn't mean the Habs weren't considering him. I know for a fact that at one point they were. That's all irrelevant though - the point is if they had a do over, I think they would have taken Cooley over Slafkovsky.

 

[Xirik]

I do think the Habs should have taken Cooley or Nemec at 1st simply because Big men forwards take longer to develop and being in a market that wants results fast isn't conductive to that.

Slaf would have fit perfectly in NJ where they could easily let him marinate in the AHL or plugged him beside Hischier or Hughes instead of being on a line where he doesn't know where he fits in each night and who's going to be his center.

I do think he will become something great eventually, I just don't know if he will still be a Hab or want to be after the Habs market tears him a part.

 

[PaulD]

he kind of sucks but montreal didnt do him any favors by rushing him into the league last year

Gakchenyuk 2013
KK 2018
Slav 2022

All rushed in at 18 years old onto weak rosters.

Modern day Canadiens never learn.

 

[Elvs]

That doesn't mean the Habs weren't considering him. I know for a fact that at one point they were. That's all irrelevant though - the point is if they had a do over, I think they would have taken Cooley over Slafkovsky.

Yes, they probably would. Just like Boston would probably have taken Samsonov #1 and Thornton #8 after their first season, instead of vice versa.

I'm not saying Slafkovsky is gonna turn out the best player in his draft. Only time will tell. But to already write him off, as if he's gonna go back to Europe within five years, is very premature. Some people in this thread are acting that way.

 

[Albatros]

Personally I think European top 10 picks should generally be in the AHL as teenagers, which they have the option to do. I still recall Mikko Rantanen paying his dues with the San Antonio Rampage and spending a year developing.

On the other hand in San Antonio Rantanen couldn't join the military and only has one more year left to do so. Not really optimal either when you're at your peak playing for a contender.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Yes, they probably would. Just like Boston would probably have taken Samsonov #1 and Thornton #8 after their first season, instead of vice versa. But luckily for them they selected both players and it didn't matter.

Okay, but Slafkovsky isn't Thornton. I think that's pretty clear.

 

[PaulD]

I do think the Habs should have taken Cooley or Nemec at 1st simply because Big men forwards take longer to develop and being in a market that wants results fast isn't conductive to that.

Slaf would have fit perfectly in NJ where they could easily let him marinate in the AHL or plugged him beside Hischier or Hughes instead of being on a line where he doesn't know where he fits in each night and who's going to be his center.

I do think he will become something great eventually, I just don't know if he will still be a Hab or want to be after the Habs market tears him a part.

Hockey knowledgable Habs fans "tear apart" management for rushing an 18 year old.
And we didn't wait a year to do it. We said day one of last season.
Whiners "tear apart" the teen ager

 

[Elvs]

Okay, but Slafkovsky isn't Thornton. I think that's pretty clear.

He doesn't have to be.

Not all drafts are equal and there's not a Joe Thornton in most drafts.

 

[GunnarStahl]

Why isn't your status, "let's go shake their hands"

Just for you.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Never take HFBoards seriously when it comes to player evaluation.

 

[Kranix]

Just for you.

Lmao. Thank you.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He has yet to score in the NHL, but what an incredible and way better player down the stretch,

I was skeptical of Slaf not gonna lie but in the 2nd game of the season he was so good that I saw what he can bring to a team.

He is super super raw and you can tell he lacks experience and confidence. He is still a teenager.

There's a lot to like about Slafkovsky's game. He still has top line PWF potential. But there's a lot of risk there too.

 

[Toene]

I think our 5th rounder LW prospect is a better LW prospect than Slafkovsky atm and never really penciled Slafkovsky into our future lineup including on draft day. The reasons we took him were so, so dumb that there was just no way such idiocy from our management would ever get rewarded and we're seeing it. He happened to be a left winger which was "perfect" for Caufield and Suzuki(Suzuki should never even be on the first line, why are we even taking this 2nd liner into consideration when picking 1st overall??) and he had 7 goals and 0 assists in a lucky run in a fake tournament(like he's gonna be scoring 7 goals and 0 assists every 7 games...). We didn't take him because he had a generational shot or was a playmaking wizard or a future Selke winner or skated like an F1 car or anything normal for a 1st overall, we just liked the idea of having a good left winger to pair with our 2nd line center and sorted the rankings by position and took the first left wing we found..it's not even a joke that's what actually happened.

Tage Thompson made it clear that apparently anyone can unbust at any point but there's no way to predict that so not holding my breath. At least Lafreniere was the obvious pick who dominated every league and tournament at every age point and then suddenly stopped dominating in the NHL, I don't blame the Rangers for him at all. Slafkovsky's claim to fame is one tournament where he had zero assists and wasn't even over PPG, we're expecting a consistent PPG player out of a guy who went exactly PPG in the best 7 game run of his life in a level lower than the NHL and which he will never reproduce?

There's the WC too. He was very good there and actually played against NHLers. He was the best 18yo on the tournament and led his bad team in scoring.

 

[kranuck]

On the other hand in San Antonio Rantanen couldn't join the military and only has one more year left to do so. Not really optimal either when you're at your peak playing for a contender.

Can't he do it a bit at a time?

 

[Superlative Soup]

Slaf and Reinbacher over Nemec and Michkov. Oof

 

[Strat]

No it's not. I had Cooley as 1st well before the draft.

So did I and publicly stated so many times, especially to my friends who have grown tired of my championing of Cooley.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Certainly Laf but i doubt that woukd have been the case for Kakko

Really? I remember the top 2 being locks and then #3 was a question mark.

 

[Fantomas]

Patrick Stefan was a worse one, but Slaf might be a candidate. Just doesn't look like much of a prospect to me.

 

[BLONG7]

Seems to have no particular talent, no skill, no speed, big with no big man qualities, doesn’t produce points, his shot is bad, his passing is average… Is he the worst first pick ever ?

LOL
This is the worst thread ever!! LOL

 

[Frank Drebin]

Really? I remember the top 2 being locks and then #3 was a question mark.

They were. Some experts here had kaakko ahead

 

[HuGo Sham]

guy's gotta stop being a slakoffsky

you been holstering that one for a while eh?

Probably. I assume every player is already on the downward side of their career at… *checks notes*.. 19 years of age.

with... *checks bibliography*....44 games of NHL experience

 

[capfit9]

Really? I remember the top 2 being locks and then #3 was a question mark.

That’s irrelevant, GM’s go off the board all the time, especially ones that come from a scouting background. Specifically, if you have top 10 picks numerous times and can’t hit on them.