Is it allowed for the Habs to assign Slaf to the AHL? Or does he have a clause in his contract that allows him to go back to Europe if that happens?
He’s always been able to go down
Is it allowed for the Habs to assign Slaf to the AHL? Or does he have a clause in his contract that allows him to go back to Europe if that happens?
Then why in the world don’t the Habs send this kid to the A do he can develop his game?He’s always been able to go down
Then why in the world don’t the Habs send this kid to the A do he can develop his game?
Caufield was sent down. Draisatl was sent back to junior. It’s okay to put Slaf into a league where he can develop. Clearly the Nstional League isn’t a good spot form just yet.Idk it’s dumb. They’ve even basically said he’s a project so you figure he’d be treated as one. The conspiracy theory answer would be they don’t even think he’d be all that good in the AHL so they’re scared of the backlash there’d be if he was down there and not playing well. At least if he’s up in the NHL playing poorly or just plugging along you can fallback on the “he’s a teen in the NHL”
I'm not sure it's a reason they're keeping him up but yes he'd look just as bad in the AHL and yes that would look worse on the player and on the team.Idk it’s dumb. They’ve even basically said he’s a project so you figure he’d be treated as one. The conspiracy theory answer would be they don’t even think he’d be all that good in the AHL so they’re scared of the backlash there’d be if he was down there and not playing well. At least if he’s up in the NHL playing poorly or just plugging along you can fallback on the “he’s a teen in the NHL”
Exactly. Who would ever consider drafting a non-productive winger who showed no flair or hockey IQ whatsoever during his draft year?It’s not even about confidence, it’s just a lack of talent. He has never shown any glimpses of a 1st overall, not even a first rounder.
Exactly. Who would ever consider drafting a non-productive winger who showed no flair or hockey IQ whatsoever during his draft year?
It's not like picking Wright would have made any difference thus far in their careers, but at least there was promise of receiving a high-level player that way. I don't think that you could have gone with Cooley there as the Habs, at least if you wanted to get out of the draft venue in one piece, so I can't fault them for missing that. But Jesus, was picking Slaf ever a tragic mistake.
(come to think of it, Cooley-Caufield would have been something.)
Right now they would, but back then, you had Slaf capturing hearts with his confidence and swagger (and living off his fluke run with the national team), and Wright being the long-awaited saviour at C battling for the #1 selection. With the draft in your own barn, how do you go with someone else at 1? I don't think you do. IIRC, Cooley wasn't really considered as the best prospect at any point.I think a lot of people would’ve been more accepting of Cooley being the pick
Right now they would, but back then, you had Slaf capturing hearts with his confidence and swagger (and living off his fluke run with the national team), and Wright being the long-awaited saviour at C battling for the #1 selection. With the draft in your own barn, how do you go with someone else at 1? I don't think you do. IIRC, Cooley wasn't really considered as the best prospect at any point.
Thinking you're correct - as a mediocre prospect being touted as a potential 1OA pick, Slaf should have divided opinions a lot. That said, I think that if you did see the obvious and wanted someone else, Wright would have been the default option for most. It's so difficult to reach at #1.I think a lot of fans were more polarized on Slaf. You had the people who were captivated and thought he was the best but also a lot of people who were really down on Slaf and didn't see him as a top pick. Cooley generally didn't have the 1OA hype but also was generally a top 3 lock for most.
Worse than Daigle?
Pump the brakes.
Thinking you're correct - as a mediocre prospect being touted as a potential 1OA pick, Slaf should have divided opinions a lot. That said, I think that if you did see the obvious and wanted someone else, Wright would have been the default option for most. It's so difficult to reach at #1.
A good post right here.To be fair to the Canadiens management staff you basically had a perfect storm of unusual conditions that contributed to a Juraj Slafkovsky 1st overall situation.
New management team stepping into a rebuild during the height of the pandemic scouting fog of war, with a potential landmine bust in Shane Wright laying in the weeds. Poor scouting visibility and a random darkhorse with ideal 1st overall build and flash appearing out of nowhere to "dominate" prestige tournaments in a pandemic. So they probably ended up tap dancing to avoid one steaming pile to step in an even bigger one.
Plus you have to consider the Habs probably expected to be bad enough to have a legitimate shot at Connor Bedard a year later. So if Slaf had been a 1st overall in a succession of 1st overall selections and been the Rantanen sidekick to Bedard's Mackinnon, things wouldn't have looked as bad on paper. Add to the fact he's more Puljujarvi than Rantanen, I can see why this pick is growing in controversy day after day.