Is Slafkovsky the worst #1 pick ever ?

[The Gr8 Dane]

Consistent as in, he's consistently scored 0 points?

Caufield might be in a scoring slump simply because he's made to play with Slafkovsky. Have you ever thought of that? Slafkovsky has done nothing to earn line mates like Caufield and just keeps getting gift wrapped undeserved opportunities and does nothing with them.

You can just say you don't watch its not a big deal

 

[ijuka]

You can just say you don't watch its not a big deal

So you think that he actually has done something to deserve playing with Suzuki and Caufield?

 

[ReHabs]

Word.

Shootout goals = acceptable.
Getting past the 1st round once = acceptable.

Whack standards

I know I'm the resident Bad Guy there but it's really insufferable that Habs fans have become as pathetic as Leafs fans with the triumphant celebration of non-victories and non-results.

 

[ReHabs]

So you think that he actually has done something to deserve playing with Suzuki and Caufield?

To get a struggling young player's confidence up and in a pointless, dead-end season like this one, it makes perfect sense for the coach to put Slafkovsky on the top line. Why wouldn't the Habs try to recover this player's morale and spirits? He's been generally awful up until the past 10 games with Suzuki and Caufield, and even though he's not putting up points it's encouraging to see a young player play with conviction and drive. It's like night and day in terms of his body language and presence.

I have a lot of reservations about over-hyping this though... just because he's confident and scored a shootout goal doesn't mean he (or the Habs) are out of the woods yet. Slaf is adapting to the NHL - great - but he's still nowhere close to being reliable as a top6 player. He's young but he's definitely not shown he is 1OA-worthy thus far in his disappointing-for-a-1OA NHL career.

Maybe he will put it together, maybe he won't, but him playing with Caufield and Suzuki is perfectly fine.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

So you think that he actually has done something to deserve playing with Suzuki and Caufield?

compared to the rest of the team yes he is most definitely 100% our most deserving winger with his play right now.

The only other winger in contention with him would be newhook who's out.

keep in mind the team is total dog meat

He's actually looked great since being with suzuki and caufield ,

youre also acting like suzuki and caufield are incredible ppg players who have to carry around slafs dead carcass but if you'd watch games you'd see how much he impacts their line , those guys aren't without warts. Especially caufield who's getting set up left and right by slaf and can't score a goal

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

compared to the rest of the team yes he is most definitely 100% our most deserving winger with his play right now.

The only other winger in contention with him would be newhook who's out.

keep in mind the team is total dog meat

He's actually looked great since being with suzuki and caufield ,

youre also acting like suzuki and caufield are incredible ppg players who have to carry around slafs dead carcass but if you'd watch games you'd see how much he impacts their line , those guys aren't without warts. Especially caufield who's getting set up left and right by slaf and can't score a goal

Yeah as sad as it is, CC has been a brutal finisher as of late, which is supposed to be his forte.

People must not watch the habs if they think they've got more deserving wingers than Slaf to promote...

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Yeah as sad as it is, CC has been a brutal finisher as of late, which is supposed to be his forte.

People must not watch the habs if they think they've got more deserving wingers than Slaf to promote...

Right and I don't blame them not for watching or anything Hell if it wasent for slafs recent play I doubt many habs fans would even want to watch

 

[ReHabs]

Right and I don't blame them not for watching or anything Hell if it wasent for slafs recent play I doubt many habs fans would even want to watch

After Dach went down it was hard to see the upside in following this season.

 

[Snuggs]

He's not a defenseman though. Why can't he do power forward things? He plays like he's an old man.

Tage Thompson really struggled even for awhile. Bigger dudes usually struggle early. Idk if the the speed, physicality...

Look at Byfield. Took him three years in the NHL to "really" adjust his game, etc.

Too early to tell. Yakupov is known as a pretty epic failure for those of us that lived through it. Believe he's still playing average somewhere in Russia. He's even relatively young still lol.

 

[ReHabs]

Tage Thompson really struggled even for awhile. Bigger dudes usually struggle early. Idk if the the speed, physicality...

Look at Byfield. Took him three years in the NHL to "really" adjust his game, etc.

Too early to tell. Yakupov is known as a pretty epic failure for those of us that lived through it. Believe he's still playing average somewhere in Russia. He's even relatively young still lol.

To be fair, Yakupov had much better stats than Slafkovsky. Slaf’s horrific D+1 and D+2 numbers are on their own level now.

Slafkovsky’s under-production will be legendary and rewrite the book one way or another. If he brings it together and succeeds it will be just as noteworthy if he becomes the single biggest bust of the cap era. Unfortunately, this happens to the wide range of outcomes we’re taking about.

One sliver of hope is Byfield. If Byfield has finally arrived then we can hope Slaf can too. Until Slaf shows he can produce will be nerve-wracking for most Habs fans.

 

[Zilo44]

The last 6-7 games are reassuring. He’s more noticeable than Caufield and Suzuki.

Points will come.

 

[TheBeard]

Tage Thompson really struggled even for awhile. Bigger dudes usually struggle early. Idk if the the speed, physicality...

Look at Byfield. Took him three years in the NHL to "really" adjust his game, etc.

Too early to tell. Yakupov is known as a pretty epic failure for those of us that lived through it. Believe he's still playing average somewhere in Russia. He's even relatively young still lol.

It’s insane Nail is only 30.

 

[Tanknation]

Slaf was disappointing so far in his career. However, these past 10 games or so have been encouraging. Been the Habs best player. Has gone beast mode in the past few games. The points will come.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

His first season was pretty much a waste because of the injury.

 

[Dempsey]

To get a struggling young player's confidence up and in a pointless, dead-end season like this one, it makes perfect sense for the coach to put Slafkovsky on the top line. Why wouldn't the Habs try to recover this player's morale and spirits? He's been generally awful up until the past 10 games with Suzuki and Caufield, and even though he's not putting up points it's encouraging to see a young player play with conviction and drive. It's like night and day in terms of his body language and presence.

I have a lot of reservations about over-hyping this though... just because he's confident and scored a shootout goal doesn't mean he (or the Habs) are out of the woods yet. Slaf is adapting to the NHL - great - but he's still nowhere close to being reliable as a top6 player. He's young but he's definitely not shown he is 1OA-worthy thus far in his disappointing-for-a-1OA NHL career.

Maybe he will put it together, maybe he won't, but him playing with Caufield and Suzuki is perfectly fine.

Sure, continue playing him on the top line, but be prepared to hear the "you rushed him and ruined him" narrative for years to follow if he doesn't pan out.

 

[AvroArrow]

Who said they aren’t bad numbers? Certainly not me. But calling a 19 year old the worst number 1 pick ever before his career has even started is ridiculous

He's in his second year. How has his career not started yet ? Lmao wtf ?

He's in year two, and after a horrendous rookie season, he looks to have somehow taken a step backwards in his sophomore year.

17 points in 66 games, pretty hilarious to say his career hasn't started yet.

Also if he had 66 points in 66 games played, people would be bragging about him, so let's stop with that horrible take lol. Early in his career yes, but career not started is a laughably bad comment to make.

 

[DaPhazz]

Consistent as in, he's consistently scored 0 points?

Caufield might be in a scoring slump simply because he's made to play with Slafkovsky. Have you ever thought of that? Slafkovsky has done nothing to earn line mates like Caufield and just keeps getting gift wrapped undeserved opportunities and does nothing with them.

Geeeeeeezus, this guy, this comment... have mercy and save his soul

He's in his second year. How has his career not started yet ? Lmao wtf ?

He's in year two, and after a horrendous rookie season, he looks to have somehow taken a step backwards in his sophomore year.

17 points in 66 games, pretty hilarious to say his career hasn't started yet.

Also if he had 66 points in 66 games played, people would be bragging about him, so let's stop with that horrible take lol. Early in his career yes, but career not started is a laughably bad comment to make.

Him too geezus

 

[eojsmada]

19yo finally and finally starting to see the game he had in the leadup to the draft. Going to be fun watching where he goes from here. Was, for a lot of the game, easily the best player on the ice.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Hey guys, I found a thread from 1998:

"Is Thornton the worst #1 pick ever ?"

 

[Gliff]

Tage Thompson really struggled even for awhile. Bigger dudes usually struggle early. Idk if the the speed, physicality...

Look at Byfield. Took him three years in the NHL to "really" adjust his game, etc.

Too early to tell. Yakupov is known as a pretty epic failure for those of us that lived through it. Believe he's still playing average somewhere in Russia. He's even relatively young still lol.

Tage wasn’t a full time NHLer with no AHL/college time until his d+5.

Byfield wasn’t a full time NHLer with no AHL time until his d+4.

Slafkovsky has never stepped foot in the AHL.

The Canadians are the problem, not the player.

 

[ReHabs]

Sure, continue playing him on the top line, but be prepared to hear the "you rushed him and ruined him" narrative for years to follow if he doesn't pan out.

You're barking up the wrong tree. I didn't want him rushed and am currently, live and right now (check the Slafkovsky thread on the Habs board), getting flamed for my well-known position against rushing him. Certain Habs fans want to erect a statue to him now, since he scored a shootout goal. They're irrational.

But he's here and not in another league or division, so if he's going to be here it's better for him to get as much TOI as possible than not. There's nothing wrong with playing a high-potential prospect on the first line. If the outcome of a match doesn't matter and his performances merit such a deployment, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Tage wasn’t a full time NHLer with no AHL/college time until his d+5.

Byfield wasn’t a full time NHLer with no AHL time until his d+4.

Slafkovsky has never stepped foot in the AHL.

The Canadians are the problem, not the player.

Well said, unfortunately many Habs fans will simply ignore this and continue claiming that Slaf = Thompson = Byfield = Thornton and that development doesn't matter.

 

[Andy]

His play recently is converting some Habs fans who were skeptic. Anyone in this thread stat watching should really watch the games. He’s looked fantastic. Still work needs to be done, but he’s getting there.

 

[Kennerback]

He's in his second year. How has his career not started yet ? Lmao wtf ?

He's in year two, and after a horrendous rookie season, he looks to have somehow taken a step backwards in his sophomore year.

17 points in 66 games, pretty hilarious to say his career hasn't started yet.

Also if he had 66 points in 66 games played, people would be bragging about him, so let's stop with that horrible take lol. Early in his career yes, but career not started is a laughably bad comment to make.

His offensive numbers are bad. No way to spin them. And they say something about Slafkovsky. But I don’t think they tell the whole story. My gut feeling is that when all is said and done I don’t believe he’ll be the worst #1 ever.

 

[CauZuki]

What a tall / large framed 19 year old hasn't hit his peak yet???

 

[SwordSlash666]

IMO, if you're in a hockey pool or fantasy league, it's time to buy low for him. Not sure what's his maximum upside but anybody with eyes can see he's figuring it out. It's kinda funny how little it did translate in points lately, but he's blossoming in front of our eyes. It really feels like Byfield from last year. Slaf has had a slow start for a first overall and he will be a very good player.

Honestly I wish there's was more people here trying to get to the truth about players instead of bashing or always assuming someone is a homer. What's the point of all that?

Somebody who's looking only at scoreboards won't see the progression. I love when hockey fans from other teams chimes in and tell me who's about to break out or what doesn't tell the whole story. I remember when Devils fans where telling us Jack Hughes that was coming along nicely, even if the points weren't there yet. It's not about being right, or rivalries or pettiness, just give me the truth!