Player Discussion Juraj Slafkovsky discussion

[MarkovsKnee]

We've been asked to close super long threads. Last Slaf thread was +5k.

...continue here.

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[ahmedou]

Slaf's individual stats:

Slaf's on ice stats:

Slaf's skating stats:

 

[morhilane]

Did you know that Slafsquatch hibernate for 40 games.

 

[ahmedou]

Slaf:

''I'm working on my game and still trying to find a consistency to be the same type of player every night." It's great that we manage to get wins because then it's a little easier."

"First of all, I need to move my legs for the whole shift, every shift I'm out there.!And then play physical! I think last game I played pretty physical...But I think just off that it creates a lot for other guys on the ice... Even I'm more open after it, so we just have to use it... We're going in the right direction, that's for sure. It's just a matter of time when I'll hopefully start scoring again."

 

[Team_Spirit]

Only Hab to use a sherwood stick very few guys around the league use sherwood sticks

 

[LaP]

I thought Sherwood was now just a placeholder name for Canadian Tire generic products?

 

[waitin425]

We've been asked to close super long threads. Last Slaf thread was +5k.

...continue here.

We should be able to get this one and Lane's thread to 5K or so by next week! Mods will be busy!

 

[Deam78]

Sherwood have some of the best sticks, just not the same marketing budget as other companies who can lock down endorsement more easily. I’m sure many players are using different stick under the paint to respect their contract anyway

 

[Team_Spirit]

I thought Sherwood was now just a placeholder name for Canadian Tire generic products?

Sherwood have some of the best sticks, just not the same marketing budget as other companies who can lock down endorsement more easily. I’m sure many players are using different stick under the paint to respect their contract anyway

Conflicting reports. We need a stick nerd to clear this up.

 

[morhilane]

Conflicting reports. We need a stick nerd to clear this up.

Doesn't really matter, the page shown in that image with the gears also list the Sherwood under gloves for Slaf...

Although, that might explain some stuff.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

Slaf's individual stats:

View attachment 960433

Slaf's on ice stats:

View attachment 960434

Slaf's skating stats:

View attachment 960435

Yikes.

 

[InsideLaine]

Dont kill me for asking/suggesting this.. but would Slaf be of interest to some teams on the TDL? And when I say interest I mean "what could we get for him?"

I know I know, he is big, he is young, he was good last season, but like Alpo Suhonen would say: I dont think this guy is motivated enough to be as good as we are expecting him to be. I see an Armia 2.0 in Slaf, sorry but to me Slaf feels like a final product in a way. He wouldnt be the first guy to peak and then just never reach the peak again.

 

[overlords]

Dont kill me for asking/suggesting this.. but would Slaf be of interest to some teams on the TDL? And when I say interest I mean "what could we get for him?"

 

[V13]

Sherwood have some of the best sticks, just not the same marketing budget as other companies who can lock down endorsement more easily. I’m sure many players are using different stick under the paint to respect their contract anyway

I used wooden Sherwood sticks for most of my playing career as to me they felt the more naturally flexible if that make any sense. Tried an aluminium Easton gold at some point and totally hated it . Played 2 games with it before selling it to a teammate then went back to my Sherwood homies.

 

[InsideLaine]

Jesperi Kotkaniemi maybe a better comparison in terms of peaking and then fading away. But I honestly dont see a much more star potential in Slaf than in Jesperi and Joel (both from Pori, Finland btw). To me Slaf is also "Finnish" in a way due to his stint there. Same type of "low level of caring about improvement" or "being already satisfied" oozes out of him imo.

I really hope Im wrong. But I say trade him now while he still has takers due to his 1OA status and solid last year.

 

[Doc5]

Jesperi Kotkaniemi maybe a better comparison in terms of peaking and then fading away. But I honestly dont see a much more star potential in Slaf than in Jesperi and Joel (both from Pori, Finland btw). To me Slaf is also "Finnish" in a way due to his stint there. Same type of "low level of caring about improvement" or "being already satisfied" oozes out of him imo.

I really hope Im wrong. But I say trade him now while he still has takers due to his 1OA status and solid last year.

What about him makes you think he doesn’t care about improvement? Everything I’ve read confirms that he has good self awareness and knows his weaknesses. Also has lofty expectations for himself as well (preseason interview where he did not want to say what his goals for this season were but that he’s hoping to meet them). You give up on a player like that, who hasn’t completed his 3rd seasons yet at the age of 20, odds are we’ll end up regretting it. The poster that made the Thornton vs Samsonov comparison would be a valid point to justify patience with Slaf.

Sure, there’s a chance that he “busts” and ends up being a 50 point player. I’d still take that risk and keep him because the floor is quite high already.

 

[InsideLaine]

What about him makes you think he doesn’t care about improvement? Everything I’ve read confirms that he has good self awareness and knows his weaknesses. Also has lofty expectations for himself as well (preseason interview where he did not want to say what his goals for this season were but that he’s hoping to meet them). You give up on a player like that, who hasn’t completed his 3rd seasons yet at the age of 20, odds are we’ll end up regretting it. The poster that made the Thornton vs Samsonov comparison would be a valid point to justify patience with Slaf.

Sure, there’s a chance that he “busts” and ends up being a 50 point player. I’d still take that risk and keep him because the floor is quite high already.

I think what gives me that vibe about him is the lack of beating himself up (publicly), lack of showing irritation and/or disbelief when he doesnt score on a great scoring chance. Maybe he deals with that stuff mostly on the inside, like you said for example he didnt wanna publicly state his goals for this season.

Its always a huge risk to give up on a player early. To trade to a team that still sees the huge potential. If Habs see the potential then no trades will happen. If the trust in his future starts to break, well, if they are feeling signs of such, then they know that they could get great pieces for him, and also that his trade value will most likely go down with every season if he does "bust" and becomes a 50 pt player for seasons to come.

And I admit my views on Slaf are based on just the few last months, + the few years I actively followed and rooted for him when he was climbing up the junior-levels in Finland, finally making the men's league and doing awesome job in international tourneys. Him going 1OA for me was a total wtf-moment, the draft year was bad but I just saw him back in Finland just as a skilled big kid who might or might not become a solid top line guy in the NHL.

He never felt like a surefire star, and maybe I just cant shake that feeling of him. The same feeling I had about Armia and Kotkaniemi also when they were young. Armia did magical stuff in the men's league at a young age but to me he always lacked that last push/drive to really become a star.

As said, I hope Im wrong about Slaf, but my track record is sadly pretty good on the players that I've assessed as that type (add Jesse Joensuu to the list as well (another Porin Ässät player haha)). It also sucks because theyve all been few of my favorite players.