Player Discussion Juraj Slafkovsky discussion

[ReHabs]

Curious what did you expect from Slaf after being drafted?

I expected a player who didn’t need to be hit over the head in order to show up to play. I expected a player who didn’t look like he had no idea what he was doing.

Dude got rocked by Marco Rossi ffs. He didn’t have to be as seamless as Celebrini but he didn’t also have to be as confused and frustrating as he was in his rookie season. Not one of us expected to see that.

Like the 2012 draft (Galchenyuk), 2022 didn’t have top end players - pls don’t say Cooley because he’s struggling more leading up to & post 4-Nations as intensity has picked up

Cooley’s still very young, just like Slaf, and he’s outproducing and outplaying Slaf. It’s not even a debate.

If you used the same standards and expectations for Slaf, Cooley, and Wright then you’d be honest about Slaf’s relative underperformance. He said it himself that he’s embarrassed by his season.

I want to see a player not a project ! And Whitesnake is right about the contract, overpaying him for his potential was asinine and will have second order issues if other players out-produce him and rightfully demand more than he does.

 

[hvac412]

Why the hurry to give him such a contract?

Rookie GM = rookie moves = boring entertainment........seeeeee youuuuu in September

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I think Slaf will become a PPG player, he has all the tools - just a matter of believing in himself.. and focusing. I dont think he'll be in the 100pt+ club, which is alright.. but im still happy we drafted him, wouldn't change a thing... and I wanted Wright/Nemec.

He going to be fine. I disappointed that he took a step back imo, but young players will have peaks and valleys. No one would’ve predicted him and Wright being neck and neck this season. Victory had already been declared.

I still like Slaf and if he can play the game with a more physical presence game in and game out he is going to be tough to stop. I just don’t think that is his game and his natural tendency will take him away from that style. Either way, we’ve got a good, young player here that we should be embracing. Tough season, be damned.

Someone mentioned him and Arber spending lots of nights out on the town. Do we know if there is any truth to that?

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

I take the bet HuGo made - the management strategy clearly is no one makes more than Suzuki…

That was how Uncle Lou operated w NJD, Pollock operated w Habs (Lafleur), Develanno w Det (Stevie Y) and later Holland (Lidstrom)

They can't be that rigid, with the cap going up tremendously, if we want a star, 8M won't be enough.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I expected a player who didn’t need to be hit over the head in order to show up to play. I expected a player who didn’t look like he had no idea what he was doing.

Dude got rocked by Marco Rossi ffs. He didn’t have to be as seamless as Celebrini but he didn’t also have to be as confused and frustrating as he was in his rookie season. Not one of us expected to see that.


Cooley’s still very young, just like Slaf, and he’s outproducing and outplaying Slaf. It’s not even a debate.

If you used the same standards and expectations for Slaf, Cooley, and Wright then you’d be honest about Slaf’s relative underperformance. He said it himself that he’s embarrassed by his season.

I want to see a player not a project ! And Whitesnake is right about the contract, overpaying him for his potential was asinine and will have second order issues if other players out-produce him and rightfully demand more than he does.

The GM bet on a player they have believed in for a long time. This contract is going to age very well imo. Brilliant move by Hughes. I don’t understand the criticism here. This is a kid struggling who is still on pace for 50 points.

We haven’t reached the ceiling yet, nowhere close. You need to give this time and in a few years to will be saying that Hughes made a great choice on this contract. More GMs should bet on their talent. Talent wins games more than anything else.

 

[salbutera]

They can't be that rigid, with the cap going up tremendously, if we want a star, 8M won't be enough.

Given Evans’s hometown discount, I suspect Hutson’s new deal will also be under the Suzuki line.

Most teams tend to be, Avs traded Rantanen because they will not pay anyone more than MacKinnon

For the NYR Shesterkin will be the new line, as Panarin enters his final year and will likely be moved this summer or next year.

 

[Whitesnake]

Not his fault Suzuki is gonna be paid like a 2nd liner with the cap going up.

Suzuki is gonna need another contract in 4 years you think he’s gonna make 7.9 again?

No. Why? 'Cause he's PPG. And great defensively. He'll deserve every penny. If Slaf becomes half Suzuki....it will be a great accomplishment. But we will see. Suzuki will be 30 in his next contract. Even if he gets 12M$, it will also be because the salary cap will be so much greater.

 

[Tyson]

Rookie GM = rookie moves = boring entertainment........seeeeee youuuuu in September

It really is boring entertainment. I Turned the Calgary game off after the 1st period...could not waste anymore time being this bored on a Saturday. Maybe Demidov will change the culture.

 

[SlafySZN]

No. Why? 'Cause he's PPG. And great defensively. He'll deserve every penny. If Slaf becomes half Suzuki....it will be a great accomplishment. But we will see. Suzuki will be 30 in his next contract. Even if he gets 12M$, it will also be because the salary cap will be so much greater.

… that’s the point. The salary cap is going up and up in the next 3 years. 7,5 m isn’t what it was.

 

[SlafySZN]

Delete

 

[ReimanSum1908]

If you used the same standards and expectations for Slaf, Cooley, and Wright then you’d be honest about Slaf’s relative underperformance. He said it himself that he’s embarrassed by his season.

Oddly enough, Wright, following a less-than-ideal development path that is akin to the one that we advocated for in Slafkovsky's case after the manifestly obvious failings in his play by the midpoint of his first year, has actually succeeded by the terms set by our management's defenders: "It's not how he looks now, but how he looks in three years. This development path will help him grow."

While Wright, with his growth this season to the point that he's obviously superior to Slaf currently, has taken strides to disprove the detractors who were clamoring for him to fail when he struggled early, Slafkovsky has only regressed.

Yet another victory - alongside KK and Chucky - for the "rush to the NHL and never look back or course correct" mentality.

 

[themilosh]

They can't be that rigid, with the cap going up tremendously, if we want a star, 8M won't be enough.

Demidov and Reinbacher will be $9m when the time is right.

 

[SlafySZN]

Oddly enough, Wright, following a less-than-ideal development path that is akin to the one that we advocated for in Slafkovsky's case after the manifestly obvious failings in his play by the midpoint of his first year, has actually succeeded by the terms set by our management's defenders: "It's not how he looks now, but how he looks in three years. This development path will help him grow."

While Wright, with his growth this season to the point that he's obviously superior to Slaf currently, has taken strides to disprove the detractors who were clamoring for him to fail when he struggled early, Slafkovsky has only regressed.

Yet another victory - alongside KK and Chucky - for the "rush to the NHL and never look back or course correct" mentality.

He is currently superior to Slaf because he has 3 more points than him while playing 2 more games?

He is also shooting 22%, will you say he’s still better than Slaf when his shooting percentage normalize and doesn’t score as many points before year end or next season?

 

[SlafySZN]

Demidov and Reinbacher will be $9m when the time is right.

Demidov will make more than that for sure.

 

[habdynasty]

Maybe. Who knows he could be a bust

 

[themilosh]

Demidov will make more than that for sure.

Not if Hugo signs him after year 3 to $9m x 8

 

[Scriptor]

Yeah, let's hold off on anointing him St-Demigod and Saviour.

While I DON'T THINK HE WILL BECOME A BUST, it might take some time to see his full impact at the NHL level.

 

[SlafySZN]

Not if Hugo signs him after year 3 to $9m x 8

He’ll already produce like a player that could ask for 10m + especially with the cap going up.

 

[Scriptor]

Not if Hugo signs him after year 3 to $9m x 8

Tend to agree that a deal can be had on a max contract for Demidov after his ELC, like we saw with Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, or on a 6-year deal with Guhle.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Demidov only eat two years of UFA status on such a deal with a 6-year term like Guhle at 9M.

It puts him in a better position to score a max contract at maximum value as a final big NHL contract for his third NHL contract from age 29 through 36 on an 8-year deal, or ages 29 through 35 elsewhere than Montreal at that point.

 

[Wats]

Yeah, let's hold off on anointing him St-Demigod and Saviour.

While I DON'T THINK HE WILL BECOME A BUST, it might take some time to see his full impact at the NHL level.

Slafkovsky didn't have nearly the resume of Demidov before joining NHL. Feel like most of Slafkovsky potential is whether he can consistently use his size. His skill seems more or less around slightly above average. The combination is what makes him intriguing.

 

[themilosh]

Slafkovsky didn't have nearly the resume of Demidov before joining NHL. Feel like most of Slafkovsky potential is whether he can consistently use his size. His skill seems more or less around slightly above average. The combination is what makes him intriguing.

Hes leading scorer on a big KHL club, with barely any PP time at 18yo.
If he fails in the nhl to be AT LEAST a ppg player, then Habs seriously need to reconsider their development program.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Slafkovsky didn't have nearly the resume of Demidov before joining NHL. Feel like most of Slafkovsky potential is whether he can consistently use his size. His skill seems more or less around slightly above average. The combination is what makes him intriguing.

Slafkovsky was the Olympic MVP lol

I get your point but he actually had one of the most impressive achievements ever for a prospect pre draft

 

[Habssince89]

I stand with Slaf. He's always been a long-run project, and he will be the product of guys like Demidov taking our team to the next level offensively. Slafkovsky is a very important piece for us, but I think a lot of fans misunderstand how his value is largely in putting him with other players to exploit his size and skill combination.

 

[TomKosto]

I believe he could be a 5o-60 points player. But I also believe he's not a play driver. And he doesn't have the great hockey IQ as far as scoring is concerned. He does make some fine passes from time to time. He's still not solid enough but that's fine, it comes with years.

My main concern are hockey IQ and effort level. he has the shot, if he can shoot it. Still not sure how precise it is though. To me there's still right now the possibility that he's 3rd line player. And at that amount...it's terrible.

Effort lvl worries me too. I think it’s something you have or you don’t, just look at Gally. He would be such a pain in the ass to play if he had the same intensity than Gallagher, considering his size.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

For the effort I think some people are underestimating that being paired and matched up against some of the leagues best will make you look lackadaisical or behind the play. I think sometimes the guy is just overmatched skating wise or being
shutdown by the NHL's elite. I don't think it's a coincidence that his best games have come against team who aren't good at defending. I don't think this is a huge reason for concern. I find his compete has been good since 4 nations break and last year was fine too. Some of it maybe frustration