Player Discussion Juraj Slafkovsky Discussion

[waitin425]

Slaf is still relatively a kid. Many other forwards from his draft year are just now breaking into the NHL.

He was and still is the #1 forward from that draft.

 

[Tyson]

Slaf is still relatively a kid. Many other forwards from his draft year are just now breaking into the NHL.

He was and still is the #1 forward from that draft.

He has been imo the Habs best forward for this series.

 

[417]

He has been imo the Habs best forward for this series.

I've also really liked Caufield but agreed, Slafkovsky has been very good in this series.

 

[Toene]

He has been imo the Habs best forward for this series.

Caufield for me and it's not that close. He's so resilient even after getting targeted so much physically, he still gives a 100%

 

[ahmedou]

3 points (2 goals + 1 assist +1) in his last 5 games

 

[Miller Time]

Didn’t you know everything with Slafkvosky is non-linear and unorthodox? He is improving leaps and bounds but on a quantum, non-Newtonian level. Simple stats don’t show his progress. I was simply too stupid and stunted to understand such advanced physics.

Since he is taller than 6’1, mathematical concepts like Goals + Assists don’t apply to him. If he scores 50 and the 51 points he has actually significantly improved, I just didn’t see it due to the aforementioned stupidity. If his SoG went down, it was not counted in the quantum realm where it actually went up.

No. It's pretty easy for any observer with even a bit of hockey understanding to recognize both his progress and contributions outside of the simple stat line.

Just because one doesn't understand something, doesn't mean it's not there.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Not sure if the experience of this playoff is helping anyone more than Slaf.

 

[Tyson]

Caufield for me and it's not that close. He's so resilient even after getting targeted so much physically, he still gives a 100%

He has been great but my assessment of Slaf includes his one on one battles, his forechecking and his toughness.
Not taking anything away from Caufield, I admire his fight, I just think Slaf is playing great "playoff" hockey.

 

[Mrb1p]

Slaf's IQ level is the same as the guys you mentioned.
One example is the first PP goal from the last game.
Slaf's entry was perfect then transition to space where he scored from.
This does not happen if his IQ is not there, on the same level.
The biggest proof is how they play together.
The reason why the first line so good is because they have the same understanding of hockey!!!

Anybody saying otherwise has poor understanding of what hockey IQ is in my book.

So let this be clear;

- You think Slakovskys IQ is as good as Lane Hutson ?

 

[Kennerback]

So let this be clear;

- You think Slakovskys IQ is as good as Lane Hutson ?

I’m with you on this Hutson and Demidov’s IQ’s are on another planet. Slafkovsky is miles behind like almost all NHL players, which doesn’t mean Slaf can’t be a dominating unstoppable force.

 

[Andy]

So let this be clear;

- You think Slakovskys IQ is as good as Lane Hutson ?

This is silly.

I don't think Rantanaan or Landeskod's IQ is as good MacKinnon. I don't think Hagel's IQ is as good as Kucherov's. I don't think Zibanejed has the same IQ as Panarin. It's pretty meaningless.

Slaf will never be an elite hockey player. But there is a whole universe between Elite hockey IQ and Low hockey IQ.

And you do not need to be "elite" to be a top line hockey player. I wouldn't call Filip Forsberg or Tomas Hertl elite hockey minds, but they are first line players.

 

[Mrb1p]

This is silly.

I don't think Rantanaan or Landeskod's IQ is as good MacKinnon. I don't think Hagel's IQ is as good as Kucherov's. I don't think Zibanejed has the same IQ as Panarin. It's pretty meaningless.

Slaf will never be an elite hockey player. But there is a whole universe between Elite hockey IQ and Low hockey IQ.

And you do not need to be "elite" to be a top line hockey player. I wouldn't call Filip Forsberg or Tomas Hertl elite hockey minds, but they are first line players.

No, no, youre exactly where I am. You just said what Ive been saying for three years now.

Thanks for agreeing.

 

[Andy]

No, no, youre exactly where I am. You just said what Ive been saying for three years now.

Thanks for agreeing.

I mean, you're not really saying anything super mind-blowing. I have not read many takes that claim Slaf will be an elite player. Everyone was quite clear at the draft that there was likely no elite forward talent in the draft. Didn't Bobby Mac even address this?

Slaf is definitely a first line player, and he still has space to be a better one. For the record, I don't think Cole is an elite hockey mind, but he's definitely a first line player. Cooley and Wright aren't either.

 

[Mrb1p]

I mean, you're not really saying anything super mind-blowing. I have not read many takes that claim Slaf will be an elite player. Everyone was quite clear at the draft that there was likely no elite forward talent in the draft. Didn't Bobby Mac even address this?

Slaf is definitely a first line player, and he still has space to be a better one. For the record, I don't think Cole is an elite hockey mind, but he's definitely a first line player. Cooley and Wright aren't either.

So
What did you mean by this :

This is a great point. So obvious and basic that we overlook it.

You know the poster replied that Slaf had as great of a hockey IQ as Hutson, Suzuki and Demidov, right?

The reality is Slafs IQ will always hold him back and we have ample evidence to conclude this. And like you said, and like Ive been saying, he still is a useful player and can even be a great player despite that.

Sadly our roster isnt filled with Crosbys, so the players are going to have some form of weakness in their attributes, Caufieldis 5'6, Slaf has lower IQ, Suzuki is a bit sluggish, Hutson is 5'10. Its just reality.

 

[CzarDemidov]

No, no, youre exactly where I am. You just said what Ive been saying for three years now.

Thanks for agreeing.

Depends on your definition of sub-elite. If Slaf eventually compares to Landeskog it would be pretty astonishing.

So far in his nascent career he’s been more Zubrus than Landeskog, or Hertl, or F. Forsberg. Just any impression.

 

[CzarDemidov]

I’m with you on this Hutson and Demidov’s IQ’s are on another planet. Slafkovsky is miles behind like almost all NHL players, which doesn’t mean Slaf can’t be a dominating unstoppable force.

We’ll see about Czar Demidov but Hutson definitely puts to shame those who insist Slaf is a high IQ player. There are many of them. Hutson as a undersized rookie makes plays that Slaf simply can’t make three years into the NHL.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Depends on your definition of sub-elite. If Slaf eventually compares to Landeskog it would be pretty astonishing.

So far in his nascent career he’s been more Zubrus than Landeskog, or Hertl, or F. Forsberg. Just any impression.

He's well ahead of Hertl at the same age and he's probably ahead of Zuburs' career peak already at age 21.

 

[habdynasty]

Very few make the plays Hutson makes. They are all low iq next to him.

 

[le_sean]

This is silly.

I don't think Rantanaan or Landeskod's IQ is as good MacKinnon. I don't think Hagel's IQ is as good as Kucherov's. I don't think Zibanejed has the same IQ as Panarin. It's pretty meaningless.

Slaf will never be an elite hockey player. But there is a whole universe between Elite hockey IQ and Low hockey IQ.

And you do not need to be "elite" to be a top line hockey player. I wouldn't call Filip Forsberg or Tomas Hertl elite hockey minds, but they are first line players.

It’s funny to go into this thread when you have a load of his haters on ignore. You just see the replies like yours and can only imagine the lunacy that you’re replying to.

You see a player consistently getting better every year, even look good in his first playoff experience, and I guess they are crying about his IQ. Some people are so desperate to want him to fail it’s pathetic.

 

[Kennerback]

We’ll see about Czar Demidov but Hutson definitely puts to shame those who insist Slaf is a high IQ player. There are many of them. Hutson as an undersized rookie makes plays that Slaf simply can’t make three years into the NHL.

The problem with using IQ to criticize Slaf, is that you can’t start dumping mercilessly on Messier because his IQ is not as high as Gretzky’s.

 

[Andy]

So
What did you mean by this :



You know the poster replied that Slaf had as great of a hockey IQ as Hutson, Suzuki and Demidov, right?

The reality is Slafs IQ will always hold him back and we have ample evidence to conclude this. And like you said, and like Ive been saying, he still is a useful player and can even be a great player despite that.

Sadly our roster isnt filled with Crosbys, so the players are going to have some form of weakness in their attributes, Caufieldis 5'6, Slaf has lower IQ, Suzuki is a bit sluggish, Hutson is 5'10. Its just reality.

Are we really gonna get into a semantics game here?

 

[Andy]

It’s funny to go into this thread when you have a load of his haters on ignore. You just see the replies like yours and can only imagine the lunacy that you’re replying to.

You see a player consistently getting better every year, even look good in his first playoff experience, and I guess they are crying about his IQ. Some people are so desperate to want him to fail it’s pathetic.

it's just constant goal post shifting

 

[Andy]

So far in his nascent career he’s been more Zubrus than Landeskog, or Hertl, or F. Forsberg. Just any impression.

it took Zubrus 10 seasons to score 20g and hit 50 points.

It took Zubrus 5 seasons to get 10+goals.

Slaf has not been anything like Zubrus. It took the latter 10 seasons to have the success that Slaf had in D+2 and D+3.

Hertl only hit 20g and 40pts in his D+3. Slaf has had a better d+2 than both Forsberg and Hertl.

You are just completely wrong.

 

[Kennerback]

The reason players like Jokinen, Todd Bertuzzi and Neely get traded 1,2 or 3 times for peanuts before they become impossible to handle and crush the NHL is GMs using standards used for classic skilled forwards like IQ, speed and other measures to judge them. After misjudging 25 times on these players teams are getting more savvy but they still f*** up like Tage Thompson or JT Miller.

Unlike many of those other players, Slaf is sending tons of signals that that’s what he is and started producing very early. Slaf is a total no brainer. Despite that, the blind are leading the blind in this thread.

 

[le_sean]

it's just constant goal post shifting

I just don’t get saying he has low IQ. It’s being dishonest.

A player with low IQ is Newhook or Anderson. They kind of have one mode, fast north-south hockey. The need to carry the puck themselves because they can’t consistently make tape to tape passes.

Slaf not only makes tape to tape passes with relative ease and quickness, he’s also shown quite often that he can simply put a puck into an open space for a teammate because he has great anticipation. Also one-touch passes and then drive the net to give space to linemates. Or he knows when to battle for a puck enough to draw another defender in and get it to an open teammate or to hold it and wait for proper support before really tying to take it off a defender.

High IQ isn’t always just players like Suzuki who have the anticipation and get into passing lanes to intercept pucks. Just watch Anderson and Slafkovsky and you can tell the massive difference in IQ between two guys of the same size. It’s night and day.