Player Discussion Juraj Slafkovsky, the high offensive potential edition.

[rik schau]

He got a nice taste of the NHL last year. I hope he starts in the AHL next season and stays there for the year.

Even if he shows he's ready to play in the NHL?

 

[Goalfield13]

Even if he shows he's ready to play in the NHL?

Camp/pre-season is too small of a sample size to prove that. This is our best chance to play him in the AHL to make sure he is really ready. We can make the excuse of his injury. No need to rush. If he shows he is ready by the TDL, so bet it. No need to rush.

 

[The Great Weal]

Camp/pre-season is too small of a sample size to prove that. This is our best chance to play him in the AHL to make sure he is really ready. We can make the excuse of his injury. No need to rush. If he shows he is ready by the TDL, so bet it. No need to rush.

He's going to have so many great players to play with in Laval it's actually exciting. He needs to be comfortable to produce in a league before coming to the NHL at the very least. It also works out given how many wingers we got on the team already.

 

[NORiculous]

They wanted to focus on shifting his game from playing a trap style game overseas to playing a completely different game in the NHL, and that they don't have offensive expectations yet.

We recently saw that type of experiment with Drouin at C and it failed miserably.

 

[Jaynki]

He got a nice taste of the NHL last year. I hope he starts in the AHL next season and stays there for the year.

What would we he gain playing in the AHL ?

He's going to have so many great players to play with in Laval it's actually exciting. He needs to be comfortable to produce in a league before coming to the NHL at the very least. It also works out given how many wingers we got on the team already.

He produce in every single league he played except a dozens of games in the liiga and 39 games in the NHL as an 18 years old.

 

[SnapVirus]

Slafkovsky in hist last interview on the radio (yesterday). Says no team in the Top10 of last draft looked interested in him. None. But the Canadiens. Crazy.

 

[Habs]

How many times did numb nuts say ‘listen’ to the kid? I would rather do happy hour with Bill Cosby than bleed my ears with Nilan.

 

[JT3]

We recently saw that type of experiment with Drouin at C and it failed miserably.

Lmao adapting your big boy 1oa pick to the North American game/ice and trading for a problem child to make him your 1c with no experience are not comparable situations...

I guess we should just not try to develop players because of the Drouin fiasco?? What are you even trying to argue here?

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

How many times did numb nuts say ‘listen’ to the kid? I would rather do happy hour with Bill Cosby than bleed my ears with Nilan.

but think about the laughs to be had tho

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I actually am somewhat heartened about his rookie season not being so great.

He’ll be eager to prove people wrong and it feels opposite to KK and Galchenyuk who kind of stagnated. Though Galahad improved it was never quite enough.

Slaf has far more upside than those 2 and has more room to improve. I’m cautiously optimistic. Probably won’t put up huge numbers but I think he’ll change a lot of people’s minds

 

[YukonCornelius 5thOA]

Slafkovsky in hist last interview on the radio (yesterday). Says no team in the Top10 of last draft looked interested in him. None. But the Canadiens. Crazy.

Is he not joking? Just sounds like a joke he’d make. And Bob Mckenzies final ranking would say otherwise. There were more than 1 scout having him at 1 even if it wasn’t a majority. Oh well.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Is he not joking? Just sounds like a joke he’d make. And Bob Mckenzies final ranking would say otherwise. There were more than 1 scout having him at 1 even if it wasn’t a majority. Oh well.

Bob list is not the all mighty leaked future.

 

[OnTheRun]

Is he not joking? Just sounds like a joke he’d make. And Bob Mckenzies final ranking would say otherwise. There were more than 1 scout having him at 1 even if it wasn’t a majority. Oh well.

The way he said it make it appears that the teams with a top10 pick had a cold, calculated, strictly business approach during the interviews, it doesn't mean they had no interest. If anything they took the interview super seriously, which kinda make sense.

 

[YukonCornelius 5thOA]

Bob list is not the all mighty leaked future.

Oh believe me, I know, I can’t stand that smug prick, but it’s a poll of actual scouts with a bit of merit.

 

[NORiculous]

Lmao adapting your big boy 1oa pick to the North American game/ice and trading for a problem child to make him your 1c with no experience are not comparable situations...

I guess we should just not try to develop players because of the Drouin fiasco?? What are you even trying to argue here?

I’m just saying that Drouin had higher upside when he was drafted and lost some key development time trying to learn something he never should have. Sounds familiar?

Development mistakes happen and I am far from happy with how Slafkovsky was dealt with this year (sucked in the NHL, no AHL, no WJC, injury that we could see coming, etc,), adding to the fact that he already doesn’t have the highest upside in the world.

Getting a #1 pick is rare and, maybe I am a bit PTS about it but, the Habs have had multiple #3 (Drouin, Galchenyuk, Kk) picks that didn’t turn out well.

I feel they dealt with Slafkovsky in a controversial way, combined with a year where the Habs won 6 games too many, while in a rebuild year, to be well placed for a draft that happens every 10 years.

Then the GM comes on TV and says that he didn’t send Slafkovsky down… in case Slafkovsky didn’t produce in the AHL because he (Slafkovsky) would have expected to produce being in a lesser league.

So your saying that Slafkovsky, being destroyed in every stats and advanced stats possible this year, while facing easy toughness of opposition of the team, which every could see his was one hit away of injury, couldn’t have adapted to North American game while working on his offense in the AHL ?

Looks like a shit show to me.

 

[Rapala]

I’m just saying that Drouin had higher upside when he was drafted and lost some key development time trying to learn something he never should have. Sounds familiar?

Development mistakes happen and I am far from happy with how Slafkovsky was dealt with this year (sucked in the NHL, no AHL, no WJC, injury that we could see coming, etc,), adding to the fact that he already doesn’t have the highest upside in the world.

Getting a #1 pick is rare and, maybe I am a bit PTS about it but, the Habs have had multiple #3 (Drouin, Galchenyuk, Kk) picks that didn’t turn out well.

I feel they dealt with Slafkovsky in a controversial way, combined with a year where the Habs won 6 games too many, while in a rebuild year, to be well placed for a draft that happens every 10 years.

Then the GM comes on TV and says that he didn’t send Slafkovsky down… in case Slafkovsky didn’t produce in the AHL because he (Slafkovsky) would have expected to produce being in a lesser league.

So your saying that Slafkovsky, being destroyed in every stats and advanced stats possible this year, while facing easy toughness of opposition of the team, which every could see his was one hit away of injury, couldn’t have adapted to North American game while working on his offense in the AHL ?

Looks like a shit show to me.

The mistake was thinking he was too good for Junior. I was talking the other day. about how Ideally you want your prospects growing and succeeding at a position you see them in down the road. In his case it's top 6 or bust. Even under Houle was he going to get top 6 and PP guaranteed? I'm not so sure about that. Given how Mesar torched the O I'm sure Slaf could have as well.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Even if he shows he's ready to play in the NHL?

What would that mean to you? When do we say he's ready to play in the NHL, and when he's not?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The only downside I can think of is that being in the NHL it kills his confidence. Which I don't think is happening.

In terms of development, if he can handle the pressures and rigor of the NHL, then he can surely develop in the NHL. If he was not getting any ice time that would be a problem, but that wasn't the case with Slaf.

I trust our management and Slaf himself to know what is best for him over everyone here. I love our Board and all, and enjoy a laugh and commentary, but let's face it, we are all a bunch of keyboard gms only.

I hope we are all pleasantly surprised in his off season development. A 50 point sophomore season would be perfect.

Imo, the most important thing for a players development is getting more reps. A young player’s growth can grow stagnant if not getting the ice time and that development time can never return. It’s gone forever.

Slaf should have been playing 20+ minutes a night somewhere taking as many reps as possible while showing he can produce on a regular basis by dominating his peers. I think junior was the best place for him, I don’t buy the “he was too big, he would dominate junior stuff.”

 

[waitin425]

Imo, the most important thing for a players development is getting more reps. A young player’s growth can grow stagnant if not getting the ice time and that development time can never return. It’s gone forever.

Slaf should have been playing 20+ minutes a night somewhere taking as many reps as possible while showing he can produce on a regular basis by dominating his peers. I think junior was the best place for him, I don’t buy the “he was too big, he would dominate junior stuff.”

I appreciate your opinion...I truly do....but why do you think management had a different opinion? Do you know the secret to unlocking potential that they don't? More reps? Why didn't they think of that?

Why don't we just trust the people who actually know?

I for one am happy putting a little faith in this management. Slaf isn't going to be a KK or Chucky.

Side not though....KK does bring it in the playoffs. That damn smile was flashing all over the ice last night

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I appreciate your opinion...I truly do....but why do you think management had a different opinion? Do you know the secret to unlocking potential that they don't? More reps? Why didn't they think of that?

Why don't we just trust the people who actually know?

I for one am happy putting a little faith in this management. Slaf isn't going to be a KK or Chucky.

Side not though....KK does bring it in the playoffs. That damn smile was flashing all over the ice last night

What is their track record and how does it show you that they actually know what they’re doing?

Have you seen anything that suggests they do know what they are doing? Or are you going off blind faith?

Even if they do know what they are doing, I think there’s some good and bad mixed in, it doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, even if they know what they are doing very well.

This is the kid’s prime development stage and playing him 10-13 mins a night is batshit stupid. This should be obvious to anyone who “knows” what they are doing, but apparently, not our group.

How do you think playing
Him 10-13 mins a game with plugs and barely producing anything at all while getting his bell rung every 4-5 games is a good thing? Your appeal to authority argument isn’t an argument.

 

[Naslundforever]

All the crystal balls in here are hilarious. 2$ he plays in the nhl all year and progresses, exactly as they plan.

Just in that Knuckles interview he clearly states his preference over and over it’s almost funny. Chill folk.

In 3 years, when he’s a whopping 21 years old, I bet he’s scoring 20 and dominating some shifts on the regular. And still be 4-5 years from his prime.

 

[Naslundforever]

Slafkovsky in hist last interview on the radio (yesterday). Says no team in the Top10 of last draft looked interested in him. None. But the Canadiens. Crazy.

He said top 10 had poker faces. Tss tss. Not that it matters, but this is made up.

What is their track record and how does it show you that they actually know what they’re doing?

Have you seen anything that suggests they do know what they are doing? Or are you going off blind faith?

Even if they do know what they are doing, I think there’s some good and bad mixed in, it doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, even if they know what they are doing very well.

This is the kid’s prime development stage and playing him 10-13 mins a night is batshit stupid. This should be obvious to anyone who “knows” what they are doing, but apparently, not our group.

How do you think playing
Him 10-13 mins a game with plugs and barely producing anything at all while getting his bell rung every 4-5 games is a good thing? Your appeal to authority argument isn’t an argument.

Completely disagree with your doomsday prediction here. Learning from playing with nhl pros is miles better than with ahl fringe wannabe’s. At his age in college he’d play even less (minutes per week) and practice + workout more.

 

[Jaynki]

What would that mean to you? When do we say he's ready to play in the NHL, and when he's not?

Tell us. You argue in favor of sending him down.

I agree he was disappointing as an 18YO relative to other past 1st overall, for what its worth. I also agree he was not ready for top six duty. But i believe he was ready for bottom six, sheltered duty. I think he was adequate on a 4th line role and that it was the best place and environment for him to learn, adapt and practice.

So, what would be an adequate timing to play him in the NHL? When should he graduate?

 

[Jaynki]

He said top 10 had poker faces. Tss tss. Not that it matters, but this is made up.


Completely disagree with your doomsday prediction here. Learning from playing with nhl pros is miles better than with ahl fringe wannabe’s. At his age in college he’d play even less (minutes per week) and practice + workout more.

He is arguing that playing 10-13 minutes with plugs on the 4th lines will do no good for him, while totally ignoring the practice times and environment in which he is. On the other hands, he is arguing for him to go to AHL, a league full of career plugs. It makes a lot of sense.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Tell us. You argue in favor of sending him down.

I agree he was disappointing as an 18YO relative to other past 1st overall, for what its worth. I also agree he was not ready for top six duty. But i believe he was ready for bottom six, sheltered duty. I think he was adequate on a 4th line role and that it was the best place and environment for him to learn, adapt and practice.

So, what would be an adequate timing to play him in the NHL? When should he graduate?

I would send him to the AHL immediately and let him work his way up. He only gets brought up next season if he's so dominant that he looks bored.

I don't know if you watched Pacioretty when he finally had his breakthrough in the AHL, but something like that.