Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Hacketts]

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”, Price was “wow, he’s special!”, meanwhile Galchenyuk, Kostitsyn, Kotkaniemi, and even Drouin were “wait and see don’t be a bad fan”.

But it is what it is, we have to wait and see if Gorton’s fetish for rushing wingers to the NHL will bear fruit finally.

Price has to go through his own learning curve too, after the initial buzz wore off after his arrival it cooled down pretty fast. Let us not pretend that Price was almost the odd man out.

 

[waitin425]

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”, Price was “wow, he’s special!”, meanwhile Galchenyuk, Kostitsyn, Kotkaniemi, and even Drouin were “wait and see don’t be a bad fan”.

But it is what it is, we have to wait and see if Gorton’s fetish for rushing wingers to the NHL will bear fruit finally.

PK was drafted I the second round of the 2007 draft. He spent the next two years in the O and then a year in the AHL. I remember his first playoffs, and that is when I thought wow he's special. He wasn't "special" as he entered his second year in the O post draft. That is the point where Juraj is at. They aren't even comparable. Stop being disingenuous. Oh...and as far PK...loved him....but after 29 his career was pretty much over....that is certainly not special.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

why would you hope for a franchise cornerstone of this team to fail? odd behavior

Why would you completely spin what he said and create a strawman? Odd behavior. Irrational behavior. Fanboy behavior.

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”, Price was “wow, he’s special!”, meanwhile Galchenyuk, Kostitsyn, Kotkaniemi, and even Drouin were “wait and see don’t be a bad fan”.

But it is what it is, we have to wait and see if Gorton’s fetish for rushing wingers to the NHL will bear fruit finally.

I have Hutson in that same category "wow" category i had Subban and Caufield before they ever played a game.

 

[Gustave]

Why would you completely spin what he said and create a strawman? Odd behavior. Irrational behavior. Fanboy behavior.



I have Hutson in that same category "wow" category i had Subban and Caufield before they ever played a game.

Feel the same about Hutson and the players you mentioned.
Price was the ultimate one for me at the time. The buzz brewing was off the charts. He sure didn't disappoint… even though he had his detractors.

 

[DAChampion]

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”,

Habs' fans were actually quite dismissive of Subban for a good bit. He got more time to develop than Slafkovsky. The stock of Subban began to rise during his D+2 season.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Price has to go through his own learning curve too, after the initial buzz wore off after his arrival it cooled down pretty fast. Let us not pretend that Price was almost the odd man out.

Price was never at risk of being the odd man out. He was always the former regimes guy despite what the fans and the media thought.

 

[Frank Drebin]

going to be a lot of people eating crow in this thread this season,, mark my words

Habs homer is overly bullish on a Habs prospect, what a shocker.

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”, Price was “wow, he’s special!”, meanwhile Galchenyuk, Kostitsyn, Kotkaniemi, and even Drouin were “wait and see don’t be a bad fan”.

But it is what it is, we have to wait and see if Gorton’s fetish for rushing wingers to the NHL will bear fruit finally.

Very few special players fail to make any kind of impression of their potential even when very young and overmatched. Subban, Price, caufield, and to a lesser extent Suzuki all gave a feeling of optimism on their potential immediately in their first dozen games with the team.

Never would I have thought that we'd be talking about how he's keeping his head up better, learning to keep his stick on the ice and looking less lost on the ice than last season when referring to the likely only 1oa this team will ever see in our lifetimes.

Nothing personal against the kid but what a f***ing joke of a 1oa pick

 

[Hacketts]

Price was never at risk of being the odd man out. He was always the former regimes guy despite what the fans and the media thought.

Maybe, but maybe not. They made the decision to stick with Price, but I bet you there was a conversation within the organization on his future. Price even mentioned that he thought his future was up in the air.

 

[ReHabs]

Price has to go through his own learning curve too, after the initial buzz wore off after his arrival it cooled down pretty fast. Let us not pretend that Price was almost the odd man out.

Price has his own growing troubles but he was special from the moment he was drafted. There wasn’t any talk of extinguishing his passion or teaching him how to breathe

PK was drafted I the second round of the 2007 draft. He spent the next two years in the O and then a year in the AHL. I remember his first playoffs, and that is when I thought wow he's special. He wasn't "special" as he entered his second year in the O post draft. That is the point where Juraj is at. They aren't even comparable. Stop being disingenuous. Oh...and as far PK...loved him....but after 29 his career was pretty much over....that is certainly not special.

It doesn’t matter what D+N year it is, the fact is from the moment we fans saw him in the NHL we had predominantly good feelings about him. He was special and was spectacular too. This is largely why I was upset to see a player so raw thrust to the NHL so soon.

It’s a bitter feeling to see a highly valued draft pick become a prospect so needing to be coddled and so vulnerable both physically and to criticism. He is not considered special or a game breaker at this time. This scenario is a retread of recent high value draftees and reminds me of Homer Simpson’s BBBQ pig.

 

[morhilane]

Oh...and as far PK...loved him....but after 29 his career was pretty much over....that is certainly not special.

That's the average age of retirement for the NHL...

 

[BLONG7]

Habs homer is overly bullish on a Habs prospect, what a shocker.

Very few special players fail to make any kind of impression of their potential even when very young and overmatched. Subban, Price, caufield, and to a lesser extent Suzuki all gave a feeling of optimism on their potential immediately in their first dozen games with the team.

Never would I have thought that we'd be talking about how he's keeping his head up better, learning to keep his stick on the ice and looking less lost on the ice than last season when referring to the likely only 1oa this team will ever see in our lifetimes.

Nothing personal against the kid but what a f***ing joke of a 1oa pick

When he was drafted, they came out and said.............he is a project. They admitted he was drafted, with his potential of what he could, or would become.
He is on track.............the fact that he played in Europe and not North America, is just another big challenge......we are seeing this right now.
I really like the kid, and where it's going.....patience is not easy, I get that.

The entire draft class in the first round that year, is pretty meh.....

 

[ReHabs]

Habs' fans were actually quite dismissive of Subban for a good bit. He got more time to develop than Slafkovsky. The stock of Subban began to rise during his D+2 season.

It isn’t Habs fan’s fault that the Habs didn’t give Slafkovksy time to develop but the fact remains Habs fans saw Subban being special from the moment he hit NHL ice.

Not so, the case with Slafkovsky. It’s quite the opposite. It’s become like when someone plays obscure jazz and insists it’s good because of the notes not played… I can’t hear it!

Well that was last season, let’s hope Slaf is universally considered special and good this season and we don’t need convincing and bargaining from Habs media pumpers to placate us fans about our player.

It’s almost like there is a heuristic: the more the organization and commentary space tries to convince everybody that a prospect is good, the less likely it is that prospect will succeed with the Habs. We saw it strongly with Kotkaniemi and Drouin.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Slaf forgot the official response is; *we appreciate your passion*

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Habs homer is overly bullish on a Habs prospect, what a shocker.

Very few special players fail to make any kind of impression of their potential even when very young and overmatched. Subban, Price, caufield, and to a lesser extent Suzuki all gave a feeling of optimism on their potential immediately in their first dozen games with the team.

Never would I have thought that we'd be talking about how he's keeping his head up better, learning to keep his stick on the ice and looking less lost on the ice than last season when referring to the likely only 1oa this team will ever see in our lifetimes.

Nothing personal against the kid but what a f***ing joke of a 1oa pick

Subban, Price and Caufield all had time in the minors first. There’s no doubt in my mind that if we’d waited until Slaf was 20 he’d be coming in a more ready player and be more impactful. We chose a different path for him because (rightly or wrongly) they felt he could handle the NHL now.

As for other prospects with a ‘wow’ factor. Hutson and Roy qualify for me. Both have gone way beyond expectations and have had huge success. Doesn’t mean they’re blue chip but they’ve been really impressive.

 

[waitin425]

That's the average age of retirement for the NHL...

Average literally means not special

 

[morhilane]

Average literally means not special

Of course, I just found it amusing that he hit the average at least. Also, it probably means most players body is finished by 29 years old. See Monahan and Gallagher.

 

[Hacketts]

Price has his own growing troubles but he was special from the moment he was drafted. There wasn’t any talk of extinguishing his passion or teaching him how to breathe


It doesn’t matter what D+N year it is, the fact is from the moment we fans saw him in the NHL we had predominantly good feelings about him. He was special and was spectacular too. This is largely why I was upset to see a player so raw thrust to the NHL so soon.

It’s a bitter feeling to see a highly valued draft pick become a prospect so needing to be coddled and so vulnerable both physically and to criticism. He is not considered special or a game breaker at this time. This scenario is a retread of recent high value draftees and reminds me of Homer Simpson’s BBBQ pig.

The board can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the genuine feeling of when we drafted Price was "special".

There's definitely a debate to be had on how he was handled in Montreal regarding his development. I think at the end of the day they trust him in the hands of St. Louis/Team rather than Houle and his coaching staff that they didn't hire. In the early stages of Slafkovsky's time in Montreal he did show glimpses on what he can become, and from there his season went into a bit of lull for a bit, and as his game was coming back to life.. Injured.

I understand you think last year was a waste for his development, but I don't see it like that. There were unfortunately more valleys than peaks, but sometimes in life you learn the most from those valleys. So far this season he's looking right, and it looks like he's starting this season on the right foot. Not to make this personal, but you're probably the most biased poster here regarding Slaf, and you have that right... In saying that you're clearly letting your emotions guide you on how you view this player, and with that unfortunately everything you write on him becomes filled with less credibility.

 

[HabzSauce]

I personally like how the Habs handled Slaf last year. Didn't care much for production and wanted him to learn the NHL game on NA ice. In a great environment with all the resources MTL has for him (MSL, Nichols, facilities, training staff, etc). Focusing on small habits that will hopefully stick with him and make him a better player long term.

Slaf will be a beast im almost sure of that. He's a project and id rather the Habs have full control of his development versus sending him back to Finland or even in the A.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Subban, Price and Caufield all had time in the minors first. There’s no doubt in my mind that if we’d waited until Slaf was 20 he’d be coming in a more ready player and be more impactful. We chose a different path for him because (rightly or wrongly) they felt he could handle the NHL now.

As for other prospects with a ‘wow’ factor. Hutson and Roy qualify for me. Both have gone way beyond expectations and have had huge success. Doesn’t mean they’re blue chip but they’ve been really impressive.

It's about the it factor. Those three were doing amazing things outside of the nhl before they arrived. Every season. I could see slaf doing well in the ohl or college but would he really be a top player in the league?

I just can't see this kid becoming a star. Love to be wrong on that .

 

[Sorinth]

The board can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the genuine feeling of when we drafted Price was "special".

There's definitely a debate to be had on how he was handled in Montreal regarding his development. I think at the end of the day they trust him in the hands of St. Louis/Team rather than Houle and his coaching staff that they didn't hire. In the early stages of Slafkovsky's time in Montreal he did show glimpses on what he can become, and from there his season went into a bit of lull for a bit, and as his game was coming back to life.. Injured.

I understand you think last year was a waste for his development, but I don't see it like that. There were unfortunately more valleys than peaks, but sometimes in life you learn the most from those valleys. So far this season he's looking right, and it looks like he's starting this season on the right foot. Not to make this personal, but you're probably the most biased poster here regarding Slaf, and you have that right... In saying that you're clearly letting your emotions guide you on how you view this player, and with that unfortunately everything you write on him becomes filled with less credibility.

Your right the "special" tag wasn't really there at the draft or even right after it but it started to get tossed around after he turned pro and won the Calder Cup in the AHL, and/or during his rookie year where we he got votes for both the Calder (4th) and Vezina (9th) but really came into force after the 2010-2011 season where I believe he led or tied the league leader for wins and first started getting Hart consideration (7th).

And yes Price's development path can be debated, but it's a trueism for everything that development happens best when a person is challenged. So as much as we fans want to see a player dominate a lower league, it's not likely the best development path to follow either. Personal growth usually comes from facing adversity, Price has talked about how losing his job to Halak and being on the bench for most of the ECF run helped him grow as a proffesional. Or look at Joshua Roy and how his struggles led to growth. It's not even a hockey thing, it's a human thing that we see in everything.

Obviously the key is how a person reacts when facing that adversity. And rumors say that's a big reason they went with Slaf over Wright in the first place.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It's about the it factor. Those three were doing amazing things outside of the nhl before they arrived. Every season. I could see slaf doing well in the ohl or college but would he really be a top player in the league?

With his size? Yeah, I think he would. I think he'd be pretty dominant at a lower league level.

To your point, he doesn't have the track record that Caufield or Price did. That was my big worry with him. But there's no denying that he's got skill and size. The potential is definitely there. We just don't know if he'll reach it.

I just can't see this kid becoming a star. Love to be wrong on that .

You might very well be right. He's not a blue chip player. Sad to say but we drafted first in a sketchy year.

I don't think he's diqualified from being a star though. He, Hutson, Roy and RB have the potential to be stars. Not all of them will be (maybe none of them will be) but the cupboard isn't bare. At a miminum I think Slaf will be a decent top six player.

We're missing THE GUY we know will be a star. But we might already have that guy and not know it yet. And I'm quite confident that CC is going to be a 50 goal scorer at some point - maybe this year. So there's some good talent we have to work with.

 

[Montreal Impact FC]

Give the guy a break.. he is 19 and huge.. is aleays the excuse and rightfully so its also to bad such electtic players were available next season. Yet we still passed on that.. the habs are drafting for long term needs that my opinion but i rather him have fun and bring his game up progressively. No need to rush him really.. i would very surprised if he would downgrade playing the Ahl or europe.. i think he would have one lower step to be able yo impose his game until he knows his best attributes as he finds a way to dominate other levels.. otherwise we might end up thinking he is a bust then explosing elsewhwre like say thage thompson.. ii domt care where they were drafted.. at the end they were both drafted with long term potential objectives. Each player is different..what i dont want with Slaf is hisnconfidence to be shattered.. and infuseing dount in him.. questjoning his own potential and trying to become someone he isnt.. like Kotka.

 

[Hansman]

When he was drafted, they came out and said.............he is a project. They admitted he was drafted, with his potential of what he could, or would become.
He is on track.............the fact that he played in Europe and not North America, is just another big challenge......we are seeing this right now.
I really like the kid, and where it's going.....patience is not easy, I get that.

The entire draft class in the first round that year, is pretty meh.....

Somewhere in the past I read Montreal believes he will be the best player from that draft...in 5 years.

 

[Lshap]

I wish the Habs could have a prospect that is more “wow, he’s special!“ and less “wait and see”. Subban was “wow, he’s special!”, Price was “wow, he’s special!”, meanwhile Galchenyuk, Kostitsyn, Kotkaniemi, and even Drouin were “wait and see don’t be a bad fan”.

But it is what it is, we have to wait and see if Gorton’s fetish for rushing wingers to the NHL will bear fruit finally.

Well... yeah, I think we'd all have preferred to see Slafkovsky explode out of the gate. But that's not what happened. So now what do we do? Nothing wrong with venting our impatience, as long as we remember we're discussing a kid whose entire NHL career is 39 games at 18 years old.

He could become a legit top-six forward... or not. No way to tell right now. Thus: Wait and see.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Well... yeah, I think we'd all have preferred to see Slafkovsky explode out of the gate. But that's not what happened. So now what do we do? Nothing wrong with venting our impatience, as long as we remember we're discussing a kid whose entire NHL career is 39 games at 18 years old.

He could become a legit top-six forward... or not. No way to tell right now. Thus: Wait and see.

We make Slaf hype videos that are mostly clips of Draisaitl.