Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[ReHabs]

Funny i wasn't hearing Cooley's name much before the draft so easy to pick the right player 2 years after the draft.

It’s not incumbent on fans to know which amateur prospects are better or not. The fact that so many fans knew Slafkovsky was so damned raw is an indictment of the Habs, not the fans.

MSL said Slaf has to get puck touches. How’s that working out?

 

[Shawnathon]

Nah... He will fill in a bit more and get stronger. Look at Dach's development. Slaf actually lost weight last year and he's working on lean muscle that doesn't slow him down with skating. This will all make more sense to you in a few years.

He got hit a few times last year that he didn't expect. He's learning that time/space factor as a big player and there is still some hesitation

Wha? Filling in means growing and putting on adult weight. Slafkovsky has that unless you think he’ll be 6’6 250 pounds in a few years. He’s been in an adult body since we drafted him. The average weight of an NHL player is 200 pounds. He has a big size advantage. Even if he has teenage awkwardness to him, he’s still a heavyweight playing among mostly cruiserweights(boxing terms). There’s a chance he plateaued at a younger age due to his size if anything.

 

[beowulf]

I still have hope but this could be another case of Habs messing up development of a pick as he should likely not have been in NHL last season.

 

[WinterLion]

Again, I don’t want to blame the best player on the line, but what exactly does Newhook do for them? He kind of just skates fast like a headless chicken. The style doesn’t fit whatsoever as the centre of that line since you also have Anderson who does that same thing but worse. You need a big possession centre who slows the game down to be the general for Slaf and Andy, who need direction. Like Dach. Like Monahan.

Newhook has been pretty bad the last two games... it's a weird line but the fact remains that Slaf needs to drive the play a bit more. There has certainly been a lot of progress but the whole line needs to make it happen soon, like now!

 

[Hoochi Papa]

Wha? Filling in means growing and putting on adult weight. Slafkovsky has that unless you think he’ll be 6’6 250 pounds in a few years. He’s been in an adult body since we drafted him. The average weight of an NHL player is 200 pounds. He has a big size advantage. Even if he has teenage awkwardness to him, he’s still a heavyweight playing among mostly cruiserweights(boxing terms). There’s a chance he plateaued at a younger age due to his size if anything.

It's a part of the NHL experience. Huge players often need a few seasons to realize they're so damn big. Tom Wilson and Nikita Scherbak were drafted to be disappointing first round stinkers in the mold of Filip Mesar. And he would've followed the career Euro League trajectory, had he not found out that he's pretty massive dude. So he became a power forward.

 

[morhilane]

Again, I don’t want to blame the best player on the line, but what exactly does Newhook do for them? He kind of just skates fast like a headless chicken. The style doesn’t fit whatsoever as the centre of that line since you also have Anderson who does that same thing but worse. You need a big possession centre who slows the game down to be the general for Slaf and Andy, who need direction. Like Dach. Like Monahan.

The line doesn't work. As much as people are complaining about Slaf not producing, it's not like Anderson/Newhook have been producing either. Hopefully, MSL is just waiting for Dvorak return to dismantle it.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The line doesn't work. As much as people are complaining about Slaf not producing, it's not like Anderson/Newhook have been producing either. Hopefully, MSL is just waiting for Dvorak return to dismantle it.

All MSL does is flip Anderson and RHP every game.

I can't think of a line that makes less sense than Slaf-Newhook-Anderson.

 

[Wats]

Funny i wasn't hearing Cooley's name much before the draft so easy to pick the right player 2 years after the draft.

I know at least one here who had him pre draft:
@WeThreeKings

Myself had Wright. However, if Montreal was going to rush anyone they picked to NHL, don't think it matters. No one was NHL ready from that draft and even if they picked Cooley, don't think he'd be as effective today did he not get an year to dismantle NCAA.

 

[GrandBison]

Yesterday, I was looking at stats lines from high draftees from 1990 to this day. It's less usual than I thought that bigger guys get more than 30-40 pts at 18-19. Also, I didn't remember Draisaitl was busting hard with 2g-7a-9pts and -17 in 37 games at 18. Of course, Slaf will not be Leon, but I like the way he's playing with Newhook and Anderson right now, they provide energy even if they don't score.

All MSL does is flip Anderson and RHP every game.

I can't think of a line that makes less sense than Slaf-Newhook-Anderson.

I think they were good yesterday

 

[morhilane]

All MSL does is flip Anderson and RHP every game.

I can't think of a line that makes less sense than Slaf-Newhook-Anderson.

It feels like MSL has been ordered to play Anderson on the top 6/PP1. MSL wasn't using Anderson on the PP as much last year and by the 8th game he was on a line with Dvorak and Gallagher after starting on the 1st with CC/Suzuki (until all the injuries anyway).

 

[le_sean]

I think they were good yesterday

They work hard but they don’t actually do anything. Their only scoring chance seemed to be the Newhook double post.

 

[GrandBison]

They work hard but they don’t actually do anything. Their only scoring chance seemed to be the Newhook double post.

Vegas defense didn't give space to anyone. If they play like that all the time, they'll be on the score sheet sooner than later.

 

[Mrb1p]

People need to chill. He's going to be a player, they just need to send him down for a year. Let him cook for christ sakes.

 

[le_sean]

Vegas defense didn't give space to anyone. If they play like that all the time, they'll be on the score sheet sooner than later.

The line hasn’t done anything since Newhook was put at centre. It just doesn’t work. The odd breakaway pass to Anderson, but that’s it.

 

[FLHabs]

I think once Dach went down, that was Slafs last chance at truly developing, and his stat line shows that.. While yes, I do believe he is "good" enough to be in the NHL, I'd like to believe being just "good" is a complete fail for him. Armia was on a tear in the AHL, can you imagine what that type of run would be for Slaf? it would do wonders for his development.

Exactly, Slaf needs touches. He needs to be playing 1st line min, 1st PP, offense running through him. He needs to be THE guy in Laval, hopefully tear it up and either get called up full of confidence later this season or just let him cook for the whole year.

I'm sure if they explain it to him like that, he'll take it in stride. They have absolutely nothing to lose.

Ownership mandate, maybe? Molson sounds like the type to blindly insist a top-3 pick has to be on the big team to help sell tickets.

Haha that would actually make sense, but I don't think Molson ever showed signs to be that type of meddling owner, but who really knows what happen in those upper management meetings hehe.

 

[StCaufield]

Whatever that makes you happy at night.

But it tells me alot about you as a fan when i read you about a 19 years old prospect who haven’t played 50 games yet lol.

Fans are allowed to be concerned when their first overall pick gives the puck away all night and is scare to possess/shoot the puck. Doesn’t mean they think he’s a bust

 

[BergevinBurner]

If I was managenent I'd send him down now and bring up Roy for a trial. Our 2nd line is absolutely abysmal. Slaf and Anderson both have a single point and there doesn't appear to be any chemistry at all.

Roy might be able to give a spark to that line to get it going and Slaf might be able to start scoring more than once a month if he's in Laval.

 

[Jaynki]

See what I meant yesterday? Another robbery by montembeault. Him and Allen decided to make huge saves and we'll end up drafting a f***ing 10th overall pick. it really sucks

Don't you think its way better to draft lower in the draft but see this core finally taking a step and getting better? Or you think it would be better to tank another year for an uncertain pick, i mean Celebrini is all but guaranteed.

Personally i think it's way better if we perform and we might just nail our pick even if its a 20OV. Guhle, Suzuki, Caufield are 16-13 and 15 respectively.

We also have the ammo to go on the trade market to get top talent.

 

[waffledave]

See what I meant yesterday? Another robbery by montembeault. Him and Allen decided to make huge saves and we'll end up drafting a f***ing 10th overall pick. it really sucks

We should trade Caufield and Suzuki too, to ensure maximum suckage. The team needs to be bad for at least 5-10 more years.

 

[calder candidate]

Slaf need more ice more touches and isn’t doing bad in the NHL but to improve you can’t be trying to limit mistake, you need to the 120%. The AHL Team is in Laval it pretty easy to send him to the AHL for a few home game call him back.

 

[Bgav]

have not had a chance to see him play this season... how has he been? IMO he will pan out, shouldn't have been in the nhl last season tho

 

[Ajhccwrs]

Imo when the whole line looks bad, its not because slaf needs to be sent down. It's because newhook is not a great C and Anderson has terrible chemistry with ANY BODY.

Slaf needs reps with Suzuki and CC. At the VERY least money hands.

CC - Suzuki - Slaf/Pearson
Newhook - MoneyHands - Slaf/Pearson
RHP - Dvo/C - Anderson
Yolen - Evans - pez/gally

Keep in mind we panicked with KK now he's looking like what we wanted him to be. Need to give them time.

 

[Mrb1p]

have not had a chance to see him play this season... how has he been? IMO he will pan out, shouldn't have been in the nhl last season tho

He had a good first game. Then he's been absolute shit. Like think of the worst player you can think of and crank that a few notches.

Imo when the whole line looks bad, its not because slaf needs to be sent down. It's because newhook is not a great C and Anderson has terrible chemistry with ANY BODY.

Slaf needs reps with Suzuki and CC. At the VERY least money hands.

CC - Suzuki - Slaf/Pearson
Newhook - MoneyHands - Slaf/Pearson
RHP - Dvo/C - Anderson
Yolen - Evans - pez/gally

Keep in mind we panicked with KK now he's looking like what we wanted him to be. Need to give them time.

Slaf has looked good ten games in his career. When carried by Monahan or Dach.

Nobody panicked with KK, I knew he shouldn't be in the NHL the first two years and he should've been brought slowly. Bergevin got scared and hardballed him and nearly costed him his career because of ego.

He should gtfo to Laval, stop the mind bending excuses. They're doing the exact same thing with Slaf as KK and you're still defending that shit, smarten up.

 

[Ajhccwrs]

He had a good first game. Then he's been absolute shit. Like think of the worst player you can think of and crank that a few notches.


Slaf has looked good ten games in his career. When carried by Monahan or Dach.

He should gtfo to Laval, stop the mind bending excuses.

Yeah..... clown assessment. Move along.

 

[Jaynki]

have not had a chance to see him play this season... how has he been? IMO he will pan out, shouldn't have been in the nhl last season tho

Mixed bags.

Improvement from last season but maybe not as much as we would like.

A couple of good highlights, a couple of bad plays.

Could have a couple more points but has been unproductive.

It sometimes feels he is close to something, other times he feels timid and lacking assertivity.

There is still a lot of time before the end of the season and before we have a clearer picture. There is no need to panic right now but if he don't improve his intensity and consistency until the end of the season i think the clock will start to tick loud.