Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think it would be a big mistake to move dach to the wing long term. He's Tailor made for center, and these attributes aren't necessarily easy to find.

Gorton also admitted as much when he was asked about it while dach was clicking on the wing with caufield and suzuki. Even at that time, he still saw dach at center long term.

I would keep him there. We’ll see what happens.

 

[hardcorehabs]

Horrible

 

[Ezpz]

Start in the AHL. Laval ain't far from Montreal. Send the skills coach there every time they're in town.

 

[River Meadow]

View attachment 747752

If only playing in the NHL were about good looks and height.

 

[Habbietat]

seriously whats the point of the pain if the players you grab arent going to make significant impacts at their positions, hope im wrong, but he hasn't improved at all, and with reinbacker, not offensive dynamo we are in serious trouble and may end up like edmonton where it takes 10ish years to hit on multiple top 5 picks

 

[Andrei79]

Have to disagree with everyone here. He's clearly improved imo and even starting to use his strength to his advantage. I don't mind if he goes to the AHL but the negative discourse around him is way too early still to be this pronounced.

 

[Deebs]

I wish he played more like Matt Knies. Hard on the puck, physical, drives to the net.

Hopefully the year in Laval can give his game some confidence. He’s improved, which is good, but not enough to be an everyday NHL’er as of yet

 

[Kennerback]

seriously whats the point of the pain if the players you grab arent going to make significant impacts at their positions, hope im wrong, but he hasn't improved at all, and with reinbacker, not offensive dynamo we are in serious trouble and may end up like edmonton where it takes 10ish years to hit on multiple top 5 picks

Happily for Slaf, fans get to only complain once in a while with the odd Cooley highlight. Nothing like Michkov tearing the KHL apart two times a week.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Have to disagree with everyone here. He's clearly improved imo and even starting to use his strength to his advantage. I don't mind if he goes to the AHL but the negative discourse around him is way too early still to be this pronounced.

He’s improved for sure. Several chances tonight. Was engaged a lot and I thought he was one of our better forwards.

 

[Justin11]

Have to disagree with everyone here. He's clearly improved imo and even starting to use his strength to his advantage. I don't mind if he goes to the AHL but the negative discourse around him is way too early still to be this pronounced.

I don’t think it will be a bad idea for Slaf to spend some time in the A. Work on some things.

Personally, I want the kid to succeed.

 

[OnTheRun]

seriously whats the point of the pain if the players you grab arent going to make significant impacts at their positions, hope im wrong, but he hasn't improved at all, and with reinbacker, not offensive dynamo we are in serious trouble and may end up like edmonton where it takes 10ish years to hit on multiple top 5 picks

...It's almost like it was his 2nd game of somewhat competitive hockey in the last 9 months. He's doing fine atm.

 

[Jaynki]

Which players had more offensive highlights during pre season so far?

Mainly, Slaf has a goal, the pass to Josh Anderson in the 1st game was something, his breakaway when he burned JBD and his breakaway tonight.

He also had a plethora of good other offensive sequences, board plays.

So yeah, which player showed more offensive prowess than Slafkovsky so far during pre season?

It should be an easy question to answer the way he is talked about here but the reality is that Slafkovsky is the 4th best forward of Habs after Dach, Suzuki and Caufield in the present moment, so far this (pre)season.

If you guys want to argue that Anderson, Roy, Evans, Gallagher, RHP, etc. have been better... im all ear for it, make your point.

 

[The Real Timo]

Send him to Laval FFS.

 

[Jaynki]

Send him to Laval FFS.

Trois-Rivieres*

 

[Trabdy2]

I don't think I'll have a problem with them keeping Slafkovsky up to start the season. There just isn't enough competition amongst our forwards and prospects to "force" him down to the AHL. He clearly has a lot of room for improvement, but I think it can be done in the NHL. His pace of play and processing speed need to improve and he needs to learn how to leverage his size more to bring his game to another level.

I won't expect much in terms of production for him though, if he stays up. It's going to be a lot of learning through mistakes and experience for him. I'm not sure he gets more than 30 points if he stays up this year. His development is gonna take quite a bit of time.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

He’s improved for sure. Several chances tonight. Was engaged a lot and I thought he was one of our better forwards.

He was absolutely terrible.

Zero hockey IQ.

This is not to say that I have given up on him in any way but he has the same brainless habits that he exhibited in his draft year and last year. If this doesn't improve, he will bust.

Calling him our best forward tonight is criminally dishonest as I don't even believe that you believe that.

Let him start in the AHL and encourage him to hang on to the puck longer. He clearly has puck skills and he looks a little quicker on his skates but he does not read the ice at all........like zero.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Which players had more offensive highlights during pre season so far?

Mainly, Slaf has a goal, the pass to Josh Anderson in the 1st game was something, his breakaway when he burned JBD and his breakaway tonight.

He also had a plethora of good other offensive sequences, board plays.

So yeah, which player showed more offensive prowess than Slafkovsky so far during pre season?

It should be an easy question to answer the way he is talked about here but the reality is that Slafkovsky is the 4th best forward of Habs after Dach, Suzuki and Caufield in the present moment, so far this (pre)season.

If you guys want to argue that Anderson, Roy, Evans, Gallagher, RHP, etc. have been better... im all ear for it, make your point.

Aside from RHP and Roy, those players aren't long-term players. I guess Gallagher is, but that's more because he has a shit contract and he's bad and can't be moved.

Slaf has shown promise, there's no doubt, but he's shown he doesn't belong in the league.

As I stated in the GDT, he had 2 times to shoot there was a leaf player just out of stuck reach if that and both times he chose to shot and it was easily blocked. Low IQ plays. He finally realized to pass, something he should have done before.

Later, he and Dach broke into the zone. Dach was covered. Slaf slowed up and forced a pass instead of using his speed to go around the net and see what opens up. That's showing us he's either scared that he might get crushed, or that he has low IQ to read plays as they develop.

6 on 5, Habs are actually moving it around. Slaf stands a few feet from the net and doesn't really move. He's basically covered there with the puck on his side of the ice. He does move to get open to keep the puck and defenders moving. He doesn't go to the front to screen the goalie, especially with a shot coming from up high. Potential double screen with RHP who's too small to screen a goalie.

He's done well, but I'm hoping he's actually lacking confidence, or just looked bad as the whole team did, but it is not a good look for him right now.

Send him to Laval for a month, or two see if he starts scoring and dominating the league and then bring him back up.

It worked with Pacioretty, so maybe it might help with Slaf, especially when Laval should be a good team, too.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He was absolutely terrible.

I stopped reading there.

 

[417]

He was absolutely terrible.

Zero hockey IQ.

This is not to say that I have given up on him in any way but he has the same brainless habits that he exhibited in his draft year and last year. If this doesn't improve, he will bust.

Calling him our best forward tonight is criminally dishonest as I don't even believe that you believe that.

Let him start in the AHL and encourage him to hang on to the puck longer. He clearly has puck skills and he looks a little quicker on his skates but he does not read the ice at all........like zero.

Hmmmmm

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I stopped reading there.

That is what people who rely on confirmation bias do.

 

[Riggins]

I don't like how long it takes him to get a shot off. That doesn't fly in the NHL. That was Kotkaniemi's calling card.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

That is what people who rely on confirmation bias do.

It’s also what people do when they start reading nonsensical posts.

 

[Jee]

 

[kyne]

He wouldn't be the first young player with size who has taken time to develop. Nothing wrong with Laval for half the year or more. He seems to have some skill. I get a sense he needs a lot of ice time to work on his game preferably without the pressure to perform under a microscope. The team needs to play the daylights out of him in Laval and he might need to work on his cardio.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

It’s also what people do when they start reading nonsensical posts.

Considering that virtually every time he touched the puck it ended with a poor decision and this somehow equates in your mind as being the best forward on the ice........clearly, you more than most should not be referring to my opinion as nonsensical as the word you are searching for is objective.

Your bias on this topic is well documented and you are allowing your bias to eclipse rational thought yet again.

I still think he is a good prospect but if you can't see the red flags it is solely because you choose to ignore them. He is still really young and could turn it around quickly if it suddenly clicks but there is no objective conversation that supports the narrative that he is making pro level decisions on the ice at this point in time in his development.

Not only did he make the wrong play almost every time he had the puck he was back to crowding teammates and crashing breakout passing lanes.