Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Mrb1p]

Pacioretty has scored the 3rd most goals of that draft in significantly less games than players above him, and neither of them are Perron mind you.

Not sure that makes it a moot point but ok

1000+ games 100 more points than Pac... People were right about Perron > Pac pretty much.

 

[ReHabs]

This tweet is nothing more than projection.

Jordan Schmaltz is a failed first rounder. He saw his career die in the American Hockey League of desespoir, where he points for Slafkovsky to go indefinitely.

And he played 56 NHL games. Just 7 more than 19YO Slaf.

He is madly insecure and he is projecting his failed career into Slafkovsky.

Every qualificative he used for Slaf are also an excellent representation of his own failure.

Okay well I didn’t play any pro hockey either and I’ve had the exact same criticisms of him all along.

If "trusting" MSL and Hughes because of their reputation is not valid, then why should we take what Schmaltz has to say, since his reputation is one of an absolute total bust?

Hockey players saying a player has blinders on is not the same as trusting the development plan (which has not shown any success) of two rookie managers.

One is an instinctive impression, the other is a strategy (failed one, thus far).

Ryan Whitney agrees Slafkovsky looks awful. Jack Han co-signed Schmaltz’s comments. It’s only GP10, the cacophony will not abate unless things change.


Is Slaf capable of playing in the NHL? Right now, no. And he hasn’t shown any interest in changing his fate the last few games especially.

I mean I was impressed by what I saw at the Olympics too but we're not the big boys making the big decisions. Logically seeing how he plays day in, day out should be more important and useful than what he does in a short tournament.

Tournament play is a worthless indicator even worse than the others. Especially if you take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the player — low hockey IQ player who is a bad playmaker, how he performs over a long period is a LOT more important than alleged flashes of quality shown over short stints.

 

[RationalExpectations]

There is no evidence the draft sucked.

Of course it matters if the Habs drafted the next 1OA bust or are majorly impacting a young man’s career with their cockamamie development non-strategy. It matters a great deal.

That s how the reasoning goes : Slaf sucks -> Slaf was 1 OA -> 220 other drafted players are worse than him -> the draft sucks.

I could blame those logical fallacies on school systems all over the world but I think it has more to do with the fact that some fans don t want their trust in new management to be shaken

 

[NotProkofievian]

View attachment 762570

The last line is the key for me. Right now they're paying him just shy of a million per year to ''rewire his muscle memory'' a large portion of the fan base is asking for minutes and linemates that he hasn't earned, there is no standard being set whatsoever for his play. There should be a message sent to him ''Juraj, you are so talented, but you're just not ready yet.'' A goal set for him ''go down to the AHL and show us that you're ready.'' And let him earn it.

Let's put our brother Bilo in the cage, and dangle an NHL roster spot in front of him and say ''you will never get this, you will never get this'' and Bilo in his cage crazy crazy, but one day Bilo break a cage and he get this, and then we all laugh.

 

[Guess]

When MSL first came in he kept saying how he believed that hockey IQ could be developed. I'm wondering if this was the strategy behind the Slaf pick (and some others) that we've seen with new management. If that backfires I wonder who will take the heat. I just hope that management isn't afraid of firing their buddies.

Slaf is playing like a finesse guy, not using his physical attributes to his advantage.

Just now listening to a local weekday sports show on 98.5 FM, the host (Mario Langue-sale) mentioned that he got the net impression after he last interviewed Hughes, speaking to him both on and off air, that the Habs envision Slaf as a power forward.

To be clear, Hughes didn’t expressly say it in so many words but the host claims that it could be inferred.

The reason they’re not sending Slaf down is the org’s thinking that the best way to develop a power forward is to have him play at the NHL level.

Yes Hughes did say at the time Slaf was drafted that they were looking to what the player could be several years from now.

However, how do you get a guy to play a style that doesn’t appear to be his? When you look at NHL power forwards, most had an edge and nastiness to their game before plying their trade in the big league. They already had that foundation.

Slaf looks like someone who doesn’t want or seek to engage physically. He’s even had trouble protecting himself against opposition hits, leaving himself vulnerable in situations that most North American players would not.

Sure, he’s a project but makes you wonder if they’re not trying to turn him into something he’s not.

This is the reason so many of our picks have failed. We keep trying to pick players and project them into styles they never had in the first place. I think this is really bad drafting and I bet a lot of the scouts that were part of the MB era are contributing to this, since we're seeing the same decisions.

 

[ReHabs]

That s how the reasoning goes : Slaf sucks -> Slaf was 1 OA -> 220 other drafted players are worse than him -> the draft sucks.

Even if it was a weak draft, we had the 1st overall pick!!! The best player of his age was available to us and we watched the Habs pick the guy who can’t breathe or think. Absolutely bonkers.

I could blame those logical fallacies on school systems all over the world but I think it has more to do with the fact that some fans don t want their trust in new management to be shaken

It 100% is the case. I have no doubt they’d be a lot more vicious and critical if it was Bergevin and Timmins harming the young man’s chances at a NHL career instead of Hughes and Bobrov.

To me theyre all the same shithead until they prove otherwise and Hughes has not earned any benefit of the doubt and Bobrov already starts from well behind zero.

 

[HabsCowboysOwn]

The next time you watch Slafkovsky play and think the AHL would be good for him, remember snake oil salesman Bobrov's rock-solid arguments and give your head a shake:

1: The hockey historians are paying attention. They know better than you.

2: What he's done on the big stage is unprecedented. A bit vague but it sure sounds impressive.

3: He has the ability to want to take the bulls by the horn. Bulls, plural. Watch out.

4. He wants to own the moment which is a personality trait, not just a hockey skill. Know the difference.

5. He's carrying the mail. How nice of him.

6. He has the pressure of a country on his shoulders and the proof is in the pudding that he kept getting better under that 5 million population. Inspiring.

 

[NotProkofievian]

THN and TSN that's hockey with the 1-2 combo

Leave Britney alone!

27 seconds per game. Whatever development he's expected to do with the puck on his stick is to be done in 27 seconds per game.

Guys...

 

[RationalExpectations]

This is the reason so many of our picks have failed. We keep trying to pick players and project them into styles they never had in the first place. I think this is really bad drafting and I bet a lot of the scouts that were part of the MB era are contributing to this, since we're seeing the same decisions.

As much as drafting sucked under Timmins, this one is entirely Bobrov Gorton.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

he was ranked first on mackenzie’s list how can this be a montreal got too horny over something situation lol

f*** Mackenzie’s list, the Habs have their own scouts who are paid to get it right. If we don’t need them and should be drafting based on Mackenzie’s list then let’s get rid of them then. They haven’t shown they have much to offer on their own.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Thats what is so frustrating about this pick and this player. We all knew the the statline was less than impressive for a 1OA, even with the boost from the two tournaments. I just thought that the scouts, the guys that watch and know the game, saw something in him that would have made those stats feel less important. Elite level IQ, vision, skills, defensive awareness, whatever. Now former opponents are coming out of the woodwork saying he was dumb as bricks in his draft year. What the hell.

Like, did these scouts fall in love with a 6'2 195 pound 15 year old who simply physically dominated his peers and he just held on to that pedigree till he was in his draft year?

A good part of last year I spent defending the decision to keep this kid in the NHL. At this point hes taking up a roster spot that belongs to a more deserving player.

The answer imo is yes, that’s what happen. His size will never be as big of an advantage as it already was. He doesn’t really use it anyway, he does appear to be dumb as bricks to me too. I hope we get a 30/30 guy here, but I’m not 100% convinced of that.

We're wondering if he'd make a mediocre ahl player at this point and you think he should be a first line nhler? Lets just think of what kind of message that would send to his teammates. A lot of them want to be first line NHLers too.

Jagr scored 27 goals as an 18 year old fresh off the boat. I hope we stop using those two in the same sentence soon.

This guy is nothing like Jagr. Jagr deserved first line minutes, this guy doesn’t deserve a roster spot.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The next time you watch Slafkovsky play and think the AHL would be good for him, remember snake oil salesman Bobrov's rock-solid arguments and give your head a shake:

1: The hockey historians are paying attention. They know better than you.

2: What he's done on the big stage is unprecedented. A bit vague but it sure sounds impressive.

3: He has the ability to want to take the bulls by the horn. Bulls, plural. Watch out.

4. He wants to own the moment which is a personality trait, not just a hockey skill. Know the difference.

5. He's carrying the mail. How nice of him.

6. He has the pressure of a country on his shoulders and the proof is in the pudding that he kept getting better under that 5 million population. Inspiring.

Lolol, man, did you have to do this. How depressing that we believe this type of bs and even more depressing that we use it to make decisions. I’m not a bobrov fan at all.

 

[Kimota]

HOLY SHIT. Have I not been saying this since the video came out? I knew Bobrov was a moron, and now the rest of the hockey universe is realizing it too.

Better late than never. This org deserves all the mockery that it gets.

I was going to post that tweet and then create a bingo card with all the stupidities Bobrov says to support his opinions. Could he have been any more vague?

You could tell Bobrov is a space cadet just by the way he rests his glasses on his forehead. What the hell is that about.

OK I'm scared now.

What a Charlatan. What he says makes no sense. Carry his country on his shoulder? How can they be buying what this guy is saying? They are mermerized by him and he's not worth it.

 

[NotProkofievian]

HOLY SHIT. Have I not been saying this since the video came out? I knew Bobrov was a moron, and now the rest of the hockey universe is realizing it too.

Better late than never. This org deserves all the mockery that it gets.

Bobrov fell in love with Slafkovsky. This isn't what rational decision making sounds like. Bobrov's read on his play in Finland is particularly bad, especially as he went on to say that Juraj had learned everything that Finland had to teach him. Nonsense.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

André Tourigni said "the NHL is not a development league".

He is right!! This board use to largely agree until Slafkovsky. Posters that were strong proponents of a slow and steady approach are now defending the indefensible. It’s really strange.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

The next time you watch Slafkovsky play and think the AHL would be good for him, remember snake oil salesman Bobrov's rock-solid arguments and give your head a shake:

1: The hockey historians are paying attention. They know better than you.

2: What he's done on the big stage is unprecedented. A bit vague but it sure sounds impressive.

3: He has the ability to want to take the bulls by the horn. Bulls, plural. Watch out.

4. He wants to own the moment which is a personality trait, not just a hockey skill. Know the difference.

5. He's carrying the mail. How nice of him.

6. He has the pressure of a country on his shoulders and the proof is in the pudding that he kept getting better under that 5 million population. Inspiring.

Yup he's right, this pick and especially this speech, will both go down in history, but not how Bozobrov is picturing it.

Bobrov sounds like another Bergevin. Another dimwit who climbed the hockey ladder through personal relations and dysfunctional cronyism.

He really thinks he's Kevin Costner.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

As much as drafting sucked under Timmins, this one is entirely Bobrov Gorton.

Remove the Gauthier years (2) and the first 6 years of Bergevin's regime where it's now clear Timmins didn't have full control as the picks once TT became AGM were pretty good and Timmins ends-up with a very strong record compared to Bozobrov.

 

[waffledave]

I'm depressed about how bad he sucks shit.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I'm depressed about how bad he sucks shit.

Gorton needs to GTFO and bring his cronies with him.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I'm depressed about how bad he sucks shit.

 

[Jaynki]

So when Jagr and Marian Hossa were propping up Slafkovsky we ignored it but when "built like a F250" dumb and failed Jordan Schmaltz has something to say we take it at face value?

 

[NotProkofievian]

So when Jagr and Marian Hossa were propping up Slafkovsky we ignored it but when "built like a F250" dumb and failed Jordan Schmaltz has something to say we take it at face value?

Well...who's been right so far?

 

[Jaynki]

Well...who's been right so far?

So far, Schmaltz.

But are we so far or so early?

 

[cave troll]

MSL has a pretty strong reputation actually. I’m not happy with how he’s developing Slaf but he’s done a great job developing other players.

I fully agree. When I see other youngsters playing under MSL, somehow I think it's Slaf's own fault for his invisibility.

 

[NotProkofievian]

So far, Schmaltz.

But are we so far or so early?

It's still early of course. But I think Schmaltz himself would say that. He seems to be saying that he wasn't close to ready after the draft and still has most of that ways to go.