Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[NotProkofievian]

You are making valid point.

But on the other end, Thompson is an absolute outlier.

Its perfectly reasonable to expect a top 5 picks to display NHL skills and production as soon as its D+2, at worst D+3.

All prospect with Slafkovsky profiles, there was nothing to conclude after their 1st year, but all of them had massive growth in their D+2 and pretty much all of them reached stardom in their D+3.

Personally, i expect massive imrovement from Slaf and what i have witnessed during training camp so far suggest its happening.

I dont mind if Slaf becomes a 90 pts player and 40g in his D+6 only, as long as we see improvement during this time and he is still an impact player in our top 6 growing into this.

Yeah. I mean, if he had a number of 20 20 seasons before having a Blake Wheeler renaissance that'd be pretty dope, and relatively low drama on the way to finally having such a high impact player.

 

[Andy]

Yeah. I mean, if he had a number of 20 20 seasons before having a Blake Wheeler renaissance that'd be pretty dope, and relatively low drama on the way to finally having such a high impact player.

I’m okay with that. I think a 10-15g, 30-35pt season this year is a good start followed by a d+3 where he gets 45-50 points.

 

[Jaynki]

Saying it again. 90% of you are about to eat the mother of all crow.

Statiscally speaking, there is nothing to conclude after a player 1st season. Its starting at the 2nd season that usually top dogs starts to really break out.

Now you guys are betting against a guy with obvious, unique elite tools, on the verge of statistically breaking out.

Its sad we cant put money in this because its the easiest, most obvious contrarian bet there is.

On the other end, 90% of people here are so high on Roy despite him lacking obvious physical topls and when statistically speaking the vice is tightening and the odds are starting to stack against.

 

[417]

If there wasn't such a shift-to-shift focus, the perception of his play would be a lot different.

@Andy is right…some of y’all need to find some other players to nitpick.

This is ridiculous.

 

[Whitesnake]

No, the response is that they're not playing in the same league at all. Reinbacher is in a much better situation than Slaf was.

How is the AHL not a better situation than struggling in the NHL? Jiri Kulich is in the AHL...does it seem to affct his development?

 

[nhlfan9191]

Saying it again. 90% of you are about to eat the mother of all crow.

Statiscally speaking, there is nothing to conclude after a player 1st season. Its starting at the 2nd season that usually top dogs starts to really break out.

Now you guys are betting against a guy with obvious, unique elite tools, on the verge of statistically breaking out.

Its sad we cant put money in this because its the easiest, most obvious contrarian bet there is.

On the other end, 90% of people here are so high on Roy despite him lacking obvious physical topls and when statistically speaking the vice is tightening and the odds are starting to stack against.

You are aware you’re included in that group that could be eating crow right? You’ve doubled down on this prospect just as hard as anyone has on this board. One side has to be wrong. As someone whose not sold on Slafkovsky, I hope I get to hand you a spoon to feed me as much crow as you possibly can. I just don’t think the percentage of that happening are super high.

 

[Jaynki]

You are aware you’re included in that group that could be eating crow right? You’ve doubled down on this prospect just as hard as anyone has on this board. One side has to be wrong. As someone whose not sold on Slafkovsky, I hope I get to hand you a spoon to feed me as much crow as you possibly can. I just don’t think the percentage of that happening are super high.

I will gladly assume it if i am wrong.

Before this, can i double down any harder ? With the consensus so strong against me, im all in.

 

[Whitesnake]

Saying it again. 90% of you are about to eat the mother of all crow.

Statiscally speaking, there is nothing to conclude after a player 1st season. Its starting at the 2nd season that usually top dogs starts to really break out.

Now you guys are betting against a guy with obvious, unique elite tools, on the verge of statistically breaking out.

Its sad we cant put money in this because its the easiest, most obvious contrarian bet there is.

On the other end, 90% of people here are so high on Roy despite him lacking obvious physical topls and when statistically speaking the vice is tightening and the odds are starting to stack against.

Eating crow about what? Sending him in the AHL? How is him doing good in the NHL means it would not have helped him going to the AHL first?

 

[Goldthorpe]

How is the AHL not a better situation than struggling in the NHL? Jiri Kulich is in the AHL...does it seem to affct his development?

From the discussion last year when he was drafted, it wasn't clear if Slaf was even interested to leave a pro league for the pitance AHL salary. I pretty common issue with Europeans coming to play here.

 

[417]

How is the AHL not a better situation than struggling in the NHL? Jiri Kulich is in the AHL...does it seem to affct his development?

Struggling in the NHL, is not necessarily an indicator that it is negatively affecting development.

Kaiden Guhle struggled mighty in the NHL last year, does anyone think he didn't develop last year?

 

[Goldthorpe]

Thing is that he is more physically developed now than his counterparts, and his over size helped him in the juniors. It's his hockey skills and hockey smarts that aren't well developed, but if he doesn't or can't improve those, what will he be? Still too early to tell, it's all just guesswork now, but he may end up being just an average player at best.

Big players take longer time to develop, this is a common observation since forever. Just being "big" doesn't mean a 19 is physically developed, it doesn't work like that.

 

[Whitesnake]

If there wasn't such a shift-to-shift focus, the perception of his play would be a lot different.

@Andy is right…some of y’all need to find some other players to nitpick.

This is ridiculous.

Tough to do that on a Slafkovsky topic. Besides...is ''wishing we'd play him at a lower level'' nitpicking?

This is a No1 overall player. With all it entails. We are being told in here to stop nitpicking over 6th rounders....and now we can't on a 1st overall....geez what's the rule here?

Struggling in the NHL, is not necessarily an indicator that it is negatively affecting development.

Kaiden Guhle struggled mighty in the NHL last year, does anyone think he didn't develop last year?

Based on that....who do you send down if you can't based yourself on struggling at the highest level?

Who says that you can't develop in the AHL too? How about people like Kulich, Nemec etc. Who thinks they waster 1 year because they played in the AHL? Why is it that for some, the AHL seems to be hell on earth?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

How is the AHL not a better situation than struggling in the NHL? Jiri Kulich is in the AHL...does it seem to affct his development?

Devil's advocate here. He was improving last year and started to look more comfortable. Then the team fell off a cliff and so did he. Should've been in the AHL to begin with I agree.

I also agree he should be in the AHL to start this year. But... he's looked pretty good in the preseason from what I've seen. I haven't seen all the games, only two or three. But he looks okay.

I'd still have him in the AHL. I'd still give him icetime there because I think it'd be better. But if they go the other way (and it looks like they will) then I think he'll look a lot better this year than last.

But they sure as hell better play him in the top six.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Tough to do that on a Slafkovsky topic. Besides...is ''wishing we'd play him at a lower level'' nitpicking?

This is a No1 overall player. With all it entails. We are being told in here to stop nitpicking over 6th rounders....and now we can't on a 1st overall....geez what's the rule here?

Forget that he's a top pick when discussing him. Honestly, it wasn't a normal draft. I don't think he's ever going to be a superstar and we shouldn't try to hold him to it.

Based on that....who do you send down if you can't based yourself on struggling at the highest level?

Who says that you can't develop in the AHL too? How about people like Kulich, Nemec etc. Who thinks they waster 1 year because they played in the AHL? Why is it that for some, the AHL seems to be hell on earth?

Agree on the AHL.

 

[417]

Tough to do that on a Slafkovsky topic. Besides...is ''wishing we'd play him at a lower level'' nitpicking?

There's a lot of players we can focus on…also, no I don't think wishing we’d play him at a lower level is nitpicking.

I didn't even have you in mind when I posted that.

But perhaps posting every day that we wish he’d be playing in a lower level, when the coaching staff doesn't seem implied to do that.

Does seem a little obsessive at some point.

He's here, we gotta accept it.

This is a No1 overall player. With all it entails. We are being told in here to stop nitpicking over 6th rounders....and now we can't on a 1st overall....geez what's the rule here?

Again, no one is suggesting we shouldn't analyze his play.

It's just gone over the top…basically, unless he scores a goal, then this thread is a total shit show.

But again, not sure why you feel I was talking to you.…

 

[nhlfan9191]

I will gladly assume it if i am wrong.

Before this, can i double down any harder ? With the consensus so strong against me, im all in.

I don’t think you’re as outnumbered as you think. Then again, I’m looking at things from the other side as you so I’m quoting people who have opposing views to mine most of the time for debate. A lot of the arguments are on how Slafkovsky’s being developed, but it gets taken as hate towards the player. I can also tell you that it’s equally as frustrating that you have to worry about critiquing any of his play in fear of getting backlash. I’m sure it goes both ways which just shows how divided people are on this guy.

 

[1909]

Noah Juulsen, another player developed in Laval.

Too bad he received two pucks to the head the very same game....

 

[Andy]

Tough to do that on a Slafkovsky topic. Besides...is ''wishing we'd play him at a lower level'' nitpicking?

This is a No1 overall player. With all it entails. We are being told in here to stop nitpicking over 6th rounders....and now we can't on a 1st overall....geez what's the rule here?


Based on that....who do you send down if you can't based yourself on struggling at the highest level?

Who says that you can't develop in the AHL too? How about people like Kulich, Nemec etc. Who thinks they waster 1 year because they played in the AHL? Why is it that for some, the AHL seems to be hell on earth?

The problem with shift to shift analysis is that people get bogged down on these micro mistakes like all players are perfect and Slaf isn’t.

You know how many bad passes Suzuki and Caufield make a game? Plenty. No player is perfect every shift.

When looking at the game as a whole since the start of pre-season, Slaf is always among the better players globally even if he has individual shifts where he does nothing or makes a mistake.

You have to look at trends and the trend since last years camp is that Slaf is getting better as time progresses. He’s not stagnating and he’s not regressing. So everyone needs to walk back from the ledge and let the sample size grow.

 

[habdynasty]

I’m trying to remember which offensive players Laval has developed in the last decade, can they please develop a young goalie.

 

[Kennerback]

How is the AHL not a better situation than struggling in the NHL? Jiri Kulich is in the AHL...does it seem to affct his development?

Yes he’s struggled, but he doesn’t look out of place in the NHL. Perhaps not in the role everyone wants to see him to play... He might be better served in the AHL because it would stunt his full development, IDK. But he can easily pass for an NHL player.

 

[DAChampion]

Noah Juulsen, another player developed in Laval.

47 games?

Juulsen developed on the IR.

 

[salbutera]

I’m trying to remember which offensive players Laval has developed in the last decade, can they please develop a young goalie.

Which prospect regardless of positon has come up via AHL “development” in the last decade?

Answer: Gallagher

 

[417]

Based on that....who do you send down if you can't based yourself on struggling at the highest level?

Again, this needs more context…but “struggling” is not inherently a reason to demote a player.

This is the NHL, it's the toughest league in the world to play hockey in. Struggling IS part of the adjustment for MOST players.

Nick Suzuki still has stretches where he struggles, why wouldn't it be the same for Slafkovsky?

Because he was drafted 1st overall?

Who says that you can't develop in the AHL too? How about people like Kulich, Nemec etc. Who thinks they waster 1 year because they played in the AHL? Why is it that for some, the AHL seems to be hell on earth?

Sure you can develop in the AHL, I think most people think that's the only place you can if anything lol.

Kulich, Nemec…have had good starts to their AHL career.

Great for them.

When they get to the NHL, there's going to be another level of adjustment to make as well.

 

[Whitesnake]

The problem with shift to shift analysis is that people get bogged down on these micro mistakes like all players are perfect and Slaf isn’t.

You know how many bad passes Suzuki and Caufield make a game? Plenty. No player is perfect every shift.

When looking at the game as a whole since the start of pre-season, Slaf is always among the better players globally even if he has individual shifts where he does nothing or makes a mistake.

You have to look at trends and the trend since last years camp is that Slaf is getting better as time progresses. He’s not stagnating and he’s not regressing. So everyone needs to walk back from the ledge and let the sample size grow.

Well it's not about that for me. It's offensive positioning. It's still working on holding his head high. It's learning to shoot faster while not losing the aim. This guy plays like he's in juniors. Where he has time to shoot when he doesn't. He's not at NHL pace level. Not ONLY in his skating. But in his thinking.

What I don't want for him is to not lose his confidence. He'd go to a lesser level, learn to to have greater speed, fill the net, get his confidence back...and never look back starting next year or maybe even mid-year.

How in the world does a guy like Pacioretty can ASK to get his confidence going by going back to the AHL, but we shouldn't think it's a good idea to do the same with Slaf. I'm just stunned after the Galchy but mostly KK debacle that we, again, go down this road.

 

[Whitesnake]

Again, this needs more context…but “struggling” is not inherently a reason to demote a player.

This is the NHL, it's the toughest league in the world to play hockey in. Struggling IS part of the adjustment for MOST players.

Nick Suzuki still has stretches where he struggles, why wouldn't it be the same for Slafkovsky?

Because he was drafted 1st overall?

Sure you can develop in the AHL, I think most people think that's the only place you can if anything lol.

Kulich, Nemec…have had good starts to their AHL career.

Great for them.

When they get to the NHL, there's going to be another level of adjustment to make as well.

Suzuki never struggled with his IQ. Suzuki never had the expectations Slaf has. Yes, everybody struggles. But in itself, it's not what is the problem. It's where the struggles are.