Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[417]

It's not disingenuous. His deficiencies can be corrected. But they are glaring indeed at this point in time.

That's why some of us insist he should be sent in a more appropriate environement for him. Like the AHL. He'll have a better chance of developing the top end of his potential over there.

He's been rushed to the NHL. It's a costly mistake on a key investment. Being patient and methodical would require sending him down ASAP. They've already wasted 13-14 months of development time that Slafkovsky will never get back.

How can someone legitimately argue that playing/practicing against/with the best players in the world, with the best coaches in the world, in the best facilities in the world, is wasted development time.

Simply because he's not putting up the goals/assists that we want to see.

You can argue he should be in the AHL, I said as much a few days ago...but acting like the AHL is some magic developmental portal is madness and I can't believe so many people actually buy this crap.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Some of you want to act like some of us are just waiving pom poms incessantly when it comes to Slafkovsky.

But I'll bring to your attention a post I made after game 1, which Imo, was his best game of the season.

I wasn't jumping for joy then and I'm not acting like the world is ending today either.

Something for people like @Jeune Poulet and @ReHabs to chew on.

I'm chewing, I'm chewing.

I'm not acting like it's the end of the world, BTW. I'd just like a more methodical approach to develop a prized prospect.

You said in the post you refered to that you would know more what to think of Slaf in 10-15 games.

It's been 13 games. What do you think now?

 

[ReHabs]

Right, you didn’t call him a bust you just said he was ‘catestrophically deficient.”

This is what exactly people are taking about in terms of disingenuous debate. You dump on him endlessly and then say you never called him a bust. It’s completely dishonest.

Nothing disingenuous or bad faith here. To quote your famous line, quit your bullshit.

He is catastrophically deficient right now.
He is the worst performing top drafted forward of the last 20+ years.
He is not NHL ready.

None of this means we should close the book and cut our losses. In fact it would be the easiest thing to sit in this discussion and on Twitter and keep calling him a bust and saying that we should sell him before he loses more value. I’ve never done that.

 

[417]

I'm chewing, I'm chewing.

I'm not acting like it's the end of the world, BTW. I'd just like a more methodical approach to develop a prized prospect.

The approach IS methodical...it just lacks the "results" that fans/media typically and unilaterally associate with development, teams/coaches tend to have a broader view.

But it's absolutely foolish to think that he's spent the last 14 months playing/practicing with NHL players and that that time has been wasted.

You and others can't seriously believe that.

To even suggest that going to Laval to be coached by JF Houle and play and practice with guys who are MOSTLY career minor leaguers, will somehoe be MORE beneficial is wild to me.

Again, this is above and beyond where he should be playing right now, because i'll reiterate what I said a few days ago, based on how he's playing and more importantly, being used right now. I'd advocate for him to be in Laval, not because I think he's going to develop any faster down there but because I think he needs to be in situations where he's on the ice when the team is searching for a goal, or in a tie game...not benched the last 7 mins because the coach wants to "protect a tie".

But I will never, ever, buy the notion that going down to the minors will make him a better NHL player. I'm a big believer in "steel sharpens steel".

You said in the post you refered to that you would know more what to think of Slaf in 10-15 games.

It's been 13 games. What do you think now?

You must have missed my post where I touched on that very point.

Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

After his first game against the Leafs this yesr, I cautioned against getting too excited as i expected more peaks and valleys throughout this process. I said after 10-12 games they need to re-evaluate and so would I. Speaking right this moment…we’re not quite 10-12 games into it and its down...

forums.hfboards.com

I posted that about 1 week ago, and I still feel the same and it's not because I don't think Slafkovsky can play in the NHL, it's because it's clear to me that the coaching staff doesn't quite believe it.

 

[nhlfan9191]

As I said, it depends on who the debate is with and how it’s written out.

I totally get people who aren’t happy with the pick. He doesn’t have the track record others did, he’s not blue chip…. All valid criticisms. And he could very well bust.

I’d like to think though that we could at least wait and see on how he progresses. I don’t like how we’re developing him too and that’s a whole other issue. But the back and forth fanboy/hater stuff is crap and very tiring.

For the sanity of the fanbase, I wish they’d just go to plan B already and send him down.

 

[Sorinth]

If MSL doesn't trust Slafkovsky in the last ten minutes of the game then he shouldn't be in the NHL.

Well last game Slafkovksy did play in the last ten minutes of the game so what are you even talking about?

 

[Hacketts]

In a world far far from now, some may say a world not even in this dimension....

a slaf has risen

 

[LesCanadiens]

For the sanity of the fanbase, I wish they’d just go to plan B already and send him down.

Translation: To appease the nutbars.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

You can't be serious. Bro, the information is right infront of you.

I've read less than 10% of this entire thread and he's been called a bust, useless and a million other things.

I just spent 2 mins quickly skimming through two pages from a few weeks ago.

One post of a meme and one other poster said he was a bust. Currently he does pretty much suck. That doesn’t mean he will bust, that’s just where he is now.

I think his ceiling is 30/30 guy. The problem is that he is being developed in the wrong league.

 

[417]

For the sanity of the fanbase, I wish they’d just go to plan B already and send him down.

If the team is basing its decisions on treating the sanity of this fanbase...we're doomed.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Nothing disingenuous or bad faith here.

Okay…

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

For the sanity of the fanbase, I wish they’d just go to plan B already and send him down.

I was in favour of that at the beginning. At this point, I’d give him the ten games with our best players.

Good thing we’ve chosen now to split Suzuki and CC.

 

[nhlfan9191]

If the team is basing its decisions on treating the sanity of this fanbase...we're doomed.

I didn’t mean for that statement to come across as literal. Literally everyone would benefit from him going down to the AHL including Slafkovsky and the team that’s not comfortable using him in all situations and under a microscope.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

One post of a meme and one other poster said he was a bust. Currently he does pretty much suck. That doesn’t mean he will bust, that’s just where he is now.

I think his ceiling is 30/30 guy. The problem is that he is being developed in the wrong league.

I think overall we’re doing a good job of developing players.

It’s unfortunate that they’ve chosen MB tactics on this one prospect who we’ve drafted first overall. I cannot understand it.

 

[Ezpz]

One post of a meme and one other poster said he was a bust. Currently he does pretty much suck. That doesn’t mean he will bust, that’s just where he is now.

I think his ceiling is 30/30 guy. The problem is that he is being developed in the wrong league.

I think he was the wrong pick and that he has shown nothing to show he has elite skills, but that does not mean he is a bust. Relative to expectations, more likely than not at this point, but overall no. He will obviously improve over the next few years regardless, all players do from teenagers into adulthood.

Obviously I am super gloomy this season because I see the seeds, not the full blown garden, of failure starting to grow. I don't want to get Bergevind again. I am never going to trust another GM or management group until they prove otherwise. Even then, too early to say bust, not too early to say other choices would have been better.

 

[Heffyhoof]

I was in favour of that at the beginning. At this point, I’d give him the ten games with our best players.

Good thing we’ve chosen now to split Suzuki and CC.

I was hoping to see Monahan in between CC and Slaf, but I actually did think the split was a welcome change.

Another 10 games certainly won't be making or breaking Slaf. I think I had commented earlier in the season that something like 35-36 games would be a good measure to last season. That said, my patience is thinning every time I see him benched at the end of games and getting ~14 mins or less.

 

[River Meadow]

You could very well be right.

But… let’s at least wait and see. It’s all we can do. People write off KK as ‘Bambi’ and said he’d never go anywhere. Now hes 23 and turning into a pretty solid player. Close to a PPG without any PP time. Some players take longer.

Agreed.

We're in the very unique scenario I think.. of a ton of fans actually wanting and clamoring to give the kid time to develop.... which includes letting him cook in the AHL for 1-2-3 years if that's what it takes.

But management is like, nope, NHL for you, AND we bench you in the 3rd period and no OT play.

We have to hope they are right in this being the best for his development VS the more traditional way.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I was hoping to see Monahan in between CC and Slaf, but I actually did think the split was a welcome change.

Another 10 games certainly won't be making or breaking Slaf. I think I had commented earlier in the season that something like 35-36 games would be a good measure to last season. That said, my patience is thinning every time I see him benched at the end of games and getting ~14 mins or less.

I don’t know what they’re doing with him. I really don’t get it.

Play him on the first… okay, he has a good game. Next game? Break up a combo that’s been together for two years.

It just doesn’t make any sense and it’s straight out of the Therrien playbook.

 

[417]

I didn’t mean for that statement to come across as literal. Literally everyone would benefit from him going down to the AHL including Slafkovsky and the team that’s not comfortable using him in all situations and under a microscope.

I'll give you an example.

Take Filip Mesar...a few weeks ago, everyone was down on him because he was struggling making his mark and sticking with the Laval Rocket. JF Houle couldn't find him a spot in the lineup, he looked weak and overmatched in the AHL.

A few weeks later he's a dominant player (at least statistically) in the CHL, but has he truly developed as a result of playing at a lower level? Is he a different player today than he was 3 weeks ago when everyone and their mama was complaining about how much better Jiri Kulich looked and he was the guy they should have picked?

If Mesar goes on to have a 100+ point season in the CHL this season, does that mean he's ready for the NHL next year? if not, does that in itself guarantee that he'll be a dominant player in the AHL because he went down this year?

So when you say that "everyone would benefit from him going down to the AHL", i'm not entirely convinced of that. I think conceptually, you might be right, but in practicality...it's a lot more complex than just what level he's playing at.

 

[ReHabs]

Okay…

What is it when someone makes belligerent and inaccurate claims

Bullshit?

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

at least he looks OK (passable) since being on the top line compared to looking like a dog on that atrocious experiment MSL was trying with anderson and newhook

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'll give you an example.

Take Filip Mesar...a few weeks ago, everyone was down on him because he was struggling making his mark and sticking with the Laval Rocket. JF Houle couldn't find him a spot in the lineup, he looked weak and overmatched in the AHL.

A few weeks later he's a dominant player (at least statistically) in the CHL, but has he truly developed as a result of playing at a lower level? Is he a different player today than he was 3 weeks ago when everyone and their mama was complaining about how much better Jiri Kulich looked and he was the guy they should have picked?

If Mesar goes on to have a 100+ point season in the CHL this season, does that mean he's ready for the NHL next year? if not, does that in itself guarantee that he'll be a dominant player in the AHL because he went down this year?

So when you say that "everyone would benefit from him going down to the AHL", i'm not entirely convinced of that. I think conceptually, you might be right, but in practicality...it's a lot more complex than just what level he's playing at.

If you’re going to keep him up, okay. But I’d hope they do a much better job on that front. Keep him up? Alright, but play him with our best players. Give him every chance. If it doesn’t work, send him down.

I hate rushing an 18 year old and playing him in the 3rd line.

 

[417]

Agreed.

We're in the very unique scenario I think.. of a ton of fans actually wanting and clamoring to give the kid time to develop.... which includes letting him cook in the AHL for 1-2-3 years if that's what it takes.

But management is like, nope, NHL for you, AND we bench you in the 3rd period and no OT play.

We have to hope they are right in this being the best for his development VS the more traditional way.

How often, in 2023, does a prospect...a high 1st round pick mind you, spend up to 3 full years in the AHL?

 

[417]

If you’re going to keep him up, okay. But I’d hope they do a much better job on that front. Keep him up? Alright, but play him with our best players. Give him every chance. If it doesn’t work, send him down.

I hate rushing an 18 year old and playing him in the 3rd line.

Agreed 100% and this is where I wonder if there's a disconnect between what the coach wants (to win games) and what management wants (development).

I don't buy into the commonly repeated proverb that "the NHL is not a developmental league", I think that's a cop out for coaches who are afraid to play young players.

But we do have a lot of young players currently on this team developing as we speak (Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Barron, Suzuki, Caufield), maybe this is one project too many for the coach to handle?

note - yes Suzuki and Caufield are still developing players.

 

[River Meadow]

How often, in 2023, does a prospect...a high 1st round pick mind you, spent up to 3 full years in the AHL?

Y'all musta forgot about Slafkovsky favorite comparable, Tage Thompson.