Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yeah, it really showed in the results.

He seemed to improve as the season wore on. Until mid December. And then the entire team cratered.

4 goals and 10 points in his first 24 games was actually a pretty decent pace. That averages out to 14 goals and 34 points over 82. I think we'd all have been happy with that.

From Dec 15th onward? ZERO points. In that stretch the team went 5-9-1. Outscored 32-58. We barely averaged 2 goals a game. Caufield scored a quarter of our goals over that stretch.

You can say - we shouldn't look at only the good and not the bad. Fair enough. But it's unfair to expect a rookie playing on the 3rd line to save this tire fire of a club when it's in a downspin like that. To put it in perspective, Nick Suzuki only managed two goals and seven points over that same stretch.

Again, I agree he should've been in the AHL. I don't know what he gains by being on that tire fire at the end. But it's unfair to say he didn't do anything last year. He was actually pretty decent until the whole team crashed. A 34 point 14 goal season while playing on the 3rd line is something that I'd have been more than satisfied with. 0 over 82? Not so much.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Like I said, anyone is NHL ready if the standard is that they do f*** all.

Don't dodge. Yes or no? Was it better to have Suzuki on the 4th with the hope he would soon outperform Flynn?

 

[Jaynki]

Don't dodge. Yes or no? Was it better to have Suzuki on the 4th with the hope he would soon outperform Flynn?

Having 15 points in 39 games despite being 2 years older than Slaf when he did so contributed to lower his ceiling and progression a lot imo.

Had he played one year in the AHL. He would be a 100 points player by now.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Having 15 points in 39 games despite being 2 years older than Slaf when he did so contributed to lower his ceiling and progression a lot imo.

Had he played one year in the AHL. He would be a 100 points player by now.

Better: three years, and step right in as captain.

 

[Kennerback]

For the same reason someone describe Cooley as an Erik Haula clone i guess

Which begs the question, who’s better: Erik Haula or Dainius Zubrus?

 

[Jaynki]

Why is it so difficult to just let a player show they can dominate at a given level before progressing to the next level? I thought this was accepted best practice?
Let Slaf cook in the AHL until he has nothing left to learn there. Then, he can learn the NHL game in the NHL.

Highway to the Peter principle

Better: three years, and step right in as captain.

There was a lot of leadership to learn down there. Im sure Alexandre Alain, Riley Barber and Charles Hudon would have been great mentor for him.

I mean, look at those AHL line up. Its all full of great NHLers who had a lot of quality development times!

 

[le_sean]

It’s obvious why he’s in the NHL - it’s because they want Marty to coach him and the top trainers to work with him. Laval doesn’t really have a great track record. Look at what trust and good coaching did to Dach, who I’d argue was even more of a project than Slafkovsky when drafted. People just need to be patient.

 

[Jaynki]

It’s obvious why he’s in the NHL - it’s because they want Marty to coach him and the top trainers to work with him. Laval doesn’t really have a great track record. Look at what trust and good coaching did to Dach, who I’d argue was even more of a project than Slafkovsky when drafted. People just need to be patient.

Stating the obvious.

Sometimes you have a Jake Evans or an RHP that emerge from the AHL. But apart from them, who also are depth player, which players developped down there and became an impact player?

The answer is none(from our organisation, there is outlier elsewhere tho) because these impact player majoritarely are in the NHL in their D+2 or D+3.

NB : My bad tho, Subban and Pacioretty had AHL times.

 

[le_sean]

Stating the obvious.

Sometimes you have a Jake Evans or an RHP that emerge from the AHL. But apart from them, who also are depth player, which players developped down there and became an impact player?

The answer is none(from our organisation, there is outlier elsewhere tho) because these impact player majoritarely are in the NHL in their D+2 or D+3.

NB : My bad tho, Subban and Pacioretty had AHL times.

I knew Evans and RHP would come up, but offensively speaking, they aren’t very talented, they just work harder than everyone else and have a specific niche. Laval seems to focus on work ethic and defensive ability. But getting talented players to just work on their skills? Doesn’t seem to happen.

 

[Jaynki]

I knew Evans and RHP would come up, but offensively speaking, they aren’t very talented, they just work harder than everyone else and have a specific niche. Laval seems to focus on work ethic and defensive ability. But getting talented players to just work on their skills? Doesn’t seem to happen.

Talented players are not in the AHL unless they are european 18YO

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It’s obvious why he’s in the NHL - it’s because they want Marty to coach him and the top trainers to work with him. Laval doesn’t really have a great track record. Look at what trust and good coaching did to Dach, who I’d argue was even more of a project than Slafkovsky when drafted. People just need to be patient.

MSL is a good coach but it's a more challenging environment. I think if we'd put him in the minors last year he'd have dominated.

As it was he seemed to be coming along. But it was an uneven year. And of course the team tanked... why would we want him to be part of that? I'm not sure what you learn when your team is getting killed.

He wasn't the black hole that some say but it wasn't an even season either. Part of that is where he's at in his career but this was the wrong place for him to be learning.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Stating the obvious.

Sometimes you have a Jake Evans or an RHP that emerge from the AHL. But apart from them, who also are depth player, which players developped down there and became an impact player?

The answer is none(from our organisation, there is outlier elsewhere tho) because these impact player majoritarely are in the NHL in their D+2 or D+3.

NB : My bad tho, Subban and Pacioretty had AHL times.

Subban was drafted 45th and had obvious holes in his game.

Pacioretty was drafted 22nd, did a year in the NCAA, then did half a season at 19 yo in Hamilton, then was brought up at barely 20 to play bottom line.

After about a year, when he couldn't hack it and was about to be sent back down, Mr. Ego came up with the "it's my own idea to go down" thing. Gullible people bought it, but fact is he was not producing at an average 4th line level. OF COURSE he was not gonig to be gifted 2nd line status.

After he came back up a year later, he started on the 4th line again, as did Desharnais by the way.

It's a complete fairytale that most very high draft picks play in the AHL for a full season or more and then go straight to the top 2 lines in the NHL.

The actual list of guys who have to play in the AHL is comprised of the slighly less-performing guys from among the top picks. The top picks almost alweays benefit from starting in the NHL. Not allm but most, DO handle things and get better fairly fast..

 

[Jaynki]

Subban was drafted 45th and had obvious holes in his game.

Pacioretty was drafted 22nd, did a year in the NCAA, then did half a season at 19 yo in Hamilton, then was brought up at barely 20 to play bottom line.

After about a year, when he couldn't hack it and was about to be sent back down, Mr. Ego came up with the "it's my own idea to go down" thing. Gullible people bought it, but fact is he was not producing at an average 4th line level. OF COURSE he was not gonig to be gifted 2nd line status.

After he came back up a year later, he started on the 4th line again, as did Desharnais by the way.

It's a complete fairytale that most very high draft picks play in the AHL for a full season or more and then go straight to the top 2 lines in the NHL.

The actual list of guys who have to play in the AHL is comprised of the slighly less-performing guys from among the top picks. The top picks almost alweays benefit from starting in the NHL. Not allm but most, DO handle things and get better fairly fast..

I mean, it seems obvious when looking at AHL line-up that real, top half of the line-up NHL talent dont really sniff that league. Its not 100% and some players will emerge from it but its really a league for fringe NHLer and back-up players.

 

[morhilane]

I mean, it seems obvious when looking at AHL line-up that real, top half of the line-up NHL talent dont really sniff that league. Its not 100% and some players will emerge from it but its really a league for fringe NHLer and back-up players.

And 18 years old EU players without a contract in a EU league and considered too good for the CHL.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

Talented players are not in the AHL unless they are european 18YO

That's just... factually untrue.

I mean, it seems obvious when looking at AHL line-up that real, top half of the line-up NHL talent dont really sniff that league. Its not 100% and some players will emerge from it but its really a league for fringe NHLer and back-up players.

Are you being facetious, here, because that's disconnected from historical reality?

 

[Jaynki]

That's just... factually untrue.


Are you being facetious, here, because that's disconnected from historical reality?

Which AHLers excites you ? D+1 excluded. (Nemec, Jiricek obviously who will both plays NHL D+2)

NCAA stars goes right to the NHL when they sign. Junior stars make it directly to the NHL D+3. European can't play in the AHL if they are not 1st RD pick so they go straight to NHL too.

Those who has to play there majoritarely becomes depth players NHL if they make it in the end. Its a sad, sad league.(Except the D+1 european 1st round pick.)

 

[Tanknation]

Slaf is better in pretty much every other faucet of hockey

Strenght
Shot
Physicality
Forecheck
Outmuscling NHL D
Creating turnover
Etc. Etc.

Yea he is better at things that make for a decent 4th line grinder, not a 1 pick.

Out muscling NHL D? Creating turnovers? That is new to me. Shot. Not even sure if it's better than Cooley's at this point.

 

[Jaynki]

Yea he is better at things that make for a decent 4th line grinder, not a 1 pick.

Do you realise those thing are subjective and only highlight bias?

I would argue that Cooley is faster and more agile than Matthew Tkachuk. What does that tell you?

That tells you that you are just f***ing biased.

 

[Goldenhands]

Canadiens' Slafkovsky unbothered by critics, continuing to progress

On Wednesday evening, in a 4-3 win over the Senators, Slafkovsky appeared as unflappable handling the physical pressure of a rugged Senators lineup as he did handling the posts about his Monday shifts against the New Jersey Devils.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[River Meadow]

Canadiens' Slafkovsky unbothered by critics, continuing to progress

On Wednesday evening, in a 4-3 win over the Senators, Slafkovsky appeared as unflappable handling the physical pressure of a rugged Senators lineup as he did handling the posts about his Monday shifts against the New Jersey Devils.

www.sportsnet.ca

Imagine if he said, "Yes I am bothered by the critics, they hurt my feelings"

 

[River Meadow]

Lower your expectations and suddenly you’ll see the Habs GM never makes a mistake

Everyone who is OKAY with Slaf's progression and how the Habs are developing him (including if they decide to keep him in the NHL again this full year):

 

[BaseballCoach]

Everyone who is OKAY with Slaf's progression and how the Habs are developing him (including if they decide to keep him in the NHL again this full year):

The narrative is kind of backwards. The lowered expectations are not BECAUSE of having Slaf in the NHL.

The lowered expectations compared to a 1OA like Matthews, Stamkos simply needs to happen.

THEN, the question is: will the progression be faster or slower playing in the NHL?

Usually, it's faster, once the player can handle the entry level of the league.

Does anyone here think that if Brady Tkachuk had finished his full 4 years in the NCAA, he would have started his rookie NHL season as captain of the Senators?

Or if Stutzle took the route people here are wanting for Reinbacher - i.e. one year in Europe (Germany) then one year in Belleville, that he would have scored more than the 90 points he got last year -BUT AS A ROOKIE! I mean, it should be a slam dunk due to the better, less rushed development path, right?

 

[Frank Drebin]

Do you realise those thing are subjective and only highlight bias?

I would argue that Cooley is faster and more agile than Matthew Tkachuk. What does that tell you?

That tells you that you are just f***ing biased.

Brady tkachuk showed flashes of dominance and scored 45 points as a rookie.

Saw you were talking about Matthew, who scored 48 points.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Brady tkachuk showed flashes of dominance and scored 45 points as a rookie.

No kidding.

Thank Price he got the chance despite not having "dominated" his league the previous season (just 8 goals).

 

[SOLR]

I wish we could transplant Cam Neely's brain in Slaf.