Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[NORiculous]

Imagine being Ylonen and you're great out there but some guy that's awkwardly skating and barely able to handle the puck gets twice as much ice time because of his draft rank a year and a half ago.

This is the type of stuff that players hate and/or will reflect on there play. It doesn’t matter if it’s a couple of time but the players know and remember.

The fact that most are young is probably not as bad though. I’m sure MSL is fully aware of this. So he is juggling with it.

 

[Miller Time]

How do you say the process has been excellent when he had 20 points last year and is on pace for less this year. Why does Hughes or coaching deserve credit for that? It stinks. There is a optimal route and we’re not taking it. The Rangers taking a Russian bust doesn’t make what we’re doing smart. He’s looked better the last few games because he’s playing with our top forwards now. But he’s still not producing.

You missed the point entirely.

 

[jfm133]

This big kid is so obviously not ready for the NHL. He would not dominate like Roy in the AHL, stawise not even close, but Roy is happy to be in the AHL because he knows it's good for him to take it step by step, but it would not be good for Slaf. This decision by HuGo last year and again this year is their worst by far since they took over. Also, it sends a bad message to the other players that need to win their roster spot.

 

[River Meadow]

This big kid is so obviously not ready for the NHL. He would not dominate like Roy in the AHL, stawise not even close, but Roy is happy to be in the AHL because he knows it's good for him to take it step by step, but it would not be good for Slaf. This decision by HuGo last year and again this year is their worst by far since they took over. Also, it sends a bad message to the other players that need to win their roster spot.

Good point.

To their credit, the old management group always believed letting the players sort themselves out with their play.

Even KK got sent to the AHL when he sucked.

To keep Slaf up regardless of his play is not fair to anyone on the team.

 

[EtLeBut2]

Even if you disagree that he never should have been drafted that high and management fell in love with his height and a week of play in a glorified shimmy tournament, this is some atrocious development, even worse than what we saw during the Bergevin years.

He's absolutely not an NHL player right now and is taking away opportunity from better players.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Btw, no one is expecting or hoping for a breakout this year, whst ppl want to see is progress. 40 points would have been a good number to hit.

We can all carry on like having a worse ppg and lousy production is the progress we were hoping for, but it’s not what anyone was hoping for or even expecting.

We are debating which developmental path puts Slaf in the best position to succeed. It doesn’t mean he’s a bust or will bust, but we aren’t doing him any favours. Dismissing his lack of production and still claiming we made the right choice here is bs.

Totally with everyone who says we wasted last year. Also with anyone who says we wasted the first ten or so games of this season.

But there is a big improvement in play since being moved up. I don’t care about the points right now. I care about the improvement in play. He’s been really good and the production should be there. It will come if he constitutes this way - just as it will for Caufield.

It's hard to argue with that, tbh.

Not really.

 

[No More Subban]

it's time. send him down. ive defended him all season but without dach, it's just not working right now. can always call him up when he gets it going with laval.

 

[calder candidate]

it's time. send him down. ive defended him all season but without dach, it's just not working right now. can always call him up when he gets it going with laval.

Also if Xhekaj out guy won’t think twice if there able to catch him with is head down… He was drafted to be a 1st line player not a avg top 9 he need to learn to dominate

 

[Heffyhoof]

Imagine being Ylonen and you're great out there but some guy that's awkwardly skating and barely able to handle the puck gets twice as much ice time because of his draft rank a year and a half ago.

Imagine using the fact a 4th liner with some upside got his 2nd and 3rd point of the season as ammunition in an endless crusade of whining about how the team didn't pick Wright Cooley.

 

[G0bias]

Totally with everyone who says we wasted last year. Also with anyone who says we wasted the first ten or so games of this season.

But there is a big improvement in play since being moved up. I don’t care about the points right now. I care about the improvement in play. He’s been really good and the production should be there. It will come if he constitutes this way - just as it will for Caufield.


Not really.

I think he'll continue to have these "improved" games here and there, all while never really putting any points up.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

still waiting what he improved since the preseason and to last season.

Literally no changes in his gameplay.

 

[cave troll]

0 SOG again.
1 step forward,3 steps backwards.

 

[OldCraig71]

He is having a hard time dealing with the speed of the game, when he gets the puck he is a step behind in his decision-making and usually turns it over. A slower paced game might help him develop some confidence. We could send him to Laval and bring up Roy for a few games, would it be a bad thing at this point?

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

He is having a hard time dealing with the speed of the game, when he gets the puck he is a step behind in his decision-making and usually turns it over. A slower paced game might help him develop some confidence. We could send him to Laval and bring up Roy for a few games, would it be a bad thing at this point?

id keep Roy in the AHL and just play Armia instead. While Slaf plays with Roy in the AHL.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

still waiting what he improved since the preseason and to last season.

Literally no changes in his gameplay.

It’s too nuanced for you to ever comprehend. I can send you a link through DM if you want?

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

It’s too nuanced for you to ever comprehend. I can send you a link through DM if you want?

There is nothing to comprehend. There is nothing better of what he does.
His defensive plays are invisible
He's scared to use his body
He's always 1-2 sec too late with the puck.
He gets bodied way too easily , with his size he should be the one bodying people.

What don't you understand that this kid place right now is not in the NHL but in the AHL?

He averages 15min a game this season , even gets #2 PP time. What else do we need that he's simply not ready? Why are you all so scared to send him in the AHL to learn , why do people think the AHL is a prison or what? Many players learned in the AHL. Not everyone is NHL ready.

He's on pace for 15 points this season , do people not have any standards anymore? We sent other players for less in the last years , why not Slaf? The coach don't even know what to do with him to begin with.

Do we need another 230 pages to go around it? Pezetta is a bigger menace than him at this point and last time I checked , Pezetta is barely a regular in the NHL.

 

[sandviper]

I think he'll continue to have these "improved" games here and there, all while never really putting any points up.

He won’t so long as his linemate is being outscored by players like Drouin, Hoffman, Chiarot…

 

[cave troll]

Those damned linemates destroying the new Ovechkin. Grrrrr, damn them !!!

 

[DAChampion]

If the Habs' can't construct the roster in a way that gives Slafkovsky adequate linemates, then they should send him to the AHL.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

0 SOG again.
1 step forward,3 steps backwards.

2 steps forward, 1 step back.

 

[morhilane]

If the Habs' can't construct the roster in a way that gives Slafkovsky adequate linemates, then they should send him to the AHL.

And who would you play him with on the AHL?

 

[ReHabs]

And who would you play him with on the AHL?

The idea is that it shouldn't matter with whom he plays -- that he'd be skilled and capable enough to be The Man on whatever line and on the whole AHL roster. Maybe not immediately but within a few games.

If you need to mollycoddle him even in the AHL... I'm not sure what to say. I think Kent Hughes is afraid of this too. A 1OA who's had 50+ NHL game experience and has been enjoying hand-holding from Martin St. Louis... we should not be afraid of the AHL...

In this poll I voted Europe, btw. For good reason.

 

[Naslundforever]

How do you say the process has been excellent when he had 20 points last year and is on pace for less this year. Why does Hughes or coaching deserve credit for that? It stinks. There is a optimal route and we’re not taking it. The Rangers taking a Russian bust doesn’t make what we’re doing smart. He’s looked better the last few games because he’s playing with our top forwards now. But he’s still not producing.

Dvorak the « Offensive dynamo launcher of careers ».

His ups and downs are quite contrasted. Looks unstoppable a few strides then looks scared and lost. I’ll take what he has as it comes. He’s not getting concussed.

 

[Naslundforever]

The idea is that it shouldn't matter with whom he plays -- that he'd be skilled and capable enough to be The Man on whatever line and on the whole AHL roster. Maybe not immediately but within a few games.

If you need to mollycoddle him even in the AHL... I'm not sure what to say. I think Kent Hughes is afraid of this too. A 1OA who's had 50+ NHL game experience and has been enjoying hand-holding from Martin St. Louis... we should not be afraid of the AHL...

In this poll I voted Europe, btw. For good reason.

He’d need vets down there that get the « concepts » and are easy to read IMO… I don’t follow the Rocket enough I just watch the Roy highlights.

Heard or read a quote (from Hughes?) they tell their prospects to push it offensively, gain swagger, to not care about mistakes… Maybe that’s all he needs Too.

 

[ReHabs]

He’d need vets down there that get the « concepts » and are easy to read IMO… I don’t follow the Rocket enough I just watch the Roy highlights.

Heard or read a quote (from Hughes?) they tell their prospects to push it offensively, gain swagger, to not care about mistakes… Maybe that’s all he needs Too.

If that's how the AHL team is run, then even better for Slaf. Let him work on what he should work on. The two-way defensive stuff is less important -- a forward needs to produce points, and a winger with size needs to learn to use his size to produce points. Dude is too far behind the play and that hasn't changed since last year no matter how much hype some commentators want to pour on.