Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Fish on The Sand]

It's EMBARRASSING to see Habs fans taking part in this poll and almost 60 percent of them STILL want him to be playing elsewhere than the NHL. Anyone who has not changed his negative vote has some 'splaining to do.

It's embarrassing that you don't know how polls work.

 

[Miller Time]

“But that’s not what Slafkovský was proudest of after the game. It was his board play, his ability to maintain possession along the walls, take contact, win some time because of his big frame and make a play. He did it over and over again, and that’s because this is the exact area of focus for the Canadiens coaching staff right now.

I just feel like those wall plays and those little plays that at the beginning of the season I wasn’t making, they just come more natural right now,” he said. “I was looking at so much video with Adam working on it, with Marty working on it, and now I’m starting to feel confident in those situations. So it just feels better overall.”

Adam is Canadiens director of hockey development Adam Nicholas, and Marty is obviously coach Martin St. Louis. Both of them spend a lot of time watching video with Slafkovský to, as he described it, slowly build his game, adapt it to North America and give him the situational knowledge to make the best use of his gifts.

Considering how much video Slafkovský is already mandated to watch, what makes the latest focus on wall play more revealing is it was something Slafkovský initiated himself.

He wanted more video.

“At the beginning of the season, we were doing more of where should I be on the ice, and then slowly adding things like wall play, how to position yourself better when you’re receiving a puck, and so I continue building my game,” he said. “If they throw everything at me at once, I’ll be lost. So, it’s happening slowly. That’s why maybe at the beginning I was kind of lost on the walls and stuff, but we were building it and I knew it was going to come.

“I could see it myself that I wasn’t good enough on the walls, so I asked for them to show me something, show me how the other guys are doing it. I watch my game a lot.”


Now I'm no expert, but it sure sounds and looks like what's happening here, is that thing that people keep repeating doesn't and can't happen in the NHL.

Hidden in plain sight all along

Despite the team and player being about as explicit about it as they could, some around here just couldn't see it or understand it. To je to

 

[BaseballCoach]

It's embarrassing that you don't know how polls work.

People can change their votes until the poll is closed. Almost no one did. I think now it is finally locked ibhn.

 

[ReHabs]

Hidden in plain sight all along

Despite the team and player being about as explicit about it as they could, some around here just couldn't see it or understand it. To je to

Every prospect says this during their development phase. Slafkovsky is more explicit about it because it is commonly understood he started very raw and underprepared.

Those of us who wanted him to develop elsewhere will never know if it would've helped or hurt. The ship has sailed. Gloat all you want, since you've personally accomplished so much, but the rest of us will be rooting for Slaf to be the best player he can be.

 

[pepperMonkey]

Smdh

I worked really hard on that analogy man.

You had to come in here all high and mighty with your sound financial advice.

Bahaha, I apologize.

If I had looked at the analogy from the perspective of what you were trying to say, I think I wouldn't have said anything and agreed with you.

Sadly I just saw it from a investing pov and well, yeah, I couldn't not say anything

My bad

 

[Fish on The Sand]

People can change their votes until the poll is closed. Almost no one did. I think now it is finally locked ibhn.

I think you're taking the Internet too seriously if you think people are going to change their vote on an inconsequential online poll posted a couple months ago.

 

[River Meadow]

Anyone who was questioning Bobrov look like a dang f()()l right about now.

 

[Jack Skellington]

Anyone who was questioning Bobrov look like a dang f()()l right about now.

Might be better for both sides to just give it a couple years instead of both sides making smug comments every time he has a good/bad game.

 

[Jaynki]

Every prospect says this during their development phase. Slafkovsky is more explicit about it because it is commonly understood he started very raw and underprepared.

Those of us who wanted him to develop elsewhere will never know if it would've helped or hurt. The ship has sailed. Gloat all you want, since you've personally accomplished so much, but the rest of us will be rooting for Slaf to be the best player he can be.

In all honesty and very genuinely, i think it was a false debate from the get go.

Plenty of examples demonstrate but also negate both views on the subject.

Honestly where Slafkovsky has spent his D+1 season will not have any lasting impact to his career.

His talent level, ultimate upside, personality, athletism, commitment, etc. are all way more important variable then where he spend his D+1 and they are independant of in which league he plays in D+1.

Anyone who was questioning Bobrov look like a dang f()()l right about now.

Hockey historian and @cave trolls in shambles.

 

[River Meadow]

Might be better for both sides to just give it a couple years instead of both sides making smug comments every time he has a good/bad game.

That would be the most boring option tho

 

[cave troll]

Hockey historian and @cave trolls in shambles.

Bro, I'm deep depression after I realized we didn't drat the new Chad Kilger or the new Alex Ovechkin.
We drafted better ..a kid who hits like Kilger and scores like Ovechkin !!!!

 

[BLONG7]

A work in progress, where if we are being honest we have seen some strides forward, most games he has played. Most........

I am still under the impression he should have been in the AHL last year, and this should have been his first NHL year.................it's all a moot point now.....

Once again, patience is a challenge here, but I do think he is going to be a good NHL forward in time.

A work in progress, where if we are being honest we have seen some strides forward, most games he has played. Most........

I am still under the impression he should have been in the AHL last year, and this should have been his first NHL year.................it's all a moot point now.....

Once again, patience is a challenge here, but I do think he is going to be a good NHL forward in time.

 

[ReHabs]

In all honesty and very genuinely, i think it was a false debate from the get go.

Plenty of examples demonstrate but also negate both views on the subject.

Honestly where Slafkovsky has spent his D+1 season will not have any lasting impact to his career.

His talent level, ultimate upside, personality, athletism, commitment, etc. are all way more important variable then where he spend his D+1 and they are independant of in which league he plays in D+1.

Many of us were rightfully fearful of rushing (to the ruin of) yet another high draft pick. Kotkaniemi was a project and his tenure with the Habs was problematic in many ways.

Where Slaf spent his D+1 might not matter but how his development is handled certainly matters. MSL is clearly giving him a friendlier ride than Therrien gave Galchenyuk and Julien gave Kotkaniemi -- so if that's the one lens through which to see things, I can certainly understand why you'd (the general, collective you) think Slafkovsky is in good hands.

On the other hand, there are a lot of issues to his game. I've re-assessed and figured out why it is we claim to see different things. I think he needs to (1) improve his playmaking (and I've said so all along) -- that encompasses Hockey IQ, Tunnel Vision, and partially production as well -- but he also needs to (2) adapt to NHL speeds and (3) improve leveraging his frame. Most people seem to refer to the latter two when they claim Slafkovsky is coming along... and they would be right. He is coming along for sure. If he improves (2) he'll have more chance to improve (1) and, likewise, if he improves (3) he'll clearly improve his ability to make plays (1). With that said, in all circumstances he'll always have to improve his playmaking -- something which remains a player flaw since he was a prospect.

I thought he would improve his playmaking more and faster in the AHL (more TOI, easier opposition, etc.) but that's not going to happen so let's just move on. If he doesn't improve... well, he'll be very limited as an NHLer. Let's hope that we have cause to celebrate.

 

[DAChampion]

Where Slaf spent his D+1 might not matter but how his development is handled certainly matters. MSL is clearly giving him a friendlier ride than Therrien gave Galchenyuk and Julien gave Kotkaniemi -- so if that's the one lens through which to see things, I can certainly understand why you'd (the general, collective you) think Slafkovsky is in good hands.

It says a lot about the new management that the Habs have not acquired players like Desharnais/Weal/Thompson to bury Slafkovsky on either the 4th line or the bench.

 

[ReHabs]

It says a lot about the new management that the Habs have not acquired players like Desharnais/Weal/Thompson to bury Slafkovsky on either the 4th line or the bench.

It's a very low bar to clear, but sure. No one can accuse MSL of being unfriendly toward Slaf. Even if he didn't play Slaf in OT or late in a close game, he's never punished Slaf like we've seen the previous dopey coaches do to youngsters.

 

[Anardil]

So you are blaming me for calling the picks right 2 yrs in a row? Keep doubting Slaf and Reinbacher, I will have the last laugh anyway...

We as Habs fans better hope that Slaf has a Byfield type of development path, beacause as of now, he's trending to be amongst the worst 1st over all picks in the history of the entry draft.

I don't see how any fan who is being honest with himself can be happy with what we have seen so far with Slafkovsky.

 

[Jaynki]

We as Habs fans better hope that Slaf has a Byfield type of development path, beacause as of now, he's trending to be amongst the worst 1st over all picks in the history of the entry draft.

I don't see how any fan who is being honest with himself can be happy with what we have seen so far with Slafkovsky.

He is in advance over Byfield.

He is disappointing relative to former 1st ov picks, its fact.

He is on par with other top 3 picks from past draft.

It was known that 2022 had no "true 1st overall" talent.

 

[Mrb1p]

He is in advance over Byfield.

He is disappointing relative to former 1st ov picks, its fact.

He is on par with other top 3 picks from past draft.

It was known that 2022 had no "true 1st overall" talent.

Yeah he's ahead of Byfield. In his d+2, he's pacing for a whole point more than Byfield had in 40 games.

No he's not ahead, he's pretty much at the same place as Byfield in his d+2.

 

[admiralcadillac]

It's a very low bar to clear, but sure. No one can accuse MSL of being unfriendly toward Slaf. Even if he didn't play Slaf in OT or late in a close game, he's never punished Slaf like we've seen the previous dopey coaches do to youngsters.

He did play slaf in the final minutes and OT not two games ago...

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

People can change their votes until the poll is closed. Almost no one did. I think now it is finally locked ibhn.

No. I set up that poll. You can’t change your vote.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It says a lot about the new management that the Habs have not acquired players like Desharnais/Weal/Thompson to bury Slafkovsky on either the 4th line or the bench.

I’d say it says more about the old regime that they used to do this. So incredibly dumb.

Said it before and I’ll say it again, no doubt that Joshua Roy would’ve been on our 4th line by now getting five minutes a night under MT/MB. Huston probably would’ve been called up too.

 

[Sorinth]

It says a lot about the new management that the Habs have not acquired players like Desharnais/Weal/Thompson to bury Slafkovsky on either the 4th line or the bench.

I mean they did acquire Dadonov last year and this year got Pearson. There was also Pitlick, Tierny, Gurianov, and others besides. The difference is that management actually has a development plan in place and are following it regardless of what fringe flavour of the week players are doing. Under Bergevin if there ever was a plan it was the first thing thrown out the window.

And you'll see the whole useless vets preventing young guys from getting a chance theme in the Ylonen thread so it's not like everything's perfect either.

 

[DAChampion]

And you'll see the whole useless vets preventing young guys from getting a chance theme in the Ylonen thread so it's not like everything's perfect either.

Ylonen isn't as important and isn't being blocked for as long, at least not yet.

 

[Goldthorpe]

We should just re-do the poll. With a new main thread. You know better how that works than I, but we should do it.

 

[BaseballCoach]

No. I set up that poll. You can’t change your vote.

I thought I saw votes changed earlier than this past week, but if this is not the case, then I stand corrected.