Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Tabarouette]

Vaguely better, lol.

he's producing a little better and is a little more active but he's still extremely bad at a lot of things. Still takes way to long to make decisions, turns the puck over like I do in my hockey balle league, still gets caught out of position nonstop, it's not just a scoresheet problem bud

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Kid has been doing vaguely better the past couple of games but the idea of putting him in the same sentence as Rantanen or Hughes is still so wild to me

I think we need to organize a holiday event at La Cage and hire a professional hockey speaker to go over some video sequences of those guys during those "struggle" seasons vs Slaf

put that on Seb's tab

Nobody expects him to be Hughes. Taking points from a first season and extrapolating it into what a player will do in the future is wrongheaded. And that’s especially true when you don’t factor in usage.

Players develop at different paces. The important thing is to see improvement. We’re seeing it now.

he's producing a little better and is a little more active but he's still extremely bad at a lot of things. Still takes way to long to make decisions, turns the puck over like I do in my hockey balle league, still gets caught out of position nonstop, it's not just a scoresheet problem bud

Some of it is to be expected. I think we probably brought him up too early last year but he’s so much better since being moved up.

 

[Kennerback]

Kid has been doing vaguely better the past couple of games but the idea of putting him in the same sentence as Rantanen or Hughes is still so wild to me

I think we need to organize a holiday event at La Cage and hire a professional hockey speaker to go over some video sequences of those guys during those "struggle" seasons vs Slaf

put that on Seb's tab

IDK what Rantanen or any superior point producer has to do with Slaf. Slaf looks definitely better on the eye test. But he’s still not shaken his chronic inability to produce points. Habs need to hire an assistant whose only task is following Slaf around repeating the word « shoot ».

 

[Captain97]

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.

This is what people need to understand in most drafts Slaf goes 3-4. It was bad luck we got the 1st overall the year with no true 1st overall picks rather 3-5 picks that would normally go 3rd overall. just means we got our pick of those guys all in a similar tier.

 

[DAChampion]

Flashbacks of this thread will make me smirk if the Habs' draft 6'7 unicorn Anton Silayev in 2024.

 

[River Meadow]

he's producing a little better and is a little more active but he's still extremely bad at a lot of things. Still takes way to long to make decisions, turns the puck over like I do in my hockey balle league, still gets caught out of position nonstop, it's not just a scoresheet problem bud

Slafkovsky is carrying the mail lately.

No one else wants to carry it, so he steps up as the 'Mail Man'.

 

[Egresch]

Slafkovsky is carrying the mail lately.

No one else wants to carry it, so he steps up as the 'Mail Man'.

I know what you are saying
But lets be honest, guys were drinking on a roadtrip and he is the only one who stayed sober, because he is under 21

 

[Paddy17]

How young is this staff?? I'm not even 35 and none of this is strange haha

Chester works at Zara, that's why.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I know what you are saying
But lets be honest, guys were drinking on a roadtrip and he is the only one who stayed sober, because he is under 21

The fact that Slaf is too young to drink in the US is actually pretty hilarious

 

[Goldthorpe]

Flashbacks of this thread will make me smirk if the Habs' draft 6'7 unicorn Anton Silayev in 2024.

... first overall.

 

[Sorinth]

Flashbacks of this thread will make me smirk if the Habs' draft 6'7 unicorn Anton Silayev in 2024.

I haven't gotten to know the potential picks all that well yet so take it with a grain of salt but I'm feeling the hype for 6'5 Cayden Lindstrom.

If it were to all pan out a Lindstrom - Dach - Slafkovsky line would be an absolute nightmare to face in the playoffs.

 

[NORiculous]

Slaf following develop curve of Hughes or Rantanen.

Don’t be deceived by that stats sheet. If you had watched just a little of Rantanen when he started out in the NHL, you would not say that.

Slafkovsky looks better though, which is a good sign. He doesn’t have the upside of both players you named though.

 

[HuGort]

Hate to say it because I wanted Cooley. But Slaf is playing better as time goes on. In last 10 games, playing on similar teams. Cooley 5 pts, -8, 12 goals against, three hits, two blocks.
Slafkovsky 4 pts, EVEN, 6 goals against, 11 hits, ten blocks.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Hate to say it because I wanted Cooley. But Slaf is playing better as time goes on. In last 10 games, playing on similar teams. Cooley 5 pts, -8, 12 goals against, three hits, two blocks.
Slafkovsky 4 pts, EVEN, 6 goals against, 11 hits, ten blocks.

I hate these stat comparisons, why is everyone always using point production as the barometer for a developing prospect. Slaf and Cooley can not be more opposite as prospects or players they project to be, both will impact the game for their respective teams in entirely different fashions.

Who the hell cares about point pace at this juncture?

If Slaf reaches his potential his impact attributes are going to be so much more than just about points. His size speed and skill could make him a real force on the ice, affecting many different aspects of a hockey game, not just his personal scoresheet.

His only concern right now should be learning to be able to use his assets at this level. Points be damned in the meantime. If he produces, great! If he doesn't that's fine too, as long as he continues to progress and grow into his best self.

The points will just naturally come after, the kid is going to be a big part of this team, I personally have very little doubt.

I for one am glad he's ours.

 

[Egresch]

I hate these stat comparisons, why is everyone always using point production as the barometer for a developing prospect. Slaf and Cooley can not be more opposite as prospects or players they project to be, both will impact the game for their respective teams in entirely different fashions.

I wonder if people also compare point production of Owen Power and Luke Hughes or if their are just so dumb in Slaf/Cooley case?

 

[Scriptor]

I haven't gotten to know the potential picks all that well yet so take it with a grain of salt but I'm feeling the hype for 6'5 Cayden Lindstrom.

If it were to all pan out a Lindstrom - Dach - Slafkovsky line would be an absolute nightmare to face in the playoffs.

Lindstrom - Dach - Slafkovsky would be a nightmare to face. I could see them manhandling opponents along the boards and taking the puck to the net.

Ie expect Montreal to be picking 7th to 9th at the drafting there artesomegoodoptions with size up front in that range.

This pick will be important, whether it is to split scoring prowess on two lines, or to form a Legion of Doom 2.0 with Dach as the pivot and Slafkovsky as one of the wingers. Need toads a scoring winger with size who uses it (unlike Pacioretty, for example).

 

[Tyson]

2024 draft is top heavy with quality D.

 

[Kennerback]

Hate to say it because I wanted Cooley. But Slaf is playing better as time goes on. In last 10 games, playing on similar teams. Cooley 5 pts, -8, 12 goals against, three hits, two blocks.
Slafkovsky 4 pts, EVEN, 6 goals against, 11 hits, ten blocks.

Cooley is super fast and a great stickhandler. Otherwise he has his downsides. He’s far from a shoe in to be the best player in that draft.

 

[Kennerback]

he's producing a little better and is a little more active but he's still extremely bad at a lot of things. Still takes way to long to make decisions, turns the puck over like I do in my hockey balle league, still gets caught out of position nonstop, it's not just a scoresheet problem bud

There’s certainly a developing scoresheet problem. Successful pass first forwards that are comparatively not great goalscorers like Getzlaf and Huberdeau shoot 2x more than Slaf. That’s from Day 1 and throughout their careers.

A typical good scoring season for Getzlaf was 20 to 25 goals. Is Slaf going to plateau at 10 to 15 goal/ seasons but help in other aspects of the game? There’s really no comparable that I could find of a successful NHL forward that chose passes over shots at such an extreme level. I’m open minded. Maybe Slaf‘s a whole new bread of extreme playmaking forward? Or maybe someone can find another NHL precedent?

 

[morhilane]

There’s certainly a developing scoresheet problem. Successful pass first forwards that are comparatively not great goalscorers like Getzlaf and Huberdeau shoot 2x more than Slaf. That’s from Day 1 and throughout their careers.

A typical good scoring season for Getzlaf was 20 to 25 goals. Is Slaf going to plateau at 10 to 15 goal/ seasons but help in other aspects of the game? There’s really no comparable that I could find of a successful NHL forward that chose passes over shots at such an extreme level. I’m open minded. Maybe Slaf‘s a whole new bread of extreme playmaking forward? Or maybe someone can find another NHL precedent?

Slaf's average shots per game went from barely 1 per game in October to 1.75 per game for the month of November. The kid is still adapting and developing and far from having peaked there.

TOI and usage is also a big factor in the amount of shot per games a player takes.

As for a precedents:
Alexis Lafrenière, 1.2 in his D+1 season and now 2.2 in his D+4.
Necas went from 1.4 in his D+3 to now 2+ (average 2.2 over his career)
Draisailt started at 1.3 and 1.8 his first two NHL seasons and he's been 3+ the last 5 seasons.

It's quite common for young players to not hit 2+ shots per games right out of the gate, but get there after a few seasons as they get more comfortable, their usage increase and their accuracy gets better.

 

[Kennerback]

Slaf's average shots per game went from barely 1 per game in October to 1.75 per game for the month of November. The kid is still adapting and developing and far from having peaked there.

TOI and usage is also a big factor in the amount of shot per games a player takes.

As for a precedents:
Alexis Lafrenière, 1.2 in his D+1 season and now 2.2 in his D+4.
Necas went from 1.4 in his D+3 to now 2+ (average 2.2 over his career)
Draisailt started at 1.3 and 1.8 his first two NHL seasons and he's been 3+ the last 5 seasons.

It's quite common for young players to not hit 2+ shots per games right out of the gate, but get there after a few seasons as they get more comfortable, their usage increase and their accuracy gets better.

Thanks for that research. If he could get to 2.2, it would make him a typical « pass first » setup forward, which I would be fine with. But add the 1 shot a game to the eye test, you see he’s extremely timid and reluctant to shoot.

Let’s say Slaf is indeed a phenom that can repeatedly decline shooting opportunities that every other NHL player would take, but it results in a crisp pass on the stick of a player in a better position instead of his cheap flubbed passes, I’d also be OK with it.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Anyways shot per game is a flawed stat if you don't incorporate the eye test. For instance would you guys feel better if he took 3 crest shots per game like Gally

 

[Kennerback]

Anyways shot per game is a flawed stat if you don't incorporate the eye test. For instance would you guys feel better if he took 3 crest shots per game like Gally

Yes I would actually. If Slaf would drive and shoot like Gally (crest shots included) he’d be a monster.

 

[Rapala]

There’s certainly a developing scoresheet problem. Successful pass first forwards that are comparatively not great goalscorers like Getzlaf and Huberdeau shoot 2x more than Slaf. That’s from Day 1 and throughout their careers.

A typical good scoring season for Getzlaf was 20 to 25 goals. Is Slaf going to plateau at 10 to 15 goal/ seasons but help in other aspects of the game? There’s really no comparable that I could find of a successful NHL forward that chose passes over shots at such an extreme level. I’m open minded. Maybe Slaf‘s a whole new bread of extreme playmaking forward? Or maybe someone can find another NHL precedent?

Slaf will need to attend the same shooting guru Dach did. Big Man with long lumber is not going to fool anyone with his release so far from his body. Shorter stick with a different lie can help with shooting puck handling and skating...
Take that extra step instead of reaching.

 

[Anardil]

Not really. He’s played less than 60 games and isn’t far off what Hughes did in his first 60. Seriously the trolls coming in here screaming about points pace should be ignored. The guy is barely out the door in his NHL career.

We’ve seen nice progression and at this stage it’s all that matters. He’s become an effective NHL player and hasn’t even had a full season yet. We need to have patience on this. I’m not saying he’s going to be a star player but it’s far to soon to make conclusive statements on what he’ll be.

I've re-read my post.. I didn't find a conclusive statement anywhere.