Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[417]

If I were a gm who could make random Lamoriello style decision about how my team operates, I would just never let a 18 years old play in the NHL (except maybe the generational elite). 18 years old bodies are closer to teenagers than full adults, and it's reckless to ignore this and let kids play in such a physical, dangerous league. Every single of my draft pick would be told there's no way in hell they play their D year, and the media would know too.

EDIT: This is just my stupid, butthead opinion. Slaf developed fine.

I kind of like what the Ducks are doing with Leo Carlsson...slowly easing him in, not necessarily playing him every game but letting people know that they load managing him. Winning the calder trophy isn't a priority for them.

I admire that.

 

[Goldthorpe]

Might be very unpopular with players agency and the NHLPA. Could shoot yourself in the foot big times when negotiating post-ELC contract with such a rigid posture.

... and I bet this is the main reason why nobody tries to enforce such rule.

Plus, the NHL is such a young-guys league, you want to have these fresh legs as soon as possible in your lineup, and you want them to get as much experience as fast as possible. So you hold your nose and give them icetime in the big league, even if they may not be really ready.

Which is fine, they are the pros and I'm just some dude screaming at the screen.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Who's the last hab you saw set up guys 4 times in a game for prime slot scoring chances? Davey D? Markov? this kid can really pass the rock. Sorry but we don't even see Suzuki setting people up in prime scoring areas at 5 on 5 four times a game very often. Very impressive game for him. I'm a guy who will call out his warts so far but he put on a passing clinic yesterday , we've seen glimpses of it here and there but yesterday he was dishing it so well all night.

Even the haters gotta admit he played like a top 6er last night and the kid just learned how to breath at 19 years of age and that you need to keep your head up when you play hockey maybe he will figure out that you can shoot the puck in the net too

He's either a genius or an oaf who learns quick im not sure yet haha

 

[HuGort]

Byfield just breaking out this season. He's two years older than Slaf. He's going to be good

 

[Egresch]

He's either a genius or an oaf who learns quick im not sure yet haha

Slaf is know for being a quick learner, I keep hearing this for years from coaches, former NHLers...

 

[Kennerback]

Who's the last hab you saw set up guys 4 times in a game for prime slot scoring chances? Davey D? Markov? this kid can really pass the rock. Sorry but we don't even see Suzuki setting people up in prime scoring areas at 5 on 5 four times a game very often. Very impressive game for him. I'm a guy who will call out his warts so far but he put on a passing clinic yesterday , we've seen glimpses of it here and there but yesterday he was dishing it so well all night.

Even the haters gotta admit he played like a top 6er last night and the kid just learned how to breath at 19 years of age and that you need to keep your head up when you play hockey maybe he will figure out that you can shoot the puck in the net too

He's either a genius or an oaf who learns quick im not sure yet haha

I've given lots of compliments about Slaf's play these last two games. I'll get back on his challenge, his offensive game.
How Slaf's game would benefit if he shot on net?:

1- More goals: Shoot enough pucks, some will go in. You might put the rebound in too.

2- More assists: Goalies will not be setting up expecting the pass all the time. They need to consider you might shoot even if you do pass. Your linemates might put the rebound in if you do decide to shoot.

3- Create havoc and pressure: When the puck bounces around in the lower crease, with 5 sticks wacking at it, it gives momentum to your team.

Slaf is looking great and more like a beast. I think the time is ripe for MSL to put his foot down forcing him to put pucks on net like Ramsey did at the Olympics when he coached Slovakia. If Ramsey hadn't been on his back to 'f***ing shoot', he might not have scored 7 goals and been the tournament MVP, maybe we would not have drafted him... If Ramsey can do it, so can MSL.

 

[WinterLion]

I still remember McDonagh's play during the WJC one year where everyone was super concerned because he struggled.

I remember his at Development camp... it seemed like his ankles were glued together... his speed was fine but his edges sucked...

 

[vlady]

I've given lots of compliments about Slaf's play these last two games. I'll get back on his challenge, his offensive game.
How Slaf's game would benefit if he shot on net?:

1- More goals: Shoot enough pucks, some will go in. You might put the rebound in too.

2- More assists: Goalies will not be setting up expecting the pass all the time. They need to consider you might shoot even if you do pass. Your linemates might put the rebound in if you do decide to shoot.

3- Create havoc and pressure: When the puck bounces around in the lower crease, with 5 sticks wacking at it, it gives momentum to your team.

Slaf is looking great and more like a beast. I think the time is ripe for MSL to put his foot down forcing him to put pucks on net like Ramsey did at the Olympics when he coached Slovakia. If Ramsey hadn't been on his back to 'f***ing shoot', he might not have scored 7 goals and been the tournament MVP, maybe we would not have drafted him... If Ramsey can do it, so can MSL.

It's Ramsay, Craig Ramsay, not Mike Ramsey as you posted earlier. Sorry, but I just had to correct you there.

Also I don't remember that he specifically forced him to shoot. I remember his teammates telling him to shoot, which he did. He led the tournament in shots on goal as far as I can remember.

I also seem to remember he once said his mom told him to shoot more and he scored the next game. I guess his mom needs to call him more often.

I agree with the sentiment though. He needs to shoot, especially on odd man rushes.

I think the reason he is not shooting is because he doesn't trust his shot right now. And that's also why he takes forever to get it off even when he decides to shoot. This is one area of the game where he probably regressed from last year. Everything else is much better than last year, or even a few weeks ago.

But I have no doubt he can correct that and it looks like he is about to break out on the score sheet sooner rather than later. That is if MSL keeps him on the top line. Who knows what he will come up with next. Sometimes I am baffled by his line combos.

I think when he gains confidence in his shot, his instincts will kick in, he will take more shots and the release will also get better. It's just a matter of time before that happens.

 

[BLONG7]

The way I remember l’antichambre they started with how Slaf is looking like their best forward for a while now. Rds and TVA have had only good words for a few weeks.

Great to hear.............that said I was responding to a post where they were ripping him, after he had just played very well.
Wish I could speak, and understand the language better, would love to watch the show, every so often.

 

[417]

Great to hear.............that said I was responding to a post where they were ripping him, after he had just played very well.
Wish I could speak, and understand the language better, would love to watch the show, every so often.

You're not missing much man…sometimes I'm not even sure what they're saying qualifies as French.

 

[Naslundforever]

Great to hear.............that said I was responding to a post where they were ripping him, after he had just played very well.
Wish I could speak, and understand the language better, would love to watch the show, every so often.

They mostly all like to hear themselves say « 1-3-1 » to be honest and then stare at each other seeking validation…

 

[Kennerback]

It's Ramsay, Craig Ramsay, not Mike Ramsey as you posted earlier. Sorry, but I just had to correct you there.

Also I don't remember that he specifically forced him to shoot. I remember his teammates telling him to shoot, which he did. He led the tournament in shots on goal as far as I can remember.

I also seem to remember he once said his mom told him to shoot more and he scored the next game. I guess his mom needs to call him more often.

I agree with the sentiment though. He needs to shoot, especially on odd man rushes.

I think the reason he is not shooting is because he doesn't trust his shot right now. And that's also why he takes forever to get it off even when he decides to shoot. This is one area of the game where he probably regressed from last year. Everything else is much better than last year, or even a few weeks ago.

But I have no doubt he can correct that and it looks like he is about to break out on the score sheet sooner rather than later. That is if MSL keeps him on the top line. Who knows what he will come up with next. Sometimes I am baffled by his line combos.

I think when he gains confidence in his shot, his instincts will kick in, he will take more shots and the release will also get better. It's just a matter of time before that happens.

Sorry for the Craig. You are right. Where did I hear him say that? I listened to all English interviews I could from Ramsay on Youtube after we drafted Slaf. Some were long but he would address Slaf.

Answering the question of how he helped Slaf, Ramsay while putting it nicely, would bring up to Slaf that it was his job to shoot on net. The emphasis on shooting on net was really weird to me. And he brought it up again in at least another Youtube interview, and articles with Slovakian papers (I translated them with an app). My reaction was; "What does that have to do with anything? "

Trust me, now I totally get it. I could never grasp the magnitude of him never shooting and why Ramsay was putting up such a fuss. I've never seen a Habs prospect or otherwise shoot so little.

I think the context would be something like he was playing with Hrivik and Cehlarik which where 2 big guns on the team (I think Hrivik won once the SEL player of the year or some similar award), and Slaf must have been giving excuses to Ramsay that the reason he wasn't shooting was because he was trying to pass to them. Ramsay would tell Slaf: "No, you're the shooter!!'

 

[Kennerback]

“He’s big and he’s strong, he skates well and he’s a great kid,” Ramsay said. "Slavy has the obvious advantage that he’s so big and strong, but he has good feet. He’s not just a slug that’s big. He can skate, he can jump, he can handle the puck and now that he’s shooting the puck a little bit more, you’re starting to see some good things happen.”

Slafkovsky, 17, among standout stars in hockey at Olympics

The best player so far in the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympics is also the youngest. Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia is six weeks away from his 18th birthday and already drawing comparisons to Jaromir Jagr. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound forward is tied for the most goals at the Olympics with four.

sports.yahoo.com

"(Ramsay) told me that, no matter what, I need to shoot the puck always. That it has a bad habit of going in," Slafkovsky said. "OK, then: I just tried to shoot all the time when I had the chance."

Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec top Slovakia's historic draft class

Editor's note: This article was published July 5, days ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft, where Slovakian prospects Slafkovsky and Nemec were taken one-two by Montreal and New Jersey. Read about their journeys towards the NHL below.Mitch Hults is from Wisconsin, but he sometimes jokes that he owns the...

www.thescore.com

Ramsay said. “But he kept getting better. So we go to worlds and then next was Olympics and all I said was, ‘Kid, just shoot. Just shoot the puck.

Inside Adam Ruzicka’s breakout, big news for Flames and fans in Slovakia

Adam Ruzicka is one of just seven Slovaks to appear in the NHL so far this season — and sharing status as the top Slovakian scorer.

calgarysun.com

Slovakia assistant coach Jan Pardavy said. “Craig (Ramsay) always says, if you have a chance to shoot, just shoot. (Slafkovsky) was listening and he was shooting.

No. 1 NHL Draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky is ready for the spotlight in Montreal

At the NHL Draft in Montreal, Slafkovsky could become the earliest Slovakian player ever drafted in the NHL — and he could go first overall.

theathletic.com

At the Olympics, Slafkovsky put three shots on goal in each of his seven games. At the world championship, he averaged 3.4 shots on goal per game. Generally speaking, Slafkovsky looked more dynamic playing under Craig Ramsay for Slovakia than he did in Turku, and the number of shots he generated was just another example.

Juraj Slafkovsky's unique skill could make him potential top pick for Canadiens

Every NHL team is looking for the skill set Juraj Slafkovsky brings, but is that enough for the Canadiens to take him over Shane Wright?

theathletic.com

 

[sandviper]

Who's the last hab you saw set up guys 4 times in a game for prime slot scoring chances? Davey D? Markov? this kid can really pass the rock. Sorry but we don't even see Suzuki setting people up in prime scoring areas at 5 on 5 four times a game very often. Very impressive game for him. I'm a guy who will call out his warts so far but he put on a passing clinic yesterday , we've seen glimpses of it here and there but yesterday he was dishing it so well all night.

Even the haters gotta admit he played like a top 6er last night and the kid just learned how to breath at 19 years of age and that you need to keep your head up when you play hockey maybe he will figure out that you can shoot the puck in the net too

He's either a genius or an oaf who learns quick im not sure yet haha

No, they won’t. They’ll continue drinking the Hatorade, saying things like they want him to succeed but will never praise him for any good play. As soon as he makes a mistake, has a poor game, they’ll be back.

I get there can be excessive loving for Slaf, but end of the day he’s going to have more poor games than good as he develops but the games he does play well, he’s really impactful. Doesn’t always show up on the spreadsheet, which is what gives the haters fuel since they don’t watch the games.

 

[Goldthorpe]

It's common for rookies to have trouble with their shoot vs pass decision making, this is just something that will settle itself with time and reps.

 

[417]

“He’s big and he’s strong, he skates well and he’s a great kid,” Ramsay said. "Slavy has the obvious advantage that he’s so big and strong, but he has good feet. He’s not just a slug that’s big. He can skate, he can jump, he can handle the puck and now that he’s shooting the puck a little bit more, you’re starting to see some good things happen.”

Slafkovsky, 17, among standout stars in hockey at Olympics

The best player so far in the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympics is also the youngest. Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia is six weeks away from his 18th birthday and already drawing comparisons to Jaromir Jagr. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound forward is tied for the most goals at the Olympics with four.

sports.yahoo.com

"(Ramsay) told me that, no matter what, I need to shoot the puck always. That it has a bad habit of going in," Slafkovsky said. "OK, then: I just tried to shoot all the time when I had the chance."

Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec top Slovakia's historic draft class

Editor's note: This article was published July 5, days ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft, where Slovakian prospects Slafkovsky and Nemec were taken one-two by Montreal and New Jersey. Read about their journeys towards the NHL below.Mitch Hults is from Wisconsin, but he sometimes jokes that he owns the...

www.thescore.com

Ramsay said. “But he kept getting better. So we go to worlds and then next was Olympics and all I said was, ‘Kid, just shoot. Just shoot the puck.

Inside Adam Ruzicka’s breakout, big news for Flames and fans in Slovakia

Adam Ruzicka is one of just seven Slovaks to appear in the NHL so far this season — and sharing status as the top Slovakian scorer.

calgarysun.com

Slovakia assistant coach Jan Pardavy said. “Craig (Ramsay) always says, if you have a chance to shoot, just shoot. (Slafkovsky) was listening and he was shooting.

No. 1 NHL Draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky is ready for the spotlight in Montreal

At the NHL Draft in Montreal, Slafkovsky could become the earliest Slovakian player ever drafted in the NHL — and he could go first overall.

theathletic.com

At the Olympics, Slafkovsky put three shots on goal in each of his seven games. At the world championship, he averaged 3.4 shots on goal per game. Generally speaking, Slafkovsky looked more dynamic playing under Craig Ramsay for Slovakia than he did in Turku, and the number of shots he generated was just another example.

Juraj Slafkovsky's unique skill could make him potential top pick for Canadiens

Every NHL team is looking for the skill set Juraj Slafkovsky brings, but is that enough for the Canadiens to take him over Shane Wright?

theathletic.com

It's 100% something he needs to get better at, the good part is he CAN shoot, just needs to work on his mechanics a bit and gain more confidence...Kirby Dach is similar in this vein and his shot isn't nearly as good as Slaf’s imo

 

[River Meadow]

It's 100% something he needs to get better at, the good part is he CAN shoot, just needs to work on his mechanics a bit and gain more confidence...Kirby Dach is similar in this vein and his shot isn't nearly as good as Slaf’s imo

He will get better at all of that.

He is only 19...

 

[calder candidate]

It isn’t just the points he rank up it is his overall play that took a giant, when ever he touch the puck he use be like deer caught in the head light now he seem a lot more assertive with and without the puck.

 

[Naslundforever]

No, they won’t. They’ll continue drinking the Hatorade, saying things like they want him to succeed but will never praise him for any good play. As soon as he makes a mistake, has a poor game, they’ll be back.

I get there can be excessive loving for Slaf, but end of the day he’s going to have more poor games than good as he develops but the games he does play well, he’s really impactful. Doesn’t always show up on the spreadsheet, which is what gives the haters fuel since they don’t watch the games.

There’s no such thing as excessive loving (I mean… unless it crosses into these athlete’s personal lives). Love is the best thing ever. I loved Kostopoulos. I’d never seen a guy try to score with his face like that every night. There I said it all those years later.

We just watched a kid go from generational bust to best forward on the team in the same month; it’s the only thing keeping me watching until Hutson and a bunch of other kids give it a try as well. It’s why as much as I think trading vets for picks is good asset management, I don’t want Slaf playing half the year with jabronis.

 

[sandviper]

There’s no such thing as excessive loving (I mean… unless it crosses into these athlete’s personal lives). Love is the best thing ever. I loved Kostopoulos. I’d never seen a guy try to score with his face like that every night. There I said it all those years later.

We just watched a kid go from generational bust to best forward on the team in the same month; it’s the only thing keeping me watching until Hutson and a bunch of other kids give it a try as well. It’s why as much as I think trading vets for picks is good asset management, I don’t want Slaf playing half the year with jabronis.

Well, yeah… the calling of him a bust is also extreme.

I’m rooting for him and I have been critical of poor performances but also recognize good performances. That said, I question the mindset of some people here as either they have never coached or taught in their lives and must be a complete joy to their kids if their parents…

I am a believer that when teaching, tell that person what they did right and how they can improve/correct on their mistakes. Always ripping a person and telling them what they did wrong doesn’t help anyone. Sure, sometimes you need to put down a heavy hand and drop a truth bomb but development to me is making a player do what they do well even better. Fix shortcomings, of course, but reinforce what got them to the show to begin with.

End of the day, he’s playing much better. Whether a person thinks “he sucked before so celebrate the improvement” or “he’s showing flashes of why he went #1” is irrelevant. He IS playing better and that’s what counts. He’ll have off games coming and inconsistency but this is part of the learning process.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Who's the last hab you saw set up guys 4 times in a game for prime slot scoring chances? Davey D? Markov? this kid can really pass the rock. Sorry but we don't even see Suzuki setting people up in prime scoring areas at 5 on 5 four times a game very often. Very impressive game for him. I'm a guy who will call out his warts so far but he put on a passing clinic yesterday , we've seen glimpses of it here and there but yesterday he was dishing it so well all night.

Even the haters gotta admit he played like a top 6er last night and the kid just learned how to breath at 19 years of age and that you need to keep your head up when you play hockey maybe he will figure out that you can shoot the puck in the net too

He's either a genius or an oaf who learns quick im not sure yet haha

It’s kinda crazy that he doesn’t have more points than he does. He should have a lot more.

 

[NORiculous]

I think the vast majority of his forum has absolutely no idea how good Reinbacher is going to be.

True! But Hughes opinion that his ceiling is a #2 does weight in on the opinion of people on the board.

So I don’t think anyone can see he will be useless… I don’t think many are saying that either.

 

[Skip Bayless]

After he wins his battles, he moves the puck quicker. His instincts are starting to kick in. Main problem right now is when he's in shooting position he either telegraphs a pass or hesitates to the point where he closes down his own acquired space.

 

[sandviper]

True! But Hughes opinion that his ceiling is a #2 does weight in on the opinion of people on the board.

So I don’t think anyone can see he will be useless… I don’t think many are saying that either.

To be fair though, I’d rather a 2D than a second line forward. We got enough of those.

 

[Kennerback]

It’s kinda crazy that he doesn’t have more points than he does. He should have a lot more.

Coaching duties/re Slaf

Not being decapitated
Defence
Agressive forecheck
Positioning
Break outs
Strength / Balance
Cycling
<——————————————- We are here
Offence