Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[calder candidate]

That goal should only help speed thing along.

 

[BenchBrawl]

View attachment 780728

Genius post

 

[NicRattlehead]

Good game but he needs a little more drive to the net. First shift of the game Buff turned the puck over exiting the zone, CC grabbed the puck, Slaf was on his left but didn't drive the net. CC put the puck right into the goalers pad got a big rebound but Slaf hadn't driven the net and was out of position to collect the rebound. Other than that it was a good game for him.

Definitely things he can improve on but he legitimately looks dangerous now. You can really see his potential.

 

[JianYang]

I'm not even thinking that far, but after a rough stretch, he's been solid the last 2 games.

Can we discuss what adjustments we’re seeing that's he’s made? Or what he needs to do more of? Anything else will do at this point lol.

Out of the bits and peices I watched today, I thought he just looks more decisive. His forcheck is more assertive, and reminded me of the slafkovsky we saw early last season.

 

[ForeverHabs97]

#NewProfilePic

 

[Habssince89]

Drafting a forward who's 6'2 220 would be like 'Christ Almighty that's a big boy'. When you add another 2 inches and 20 lbs, that's an absolute freak.

I feel like this board got over skeptical at times when a kid was really big in the last couple years, like once he would get to the NHL they couldn't use their size anymore or they had to have low IQ, etc. Legitimate concerns to an extent but I think that angle was over played up by many.

I kept watching draft year highlights of him and I couldn't understand why people thought he was almost orders of magnitude lower than the top 5 or so of this past draft.

It was a combination of PTSD of past Habs management and the lack of sample but slaf already looks like a real difference maker at 19.

 

[ReHabs]

Habs _usually_ make the wrong pick and our luck is usually not so great.

A lot of PTSD going on there, especially for our more senior fans.

This. There’s no reason to have been optimistic after last season’s record-setting (negative) showing.

Hopefully he continues to grow — no doubt he will — but the points need to come. He’s playing better than ever so now we can evaluate his playmaking (and improvements to) without handicaps and filters.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

He's wheeling and dealing in the slot jesus somebody finish a play for this guy!!!

 

[DAChampion]

 

[Guy Larose]

This. There’s no reason to have been optimistic after last season’s record-setting (negative) showing.

Hopefully he continues to grow — no doubt he will — but the points need to come. He’s playing better than ever so now we can evaluate his playmaking (and improvements to) without handicaps and filters.

He played 39 games last year as an 18 year old in NA for the first time. There was no reason for it except this is HF with the same cast of characters that constantly bash or think they know it all. This post is a good example of said negativity.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

As I said in my subsequent post, by picking on the stats, I might not be giving a good picture of the player. On all other markers, he's taken a giant leap forward. Especially the last 2 games. He's becoming a monster along the board. He looks so big heavy with a low center of gravity that it looks like trying to move a sumo wrestler.

I saw the same about his board play. I think he won every battle. He’s as big and strong as a young jagr. At 22, he will be a nightmare

 

[cphabs]

He’s a giant lmfao

 

[ReHabs]

He played 39 games last year as an 18 year old in NA for the first time. There was no reason for it except this is HF with the same cast of characters that constantly bash or think they know it all. This post is a good example of said negativity.

The problem with lowering expectations and standards is at some point you’ll catch yourself celebrating failure.

Plenty of us didn’t want him rushed to the NHL. But that’s besides the point.

We can all celebrate his progress as a player without pretending he is something he is not or that he has arrived. Arrived players don’t pace for 22pts. Joe Thornton, oft compared, didn’t pace for 22pts in his sophomore season.

Slaf has a lot of progress ahead of him and we should be lucky to see him fulfill his promise. We disagreed about how he could best improve but that discussion is settled and finished now. He’s in the NHL to stay.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Definitely things he can improve on but he legitimately looks dangerous now. You can really see his potential.

Slafkovsky now has a presence on the ice rather than just being on the ice. He’s noticeable now, for.good reasons and not for the gaffs that distressed so many here. At only 19, he will only get better. One can easily project Slafkovsky becoming a team leader of this growing, developing young core. This should be very interesting to watch over the coming years.

 

[Guy Larose]

The problem with lowering expectations and standards is at some point you’ll catch yourself celebrating failure.

Plenty of us didn’t want him rushed to the NHL. But that’s besides the point.

We can all celebrate his progress as a player without pretending he is something he is not or that he has arrived. Arrived players don’t pace for 22pts. Joe Thornton, oft compared, didn’t pace for 22pts in his sophomore season.

Slaf has a lot of progress ahead of him and we should be lucky to see him fulfill his promise. We disagreed about how he could best improve but that discussion is settled and finished now. He’s in the NHL to stay.

Nice backpeddling.

 

[Andy]

Not enough credit being given to his defensive game.

 

[ReHabs]

Nice backpeddling.

I’ve been nothing but consistent.

Not enough credit being given to his defensive game.

His active stick is simply impressive. He can be a devastating presence on any line because of his reach and presence. If everything comes together the word Unicorn really does describes him best.

 

[BLONG7]

He is just 19 guys..............................19

He has been our best player, since being put on a line, that most of us have been begging for...........
He will be a very good player at 22 no doubt.

 

[Andy]

He is just 19 guys..............................19

He has been our best player, since being put on a line, that most of us have been begging for...........
He will be a very good player at 22 no doubt.

His passing vision is comparable to Dach and Suzuki.

 

[BLONG7]

His passing vision is comparable to Dach and Suzuki.

When the shots, start going in...................he will see more confidence.
He is a playmaker first, and a shooter second........

 

[BaseballCoach]

The problem with lowering expectations and standards is at some point you’ll catch yourself celebrating failure.

Plenty of us didn’t want him rushed to the NHL. But that’s besides the point.

We can all celebrate his progress as a player without pretending he is something he is not or that he has arrived. Arrived players don’t pace for 22pts. Joe Thornton, oft compared, didn’t pace for 22pts in his sophomore season.

Slaf has a lot of progress ahead of him and we should be lucky to see him fulfill his promise. We disagreed about how he could best improve but that discussion is settled and finished now. He’s in the NHL to stay.

Slaf still has not played 70 games in the NHL. It's partially like his first season.

 

[waitin425]

I’ve been nothing but consistent.


His active stick is simply impressive. He can be a devastating presence on any line because of his reach and presence. If everything comes together the word Unicorn really does describes him best.

Dare I say, you've transitioned from cautious pessimism to cautious optisim?

It's okay to not be consistent. I'm like a freaking yo yo with half our players. Slaf though....this has been building since pre-season. It's a beauty to watch.

When the shots, start going in...................he will see more confidence.
He is a playmaker first, and a shooter second........

I think his confidence is on the cusp. That OT goal was both confidence and slight arrogance. Just the right amount of arrogance though. All great players have that mix. He is on the cusp. Exciting as f*** to watch. Now let's get Dach back in the lineup.

 

[ReHabs]

Dare I say, you've transitioned from cautious pessimism to cautious optisim?

Well, yeah. He’s showing he can keep up with the play in the NHL, that’s already a doubly good sign: he has shown improvement and he has shown he has the ability to improve. Massive change in demeanour.

No celebrating for me though, a lot more has to go right.

 

[BaseballCoach]

This. There’s no reason to have been optimistic after last season’s record-setting (negative) showing.

Hopefully he continues to grow — no doubt he will — but the points need to come. He’s playing better than ever so now we can evaluate his playmaking (and improvements to) without handicaps and filters.

Opinion passed off as fact.

Let's try some truth in advertising instead.

"Despite the overwhelming opinion of scouts that he was a top-2 draftee, and despite tons of Habs fans seeing his potential and being confident he will be a good player, I spent over a year criticizing his IQ, his playmaking, his vision and how he was being developed. I now need to double down hard and pretend there was no reason to be optimistic for Slaf.

I was totally right about everything, the non-existent skills, and the improper development plan. It is a totally unforseeable shocking surprise that Slaf is developing well in the direction of the kind of player the Habs thought they had when they drafted him."

Seriously.

 

[ReHabs]

Opinion passed off as fact.

Let's try some truth in advertising instead.

"Despite the overwhelming opinion of scouts that he was a top-2 draftee, and despite tons of Habs fans seeing his potential and being confident he will be a good-player, I spent over a year criticizing his IQ, his playmaking, his vision and how he was being developed. I now need to double down hard and pretend there was no reason to be optimistic for Slaf".

Seriously.

Last year in the NHL was a disaster for him. Not sure how you could even pretend to think otherwise. Opinions are like holes, everybody has a few and some of them stink.