Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[KevinRedkey]

This is just double down talk.

It would be way more accurate to say that it was (some PTSD) FANS who were damaged by the decision to have him learn the game for 54 games or so in the NHL under MSL alongside the Suzukis and Guhles, and against wolves.


He needs to score three points per game to justify his 1OA status. Fire Bobrov!

The guy was absolute garbage for ~50 games. He didn't belong in the NHL during that span. Call it what ou want, but it's reality.

 

[BaseballCoach]

The guy was absolute garbage for ~50 games. He didn't belong in the NHL during that span. Call it what ou want, but it's reality.

In less than 65 games, the player went from just being drafted from a league that plays on bigger ice, to being on the first line of an NHL team and contributing.

What you saw as garbage was perhaps a necessary step in development.

Slaf's coaches, teammates and management always said he was developing well. Were they wrong?

 

[ryan callahan]

Why are people docking Slaf for not being NHL ready last when Fantilli, Bedard, Cooley, etc. have all struggled mightily to even be positive players for their teams.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Why are people docking Slaf for not being NHL ready last when Fantilli, Bedard, Cooley, etc. have all struggled mightily to even be positive players for their teams.

Is this a joke post? Bedard and Fantilli are both performing great.

 

[ryan callahan]

Is this a joke post? Bedard and Fantilli are both performing great.

44.90 GF% at 5v5 while having the highest Ozone starts on his own team doesn't scream great to me but hey we all have our own definition of great. Fantilli is even worse.

 

[SlafySZN]

In less than 65 games, the player went from just being drafted from a league that plays on bigger ice, to being on the first line of an NHL team and contributing.

What you saw as garbage was perhaps a necessary step in development.

Slaf's coaches, teammates and management always said he was developing well. Were they wrong?

Don’t know why a sens fan is trying to tell us things about Slaf’s development anyway as if he followed his progress lol.

 

[admiralcadillac]

44.90 GF% at 5v5 while having the highest Ozone starts on his own team doesn't scream great to me but hey we all have our own definition of great. Fantilli is even worse.

Bedard is clearly great but comparing Slaf to him is apples and oranges and anyone expecting a bedard out of Slafkovsky is looking to complain.

Slaf may end up as useful an asset but he won’t put up the points Bedard does ever.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

I like what i'm seeing.

His shot/release needs improvement. I think he has a good shot but slow release.

I like what i'm seeing.

His shot/release needs improvement. I think he has a good shot but slow release.

 

[Toene]

I like what i'm seeing.

His shot/release needs improvement. I think he has a good shot but slow release.

I like what i'm seeing.

His shot/release needs improvement. I think he has a good shot but slow release.

Not sure I understand. Could you repeat it one more time?

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Not sure I understand. Could you repeat it one more time?

I pressed saved only once. I'm on PS4 trash browser.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Like I always said, I'm giving Slaf until he's at least 23 years old, and more like 25-26, until I pass final judgment on his ceiling.

But damn his play is looking good right now. Very promising and mysterious prospect.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Agreed, I think having both Suzuki and Caufield on the same line at 5v5 is not ideal even with Slaf as a winger.

Slaf - Dach - Caufield as 1st line
Newhook - Suzuki - xxx

Really like the first line, but i think Newhook would be more dangerous on the 3rd line, like it already been stated Roy and Suzuki should be a good combinaison, Demidov or Catton would be sick

 

[malcb33]

Really like the first line, but i think Newhook would be more dangerous on the 3rd line, like it already been stated Roy and Suzuki should be a good combinaison, Demidov or Catton would be sick

I’m hoping for Demidov (very wishful) but if Cayden Lindstrom is available I don’t see KH and crew passing him up, he just seems to match their profile perfectly.

 

[BenchBrawl]

He's already better than Jagr ever was defensively lol

Although Jagr was a force at even-strength, so in that sense, he was "strong defensively", but not in the sense we usually mean.

 

[admiralcadillac]

He's already better than Jagr ever was defensively lol

Although Jagr was a force at even-strength, so in that sense, he was "strong defensively", but not in the sense we usually mean.

I don’t want to pretend like I’m a prescient hockey analyst, but the vast majority of my frustration with the initial criticisms on Slafkovsky was that defensively he would make plays that made him obviously playable on an nhl roster. He would cut off passing lanes, forecheck and defend in ways a lot of players wouldn’t. That isn’t what you’re hoping for from your no. 1 pick but it is what made him an nhler at 18.

He’s now moving past that in every relevant facet.

 

[ReHabs]

But you repeatedly asking if the Canadiens had made a ‘catastrophic’ mistake from day one onward drafting this guy wasn’t right?

But hey, NOW we can wait and see.

I suggested to take a minute in order to build up the case that he's actually arrived. Because at this moment Slafkovsky is only on pace for 29 points in his sophomore season, which remains the worst production for a top drafted forward in over 20 years. If this is a project, it isn't finished yet.

And yet, true to form, you:

Dude it's incredibly rich for someone who has easily posted 1000+ critical posts of Slafkovsky this year to indicate that other people's celebration is premature. What about your shitposts which make up about 1/4th of the posts in this thread? Were those not premature?

Discussing Slafkovsky's development is perfectly fine. He remains the worst producing top drafted forward in modern hockey history. There was plenty to criticise and there remains plenty to discuss, evaluate, re-evaluate. This is what makes following sports and player development fun. If Slaf turns out to ever be a PPG player, it will have been an unconventional route. That's by itself exciting.

You choose to take it all as critical or shitposts for your own reasons... likely because you're wedded to the notion that the Habs organization would crumble if you stopped attacking other fans for any disagreement. Plenty of your types thrived during the Bergevin era, it's not like we've forgotten. I bet you bandied around the term Subbanista at anyone who disagreed with the Subban-Weber trade too. God forbid anyone have a dissenting opinion.

 

[admiralcadillac]

I suggested to take a minute in order to build up the case that he's actually arrived. Because at this moment Slafkovsky is only on pace for 29 points in his sophomore season, which remains the worst production for a top drafted forward in over 20 years. If this is a project, it isn't finished yet.

And yet, true to form, you:

View attachment 790131


Discussing Slafkovsky's development is perfectly fine. He remains the worst producing top drafted forward in modern hockey history. There was plenty to criticise and there remains plenty to discuss, evaluate, re-evaluate. This is what makes following sports and player development fun. If Slaf turns out to ever be a PPG player, it will have been an unconventional route. That's by itself exciting.

You choose to take it all as critical or shitposts for your own reasons... likely because you're wedded to the notion that the Habs organization would crumble if you stopped attacking other fans for any disagreement. Plenty of your types thrived during the Bergevin era, it's not like we've forgotten. I bet you bandied around the term Subbanista at anyone who disagreed with the Subban-Weber trade too. God forbid anyone have a dissenting opinion.

Yes, Rehabs, maybe he does. Who would you have drafted instead again?

 

[ReHabs]

Yes, Rehabs, maybe he does. Who would you have drafted instead again?

I wasn't in the draft room, I didn't have access to the tapes or the interviews. From where I'm sitting at the time leading into the 2022 Draft the Habs needed a 1C, 1D, and a 1G. It's been two drafts since and despite handling five first round picks and three second round picks over that time, the Habs still need a 1C, 1D, and 1G (notwithstanding the undersized but very promising Lane Hutson).

In 2022, if Wright was a DND, and Cooley was deemed "undersized", Nemec and Jiricek were available and very well ranked across the scouting world. It isn't incumbant on a Habs fan to nail draft picks, it's the job of the guys paid to do it. Gorton and Bobrov's record speaks for itself.

Today, Slaf, NHL sophomore, ranks 22nd in PPG among rookies, and 17th in points among rookies, and 5th in PPG among his 2022 draft cohort (all rookies but him), and 4th in points among his 2022 draft cohort (all rookies but him) behind a d-man (Mintyukov) and a second round round pick (Poitras).

So no, he's not arrived and there is plenty to evaluate as time goes on. His growth is a welcome change from his earlier NHL career and long may it continue. If you want to join the celebrations be my guest.

I'm interested in evaluating how the Habs pick prospects, how they develop prospects, and how they can improve their process. We don't stand a chance to win anything until this is confirmed. Slafkovsky hasn't confirmed anything, so celebrations come later... unless you have a vested interest in sticking it to the mean ol' grinch ReHabs, in which case you'll celebrate Slafkovsky's every poke-check and tag him every time Slaf picks up a point (of which he's on pace to pick up a whole 29 of them over 82 games).

 

[vlady]

I suggested to take a minute in order to build up the case that he's actually arrived. Because at this moment Slafkovsky is only on pace for 29 points in his sophomore season, which remains the worst production for a top drafted forward in over 20 years. If this is a project, it isn't finished yet.

And yet, true to form, you:

View attachment 790131


Discussing Slafkovsky's development is perfectly fine. He remains the worst producing top drafted forward in modern hockey history. There was plenty to criticise and there remains plenty to discuss, evaluate, re-evaluate. This is what makes following sports and player development fun. If Slaf turns out to ever be a PPG player, it will have been an unconventional route. That's by itself exciting.

You choose to take it all as critical or shitposts for your own reasons... likely because you're wedded to the notion that the Habs organization would crumble if you stopped attacking other fans for any disagreement. Plenty of your types thrived during the Bergevin era, it's not like we've forgotten. I bet you bandied around the term Subbanista at anyone who disagreed with the Subban-Weber trade too. God forbid anyone have a dissenting opinion.

Has anyone ever said that Slaf is a finished product? It's just a strawman you are arguing against here.

The expression "he has arrived" can mean different things to different people, but I don't think anyone who said it has meant that Slaf has already reached his full potential. If anything, everyone here is well aware that he isn't there yet and that, if anything, is a positive, not a negative.

 

[ReHabs]

Has anyone ever said that Slaf is a finished product? It's just a strawman you are arguing against here.

The expression "he has arrived" can mean different things to different people, but I don't think anyone who said it has meant that Slaf has already reached his full potential. If anything, everyone here is well aware that he isn't there yet and that, if anything, is a positive, not a negative.

I don't think it's a strawman of @Goldenhands when they comment "now that the offensive production is there" that it is taken as a definitive statement. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems quite definitive. Plenty of other commentators also insist that last year's sojourn in the NHL was perfectly correct and beneficial for his development. That's another definitive statement only amplified after Slaf has a multi-point game.

Otherwise, it's 100% and irrefutabely good that Slafkovsky is playing better and has improved. He's implicated himself more, he's gone to the net more, good things have happened more frequently as a result. All good, all encouraging, all gravy.

There is no debate left to be had; neither side will be convinced of anything until there is a definitive conclusion. I simply and clearly don't think we're out of the woods yet with Slafkovsky and his development, while others think the debate is settled and he's the player of his draft class and that it reinforces their faith in Kent Hughes. With that, I disagree.

 

[vlady]

I don't think it's a strawman of @Goldenhands when they comment "now that the offensive production is there" that it is taken as a definitive statement. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems quite definitive. Plenty of other commentators also insist that last year's sojourn in the NHL was perfectly correct and beneficial for his development. That's another definitive statement only amplified after Slaf has a multi-point game.

Otherwise, it's 100% and irrefutabely good that Slafkovsky is playing better and has improved. He's implicated himself more, he's gone to the net more, good things have happened more frequently as a result. All good, all encouraging, all gravy.

There is no debate left to be had; neither side will be convinced of anything until there is a definitive conclusion. I simply and clearly don't think we're out of the woods yet with Slafkovsky and his development, while others think the debate is settled and he's the player of his draft class and that it reinforces their faith in Kent Hughes. With that, I disagree.

I will let Goldenhands respond to that, but I highly doubt he thinks that Slaf's development is finished.

As for whether or not keeping him in the NHL last year was beneficial or not, that is something neither side can prove and I personally don't pretend to know either way.

I would agree with the statement that celebrations are premature. The kid still has a long way to go, but I would also say there is plenty of reason for optimism and it's refreshing to see that the mood in this thread has changed significantly over the past few weeks. Slaf has managed to win over many fans who were previously skeptical.

I never had any issues with skepticism regarding his potential. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I don't like it when either side is going overboard or using strawmen to help prop up their argument.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Slaf has not arrived yet.

Slaf is coming.

 

[BLONG7]

I suggested to take a minute in order to build up the case that he's actually arrived. Because at this moment Slafkovsky is only on pace for 29 points in his sophomore season, which remains the worst production for a top drafted forward in over 20 years. If this is a project, it isn't finished yet.

And yet, true to form, you:

View attachment 790131


Discussing Slafkovsky's development is perfectly fine. He remains the worst producing top drafted forward in modern hockey history. There was plenty to criticise and there remains plenty to discuss, evaluate, re-evaluate. This is what makes following sports and player development fun. If Slaf turns out to ever be a PPG player, it will have been an unconventional route. That's by itself exciting.

You choose to take it all as critical or shitposts for your own reasons... likely because you're wedded to the notion that the Habs organization would crumble if you stopped attacking other fans for any disagreement. Plenty of your types thrived during the Bergevin era, it's not like we've forgotten. I bet you bandied around the term Subbanista at anyone who disagreed with the Subban-Weber trade too. God forbid anyone have a dissenting opinion.

The worst top drafted forward in modern hockey history?? Louis Leblanc says hold my beer.........Nolan Patrick, says hey Louis I can take that for you..............there are a ton of Top drafted players who did NOT even make the NHL.........players who get drafted highly often take years to develop................
Are you watching the games? Have you seen what he has done for Suzuki and Caufield in the last 7-8 games?
Everyone has said he is a project......coming along very nicely at this point.
This will take 2-3-4 seasons and we will be happy with what he gives us.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

I’m hoping for Demidov (very wishful) but if Cayden Lindstrom is available I don’t see KH and crew passing him up, he just seems to match their profile perfectly.

Agree but Lindstrom goes top 3 i think

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Slaf has not arrived yet.

Slaf is coming.

So is Eli.

But I suspect Slaf arrives earlier.



Apologies to Three Dog Night.