Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

So is he cleared to play?

 

[habdynasty]

He is playing unless something changed.

 

[417]

Saw someone on Twitter suggest that they rather be watching Slafkovsky dominating the WJC with Mesar than play meaningless mid-season NHL games.

What's happened to fans?

 

[Gally11]

Saw someone on Twitter suggest that they rather be watching Slafkovsky dominating the WJC with Mesar than play meaningless mid-season NHL games.

What's happened to fans?

They sure dominated US today lol

 

[morhilane]

Saw someone on Twitter suggest that they rather be watching Slafkovsky dominating the WJC with Mesar than play meaningless mid-season NHL games.

What's happened to fans?

NHL is boring now would be my guess.

 

[Jaynki]

6 points in his last 6 games.

27 points in the next 46 games would give him a 40 point season.

He is fun to watch

 

[BaseballCoach]

6 points in his last 6 games.

27 points in the next 46 games would give him a 40 point season.

He is fun to watch

He has picked up what the club wants him to do. On Suzuki's goal he was shoved toward the corner but the minute he saw the puck go back to the line, he QUICKLY swerved and bee-lined for the net. His presence created the confusion that allowed Suzuki to score. Maybe it's a lucky bounce but those kinds of luck happen to players who go to the net consistently. Slaf was not doing that last year, and maybe if he was in Laval getting easier points, he would have kept his old habits.

 

[Kennerback]

6 points in his last 6 games.

27 points in the next 46 games would give him a 40 point season.

He is fun to watch

And he’s an excellent passer. That’s the good.

The bad: Dump pass to Caufield or Suzuki both weighing a buck 80 with a 3 foot stick reach when deep in the OZone and expect them to make a play out of nothing. You’re the silver back gorilla. It’s your sole responsibility to force the play.

The ugly: Being the only player in the NHL not taking a clean easy shot from the low slot electing to pass to someone covered instead.

 

[Sorinth]

The ugly: Being the only player in the NHL not taking a clean easy shot from the low slot electing to pass to someone covered instead.

Yes he should've shot in that instance but he's far from the only player in the NHL who passes in that instance. I've seen Suzuki do the same thing this year so let's not exaggerate.

 

[jrom]

And he’s an excellent passer. That’s the good.

The bad: Dump pass to Caufield or Suzuki both weighing a buck 80 with a 3 foot stick reach when deep in the OZone and expect them to make a play out of nothing. You’re the silver back gorilla. It’s your sole responsibility to force the play.

The ugly: Being the only player in the NHL not taking a clean easy shot from the low slot electing to pass to someone covered instead.

This 100%

 

[Jack Spider]

I always said this guy was the best during practice since being drafted. He’s starting to see PP1 time and I think it’s just a matter of games before the PP goes through Slaf. Finally get to see the skills talk. Haven’t seen that since what, Subban?

 

[BaseballCoach]

And he’s an excellent passer. That’s the good.

The bad: Dump pass to Caufield or Suzuki both weighing a buck 80 with a 3 foot stick reach when deep in the OZone and expect them to make a play out of nothing. You’re the silver back gorilla. It’s your sole responsibility to force the play.

The ugly: Being the only player in the NHL not taking a clean easy shot from the low slot electing to pass to someone covered instead.

Correction: Suzuki weighs 212 lb, which is in the top half of our forwards.

 

[Heffyhoof]

For those of you who might still whine about his point production, Slaf just tied Newhook for 5th in team scoring with 13 points. Expecting a 19 year old non-phenom to produce while the rest of the team can barely crack double digit points is ludicrous and yet another example of willful ignorance.

Only Suzuki, Caufield, Monahan, and Matheson have more points. Hmmm, weren't they the 1st PP unit with Anderson for most of the year until Slaf was subbed in for Anderson? And wasn't Slaf playing ~12-14 mins a night until then? Imagine playing your 1OA pick with the actual talent on your team might produce results.

 

[ReHabs]

For those of you who might still whine about his point production, Slaf just tied Newhook for 5th in team scoring with 13 points. Expecting a 19 year old non-phenom to produce while the rest of the team can barely crack double digit points is ludicrous and yet another example of willful ignorance.

Only Suzuki, Caufield, Monahan, and Matheson have more points. Hmmm, weren't they the 1st PP unit with Anderson for most of the year until Slaf was subbed in for Anderson? And wasn't Slaf playing ~12-14 mins a night until then? Imagine playing your 1OA pick with the actual talent on your team might produce results.

I like that he’s picking up incidental points. It means puck touches, it means involvement in the play, it means he’s been or gone to the right areas. It means he is closer to being central to the necessary production.

But praising that he’s just tied points with Newhook, the not particularly special player who’s been out of action for weeks, is really really silly.

It’s not about unrealistic expectations but rather very real, very pragmatic ones. Constantly twisting the screw of low standards tighter doesn’t help anyone. It’s fine to expect good things from highly skilled prospects. If they can’t sufficiently deliver good things, they should be put in a position to develop further. Right now he’s playing shotgun on the first line in the NHL. So that topic is closed. If you’re happy with how he’s playing that’s great, what’s there to argue about??

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I like that he’s picking up incidental points. It means puck touches, it means involvement in the play, it means he’s been or gone to the right areas. It means he is closer to being central to the necessary production.

But praising that he’s just tied points with Newhook, the not particularly special player who’s been out of action for weeks, is really really silly.

It’s not about unrealistic expectations but rather very real, very pragmatic ones. Constantly twisting the screw of low standards tighter doesn’t help anyone. It’s fine to expect good things from highly skilled prospects. If they can’t sufficiently deliver good things, they should be put in a position to develop further. Right now he’s playing shotgun on the first line in the NHL. So that topic is closed. If you’re happy with how he’s playing that’s great, what’s there to argue about??

Yeah but he tied Newhook in points!!!!

 

[nhlfan9191]

I like that he’s picking up incidental points. It means puck touches, it means involvement in the play, it means he’s been or gone to the right areas. It means he is closer to being central to the necessary production.

But praising that he’s just tied points with Newhook, the not particularly special player who’s been out of action for weeks, is really really silly.

It’s not about unrealistic expectations but rather very real, very pragmatic ones. Constantly twisting the screw of low standards tighter doesn’t help anyone. It’s fine to expect good things from highly skilled prospects. If they can’t sufficiently deliver good things, they should be put in a position to develop further. Right now he’s playing shotgun on the first line in the NHL. So that topic is closed. If you’re happy with how he’s playing that’s great, what’s there to argue about??

He has 6 points in his last 7 games. Incredibly small sample size but it’s enough to show me that there is some good potential there. The assist last night was really nice as well and we are seeing some flashes consistently which was my biggest criticism last year. I think this kids going to be alright.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I like that he’s picking up incidental points. It means puck touches, it means involvement in the play, it means he’s been or gone to the right areas. It means he is closer to being central to the necessary production.

But praising that he’s just tied points with Newhook, the not particularly special player who’s been out of action for weeks, is really really silly.

It’s not about unrealistic expectations but rather very real, very pragmatic ones. Constantly twisting the screw of low standards tighter doesn’t help anyone. It’s fine to expect good things from highly skilled prospects. If they can’t sufficiently deliver good things, they should be put in a position to develop further. Right now he’s playing shotgun on the first line in the NHL. So that topic is closed. If you’re happy with how he’s playing that’s great, what’s there to argue about??

That’s a very disingenuous twisting of what he said. Come on.

 

[SlafySZN]

That’s a very disingenuous twisting of what he said. Come on.

He’s also the first to talk about production constantly, saying Slaf should produce but since he’s been doing just that he finds other things to be negative about.

Slaf has 6 points in his last 7 games, he is producing at the same rate as Caufield. If we remember, when he joined the first line they were playing great but couldn’t buy a goal now they are producing and Slaf produce close to PPG since then and it’s still not enough for some of those fans.

 

[Tyson]

He is up there as one of the best passers on this team. He has some awesome upside.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

He’s also the first to talk about production constantly, saying Slaf should produce but since he’s been doing just that he finds other things to be negative about.

Slaf has 6 points in his last 7 games, he is producing at the same rate as Caufield. If we remember, when he joined the first line they were playing great but couldn’t buy a goal now they are producing and Slaf produce close to PPG since then and it’s still not enough for some of those fans.

He’s an important part of a first line that is producing pretty damn close to what a 1st line should be producing like.

And he’s producing of late. And he’s bringing more than that. And he’s 19 and still very raw.

As of now, these are huge positives.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

But they're "incidental" points, as his post suggests. So, whenever he produces, it's basically just pure luck. However, when he doesn't produce, it's automatically attributable to poor performances on the ice.

When Cooley was out producing Slaf by a bigger margin earlier, Cooley’s PP point’s didn’t need context as ‘points are points’ but now Slaf’s production needs qualifiers.
It’s just real bad faith from a poster who is actually very intelligent and insightful.

 

[Kennerback]

But they're "incidental" points, as his post suggests. So, whenever he produces, it's basically just pure luck. However, when he doesn't produce, it's automatically attributable to poor performances on the ice.

The total production is OK recently. But he’s not exploiting opportunities in the Ozone. Track the shifts of an NHL winger and you see they do everything they can with less offensive opportunities than Slaf.

Slaf is letting way too much on the table. Whether it’s not shooting, not taking the puck to the net, or passing to the wrong guy at the wrong time. Even with his sub-par shot release he could do much more.

 

[BaseballCoach]

He’s also the first to talk about production constantly, saying Slaf should produce but since he’s been doing just that he finds other things to be negative about.

Slaf has 6 points in his last 7 games, he is producing at the same rate as Caufield. If we remember, when he joined the first line they were playing great but couldn’t buy a goal now they are producing and Slaf produce close to PPG since then and it’s still not enough for some of those fans.

When Cooley was out producing Slaf by a bigger margin earlier, Cooley’s PP point’s didn’t need context as ‘points are points’ but now Slaf’s production needs qualifiers.
It’s just real bad faith from a poster who is actually very intelligent and insightful.

Slaf's assists will always be incidental with this guy, since he is neither a center nor the PP QB. Mucking around the front of the net, winning board battles, passing to the 1CV and sniping winger, a bit of Clark Gillies in him and still younger than when Gillies broke in.

 

[Rapala]

Suzuki with 14 points in 13 games in Dec. coincides with Slaf getting bumped.
I don't think it's coincidental.

Say what you want but for me he hasn't been the worst player on that line

 

[Tyson]

Suzuki with 14 points in 13 games in Dec. coincides with Slaf getting bumped.
I don't think it's coincidental.

Say what you want but for me he hasn't been the worst player on that line

He is proving that he belongs on that line.