Obviously Habs fans can be pleased + happy that he's playing big minutes, he's making his presence felt on the ice, and he's looking completely different than he did earlier this season or almost all of last season. This is a player who had several shortcomings to his overall game and he's rapidly closed the gap in certain domains. We can't be displeased.
Optimistic fans will extrapolate and assume that the other facets will come good too. I'm not one such fan, and it doesn't seem like you are either. I've seen enough hockey to know prospect "projects" (just like real life projects) don't always deliver to 100% completion. A lot has to go right before he's an impact player in the NHL and it's just as likely he comes short. But projecting future failure is negativity for the sake of negativity at this point, so no point dwelling on it... also the denizens here hate it. As I've come to learn.
Catching up to NHL speeds and the dimensions of the NHL game (space and time) is one thing... thriving within that framework by making the right decisions with the right plays, that is another. One impacts the other, sure, but we all see insufficient ability in the latter at this time. The latter is what many of us wanted him to work on in the AHL (or Europe) and we took for granted that the former (adapting to NA ice/speeds) would happen on its own. It didn't happen, we move on. Let's hope he actually shows growth in his decision making and playmaking.
Hopefully with the time-space he's gaining as the game increasingly slows down for him he can make better decisions which will lead to better puck outcomes and refined instincts. It's impossible to predict what it'll look like or what will happen from now until then. Statistically he is an anomaly (in a bad way) but what's a unicorn, then?
Seeing as this thread is about Slaf, I'll try to be brief with my brief.............Might need an enigma device though, and will attempt to be cordial and polite as so many are ultra sensitive and easily offended if you don't go along with the pod mentality.
To address specifically on Slaf I shall limit it but he has improved, that being said, players can improve while playing in the NHL, but Montreal now seems to be a team that develops players in the NHL rather than where they should actually be learning the ropes.
To this onlooker I say that this organization has been shamefully run for a very long time. I prefer a team to be built to be competitive and to contend to win a cup, not built to appease media or fans with particular criteria on how to build a team. My philosophy is to always improve and to the do utmost to do so. It appears that many are content, satisfied with a team void of any elite talent and like the ''wait and see how it all turns out'' approach. My hat goes off to those that are so easily satisfied with such meagerness.
It seems there are more and more people easily impressed and on the verge of going orgasmic when a player makes a decent pass, scores a nice goal ,makes dekes. It is the NHL and it's not like they have just picked the sport up, most hockey players have been playing since they were young and most start doing ''hockey'' moves etc for more than a little while, I just don't get it, maybe I should post some of my old videos and blow some people away. But what do I know, I have been on a few flights and upon routine landings, the passengers applauded! Like WTF? what were they expecting? You would think that if they didn't like the odds of making it ,maybe not fly?
Sorry about the length, probably much longer than expected, but I'm used to hearing that.
. But his meal plan will soon include Cooley and Nemec. 
