Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Seb]

I have been mocked for that but Slafkovsky is sincerely experimenting parabolic, exponential growth.

Just like in his draft year. It's the kind of person/player he is.

It's one of the reason they passed on Wright. The guy's progression simply stalled while Slaf kept getting better and better.

Sky truly is the limit with Slaf and the future will most likely be super exciting. We might have picked first overall in a down year at the top but every team craves a Slafkovsky and we got one.

 

[schnapshot]

He's far more physically assertive and developed than KK at the same age. Bambi comparisons are way off.

Speaking of KK, he only has one more point than Slaf this season

 

[sampollock]

picked up Slaf in my keeper draft. Get to keep 3 prospects under 200 games. Keep forgetting he is only 19

 

[shamrun]

picked up Slaf in my keeper draft. Get to keep 3 prospects under 200 games. Keep forgetting he is only 19

Exactly the kind of player we need for deep playoff pushes. I think this team will surprise us in a few years.

 

[Jaaanosik]

Speaking of KK, he only has one more point than Slaf this season

... and KK is on a better team that scored 25 (>15%) more goals.

 

[LesCanadiens]

A benefit in disguise for his early stats woes is that it’s hard to flex on the main board. Habs fans are forced to be cautious before stuffing him down everyone’s throat.

I understand why many feel this way. I don't and never will. I'll never start a thread on the main boards because it's often a cesspool of trolls who hate us and our team. But I'll NEVER refrain from posting to defend our players and team with objective praise and NEVER pick my spots. They can kiss my ass.

 

[LesCanadiens]

He has excellent vision and decisiveness when it comes to passing. The jury is still out on his goal scoring ceiling but 45-55 assists could be had with his talent/style

I hear ya. If we're talking ceiling in the true sense of the word. I can see a career high of 35 via 15pp goals (should be able to get 10 of those alone parked at the goalies doorstep) and can't see any reason he can't reach 20 even strength. Especially as he improves his shot.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Some food for thought....

https://x.com/BartsBytes/status/1747643853094396298?s=20

First 82 games of their career.

Jack had 3 more goals and 8 more points. 2 of those goals were PP goals, how many PP apples did Jack have?

Crazy amount more shots on goal for Jack. Jack had more than 2 minutes of ice time per game more.

Slaf impacts the game in other ways (ie. blocked shots and hits)

Jack is a special player, and a different position. But exponential growth is something that is real and can occur year over year.

Let us pray that Slaf's development on the offensive side of the puck in the next 82 and subsequent 82 mirrors Jack's.

Thanks for this. Yeah like not all superstars come in producing like superstars. That really shouldn't be news.

I'm not guaranteeing that he's a PPG+ in his prime but it's certainly not outrageous that he'd be in that ballpark.

The only reason I can see people thinking that he'd max out at 50-60 is that he's a Hab and a large portion of our fan base suffers from the same feeling that the Nam vet in Springsteen's Born in the USA experiences --'Feel like a dog that's been beat too much...'

 

[Doublechin]

Good to see him going, in rare cases in life, I love being wrong, Slaf becoming an impact player is one case I'd love to be wrong on

 

[SlafySZN]

The tape job checks out lol

 

[V13]

It's absolutely important. Its just worthless without talent.

Indeed. I often come back to the early 2000's Rangers aka ''The Country Club'' as an exemple. On paper they had a team to be a contender with the Leetch , Lindros , Jagr , Kovalev , Holik etc but ended up sucking because practices were optional , room had character issues , guys were half assing it etc.

Talent is very important but team chemistry , cohesion , character and having good leaders is also a big part of the equation

 

[Tabarouette]

This thread and the Caufield thread is full of crow. Watch Guhle be the next one to get that treatment.

i'll accept getting called out for my shitting on Slaf (I still think he's mid) and Caufield (i'm frustrated with his play, not just his production)

but i'd NEVER shit on my baby boy Guhle he's my son my boy my one true love

 

[Tabarouette]

Also funny when our 1st overall scores twice bringing him up to 6 goals past the halfway point of the season and people in here go "hmmm the haters don't have much to talk about anymore hehe "

Eat the crumbs

 

[Tabarouette]

This guy will NEVER score 90 points in the NHL jesus christ y'all need to be kept in check by @Mrb1p and I, you run wild when we're not around

 

[Goalfield13]

Also funny when our 1st overall scores twice bringing him up to 6 goals past the halfway point of the season and people in here go "hmmm the haters don't have much to talk about anymore hehe "

Eat the crumbs

Cope.

 

[Mrb1p]

This thread and the Caufield thread is full of crow. Watch Guhle be the next one to get that treatment.

Theyve already started shitting on Guhle.

Very weird as hes consistently the best hab on the ice with Nick, whos also seeing hate.

 

[417]

Also funny when our 1st overall scores twice bringing him up to 6 goals past the halfway point of the season and people in here go "hmmm the haters don't have much to talk about anymore hehe "

Eat the crumbs

Oddly enough...a lot of people have never even gotten into the discussion about production.

It was about the process.

Now the process, is leading to more production. Hopefully that continues.

But i'll say like I've said from jump, we're just scratching the surface.

 

[Tabarouette]

Cope.

is Cope another player, I don't see him on hockeydb, he's probably better than Slaf

Oddly enough...a lot of people have never even gotten into the discussion about production.

It was about the process.

Now the process, is leading to more production. Hopefully that continues.

But i'll say like I've said from jump, we're just scratching the surface.

Hey i'm glad he's doing better than "absolute dogshit, might be one of the worst skaters in the NHL" like he did for the first 15-20 games

I'd love to cheer for him and i'd love for him to impress me and turn into a great player, I just don't see it happening with this guy at all, this is KK and Galchenyuk all over again from where I stand so i'm not holding my breath

 

[lillypad33]

People continue to overlook Slaf's defensive abilities.
He's a shot blocking machine. I'd like to see him get some PK time in the next few games.

 

[bcv]

This guy will NEVER score 90 points in the NHL jesus christ y'all need to be kept in check by @Mrb1p and I, you run wild when we're not around

The only people I've seen mention 90 pts for Slaf are those saying he will never get 90 pts.

There probably was some people throwing that number around and I missed it but it must've been like 5 people max.

I agree though, I don't see him getting 90 pts.

 

[417]

Hey i'm glad he's doing better than "absolute dogshit, might be one of the worst skaters in the NHL" like he did for the first 15-20 games

He was never dog shit, and you're certainly not glad he's doing better.

No one glad would make a post like this. He's doing better and it's causing you to be bitter and petty. That's a "you" issue, not him doing better.

I'd love to cheer for him and i'd love for him to impress me and turn into a great player, I just don't see it happening with this guy at all, this is KK and Galchenyuk all over again from where I stand so i'm not holding my breath

Debatable.

 

[Tabarouette]

He was never dog shit, and you're certainly not glad he's doing better.

No one glad would make a post like this. He's doing better and it's causing you to be bitter and petty. That's a "you" issue, not him doing better.

Debatable.

didn't know you knew me that well, do I have to pay rent to live in your head like that?
I know how I feel thank you very much i've turned the corner on players before when they actually showed potential or growth over a more reasonable period of time than what we're seeing right now. His current performances are still in the outlier category, for now

and yes he was dogshit there's no other ways to put it

Theyve already started shitting on Guhle.

Very weird as hes consistently the best hab on the ice with Nick, whos also seeing hate.

idk how you can look at Guhle and go yeah this guy is a problem on this team right now

 

[Mrb1p]

He was never dog shit, and you're certainly not glad he's doing better.

No one glad would make a post like this. He's doing better and it's causing you to be bitter and petty. That's a "you" issue, not him doing better.

Debatable.

Ya he was dogshit for a good 60 games, lets not rewrite history.

It never meant hed bust, as weve said a thousand times, it just meant he was shit.

 

[417]

didn't know you knew me that well, do I have to pay rent to live in your head like that?

I don't need to know…you’re bitter about a player on a team, I presume you cheer for, doing better.

I know how I feel thank you very much i've turned the corner on players before when they actually showed potential or growth over a more reasonable period of time than what we're seeing right now. His current performances are still in the outlier category, for now

His current performance isn't an outlier, it's pretty steady growth that's typical for most players.

Just because he didn't do it fast enough for you or on YOUR timeline, doesn't mean it's an outlier.

and yes he was dogshit there's no other ways to put it

There's plenty of other ways to describe it.

 

[Miller Time]

The only people I've seen mention 90 pts for Slaf are those saying he will never get 90 pts.

There probably was some people throwing that number around and I missed it but it must've been like 5 people max.

I agree though, I don't see him getting 90 pts.

I can bet you that he has a higher number in mind as far as what he'll be capable in his best season(s).

Anyone claiming certainty that he will/won't be an elite point producer in the NHL is equally out to lunch.

What we can say, definitively, is that Slaf at mid-way of his D2 season has more NHL goals, points, games played & ppg than Kucherov did at the end of his D2.

It wasn't the talent in place at 19 that made Kuch the dominant scorer/Hart candidate he's become, it's what he did year in year out to keep refining it...

Slaf's ceiling is higher than some of you seem to believe. Wether or not he reaches it is far from a foregone conclusion