Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Andy]

10g-35pts ot 15g-30 points would be a good season.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Still thinking of that sequence of play that led to the rush up ice on Newhook's goal. He really fits in well on that line. If he can keep up with Newhook and Dach, he's an Anderson with a good hockey IQ. They don't grow on trees.

I may yet forgive Hughes for not taking Nemec.

His taking Hutson should salve your angst.

 

[HuGort]

Showed some signs last night. Liked what I see for 19 years old

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

19 years old

 

[HomaridII]

There was a few shifts last night that showed what he will become with patience. He won't get there this season, and he doesn't need to.

Eventually he will be a force and a pain to play against. His puck protection is really elite, once he gains confidence he will takeover games, he has the hockey IQ, the skating, the right attitude.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

that goal was a thing of beauty. makes the breakout in his own zone, catches up to the play (everyone was bookin it), and makes a finesse pass to Newhook for the tap-in

 

[Redux91]

As great as his monster shift was, and it was a monster
I'm still super shocked to see a 6"3 230 guy , from our own corner, BLAST up the ice like that, beat a couple guys doing it, and then that great pass (that he attempts a lot honestly) for Newhooks easy 1st goal
It was great to see

Yes the annoying overanalyzing shift by shift guys can find some bad things here and there, you can do that with everyone
But again, that speed of his, tremendous asset, we've seen a thousand players that big all struggle to skate,
But not this kid

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

As great as his monster shift was, and it was a monster
I'm still super shocked to see a 6"3 230 guy , from our own corner, BLAST up the ice like that, beat a couple guys doing it, and then that great pass (that he attempts a lot honestly) for Newhooks easy 1st goal
It was great to see

Yes the annoying overanalyzing shift by shift guys can find some bad things here and there, you can do that with everyone
But again, that speed of his, tremendous asset, we've seen a thousand players that big all struggle to skate,
But not this kid

agree, it's the best part of that clip. MFer teleported up the ice to be in exactly the right place at the right time, and looked like he didn't even break a sweat

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Imagine what he will look like at 23 years old

 

[Redux91]

If you haven't spent your entire summer trashing a kid with 39 games in the NHL, maybe the sneering wouldn't be that bad.

But as you said , it's just one game.......but it's his first one as a top 6 players, playing with top 6 skills next to him. You could've have wait a little before turning him into a bust......

2* summers.
2 long, miserably annoying summers with this guy lol, sigh

 

[417]

After 39 generally awful games: It’s just 39 games!

After 1 good game: hahaha suck it haters, he’s a beast!!

Okay chaps, do you ever wonder what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot? For instance, do you think it would be fair or right for those of us skeptical of Slafkovsky’s presence in the NHL to post 5 pages of barely hidden sneering after a single bad game?

We all want his success and if last year’s experience contributed to his success, then all the better. We need him to be a big time player for us!

Debatable.

 

[Miller Time]

Lets not start lying. None of the games he played this preseason were as good.

No full game, sure... but for those that hadn't already decided that his development was ruined and/or that he was definitively the wrong pick, it was pretty easy to see lots of evidence in his play at the events listed by @Jaynki of the reasons why the team picked him & why they felt good about his progress this far.

Hopefully after a few more games like this in the weeks/months ahead, more of the tunnel vision critics will quiet down and enjoy the ride

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

50 points? Let’s not put the cart before the bull. Other big forwards with some skills like Benoit Pouliot (for the old timers) never reached 40 points. Josh Anderson hit 40 points only once in his career. 50 points means he’s the 3rd wheel on the top line, or at the very least a career top-6 no questions asked.

He has far more upside than Anderson and Pouliot had the upside for much more but never put it together/couldn’t stay upright.

I think too many people are much too invested that this was a weak draft AND we also picked the wrong guy.

He has the raw tools of a top 5 pick in just about any draft. I wouldn’t trade him straight up for a Will Smith. At the very least I’d have to think about it.

In no way do I think he has bottom 6 skill package but in a giant’s body. I THINK many of his critics are operating under that assumption. He’s just VERY raw. I personally think the upside is enormous but he is a tough one to gage.

I still think many of our fans are also suffering from Galch/ KK ptsd. Which is fair but I think many are lowballing his upside immensely because of the aggregate of this ptsd, his rawness, his first season, small sample sizes of dominance in his draft year, etc. I get it for the most part.

I’ve seen enough flashes myself even before this year to think there’s a fantastic player there. If he puts it all together there’s no telling how good he can be. As long as he keeps getting better we’re gonna be in great shape. He has an absurd amount of runway to get better.

I think people will change their tune on him sooner than later

 

[417]

Lets not start lying. None of the games he played this preseason were as good.

He got better and better as preseason went along and he carried that into game 1 with an even better performance.

The aggregate performance of all of those games, is a good barometer of the kind of game he's going to need to play this year.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

10g-35pts ot 15g-30 points would be a good season.

He wouldn’t have been far off that last year had he stayed healthy. Even with all the stuff he has to work on I think he hits 50 at least. As long as there’s no injuries.

I’m worried about that more than anything. If he cuts down on putting himself in vulnerable spots maybe his biggest weakness.

If this line stays together they could end up being our de facto top line. Too much talent on that line for Slaf not to put up big numbers

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Lets not start lying. None of the games he played this preseason were as good.

This is flat out false.

Edit: Sorry I misread this. “As good” I might have to agree. I thought you’d written that he hadn’t had any good games. My mistake.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

As great as his monster shift was, and it was a monster
I'm still super shocked to see a 6"3 230 guy , from our own corner, BLAST up the ice like that, beat a couple guys doing it, and then that great pass (that he attempts a lot honestly) for Newhooks easy 1st goal
It was great to see

Yes the annoying overanalyzing shift by shift guys can find some bad things here and there, you can do that with everyone
But again, that speed of his, tremendous asset, we've seen a thousand players that big all struggle to skate,
But not this kid

I think the Slaf skeptics are genuinely good at pointing out his flaws but are utterly abysmal at seeing/noting his strengths up until now. The flashes have been there all along. I saw them at 2022 rookie camp. They’re there if the eye isn’t jaded enough

 

[salbutera]

Lets not start lying. None of the games he played this preseason were as good.

May not want to mention that to McGuire next time you see him, thinks Slaf was the most improved & consistent Habs player in preseason

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think the Slaf skeptics are genuinely good at pointing out his flaws but are utterly abysmal at seeing/noting his strengths up until now. The flashes have been there all along. I saw them at 2022 rookie camp. They’re there if the eye isn’t jaded enough

He was solid in the preseason. Not perfect but pretty good.

And once again, it’s worth noting that he was off to a pretty good start last year before the team went into the tank. I think he’ll be somewhat insulated from that this year because he’s with Dach - who by the way is much improved himself.

I don’t expect this of Slaf every night. He’s still going to have some rough games and it will likely be two steps forward one step back this year. As long as he continues to improve though, it doesn’t matter.

For the love of God though… leave him with Dach.

 

[Trabdy2]

I've been a fairly moderate "Slafkovsky skeptic", but I'm happy to see how he's been performing so far this year. After last year I was expecting we might be waiting a year or two before he starts to play like he has recently, with a long development curve before his NHL effectiveness ramps us. With younger players, we're going to see some ups and downs, but there are some real signs he's pulling more elements of his game together faster than I thought.

He's starting to use his reach and size a bit more effectively, and seems more confident making plays and using his skillset.

 

[Kennerback]

He got better and better as preseason went along and he carried that into game 1 with an even better performance.

The aggregate performance of all of those games, is a good barometer of the kind of game he's going to need to play this year.

I think his pre-season was a step forward but still not at the level we want him this season. Games like yesterday should be the norm, not the exception.

 

[Miller Time]

He's still a long way from making the most of his potential... but at 19, what we've seen so far gives lots of reason for optimism.

That was true when he got hurt last year, when he started camp, and emphatically so as we sit after game 1 of his 19-year old season... and it will still be true when he goes through the almost inevitable cold stretches this season has in store for the kid...

at which point a bunch of posters will inevitably jump right back on their complain train & roll out the poorly grounded "development mistake" & "wrong player picked" narratives as nauseum... to je to.

For now though, nice to see so many finally allowing themselves to enjoy what we have for a moment

Future is bright

I think his pre-season was a step forward but still not at the level we want him this season. Games like yesterday should be the norm, not the exception.

If you expect him to be a ppg player at 19, you will be disappointed. Fair warning

 

[417]

I think his pre-season was a step forward but still not at the level we want him this season. Games like yesterday should be the norm, not the exception.

Games like yesterday should be the norm?

That's why people get disappointed, because that's an extremely high standard to meet every game.

Not even Nick Suzuki holds that kind of standard, how is it fair to expect it from Slafkovsky?

I saw the game chart and Slafkovsky was far and above every other forward on the ice yesterday.

If that's what you expect on a game to game basis, then prepare to be disappointed.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I think his pre-season was a step forward but still not at the level we want him this season. Games like yesterday should be the norm, not the exception.

Preseason games aren't really about a "level" though. Different players have different goals in preseason, and almost none of them have anything to do with results, wins or specific plays.

Also, if Slaf plays that way every single game, he'd be an 80 point power forward. That seems like an unnecessarily high standard for a teenager.

 

[Jaynki]

50 points? Let’s not put the cart before the bull. Other big forwards with some skills like Benoit Pouliot (for the old timers) never reached 40 points. Josh Anderson hit 40 points only once in his career. 50 points means he’s the 3rd wheel on the top line, or at the very least a career top-6 no questions asked.

Pouliot and Anderson

Slaf is already better than those 2 at their prime even if he is the 8th youngest player in the league

Might as well compare him to Alex Chiasson and Jean Francois Jacques.