Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Junohockeyfan]

When Slaf plays with confidence he skates well and anticipates well. When he loses his confidence he looks slow, tired and out of position.

In the 2nd period of the Leafs game i saw a version of Slaf that was prevalent in his World Championship play. He wanted the puck and wanted to drive the net looking to score.

He will be alright. Needs a couple years to gain confidence and to mature physically. Right now he's big but he's not strong in the core and lacks balance. For big guys, that comes with more physical maturity. For Slaf, that will be in his early 20's.

 

[bcv]

Imagine saying the habs have done nothing to earn trust in the context of year two of a rebuild. No shit.

What you seem to not understand is that you’ve spent 100+ posts criticizng Slafkovsky when the greater point is he hasn’t played enough NHL games for anyone to form a serious opinion on his future. It seems more like an elaborate game or form of trolling for you to pretend like you have a leg to stand on.

Bravo buddy

Ding ding ding

 

[Captain97]

When Slaf plays with confidence he skates well and anticipates well. When he loses his confidence he looks slow, tired and out of position.

In the 2nd period of the Leafs game i saw a version of Slaf that was prevalent in his World Championship play. He wanted the puck and wanted to drive the net looking to score.

He will be alright. Needs a couple years to gain confidence and to mature physically. Right now he's big but he's not strong in the core and lacks balance. For big guys, that comes with more physical maturity. For Slaf, that will be in his early 20's.

This, we are literally seeing it happen with Dach right now. These big guys take longer to fill out their frames but once they do watch out.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

This, we are literally seeing it happen with Dach right now. These big guys take longer to fill out their frames but once they do watch out.

100% agree. Big guys make an impact later than average size or undersized guys. Dach has found his mojo. Dach is now experimenting to determine what he can and can't do with his physical assets and talent. You can see him cutting in the middle now rather than playing on the perimeter and using his size more effectively as well as hitting guys.

Slaf looks awkward when he tries to hit guys. He's not strong. He's big but he's not game strong. He skates well but his balance is not quite there when he has a man draped on him. Like Dach, Slaf's game will come with maturity.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

100% agree. Big guys make an impact later than average size or undersized guys. Dach has found his mojo. Dach is now experimenting to determine what he can and can't do with his physical assets and talent. You can see him cutting in the middle now rather than playing on the perimeter and using his size more effectively as well as hitting guys.

Slaf looks awkward when he tries to hit guys. He's not strong. He's big but he's not game strong. He skates well but his balance is not quite there when he has a man draped on him. Like Dach, Slaf's game will come with maturity.

I’ve seen Slaf look really strong at times and weak at others. Whether it’s a balance thing or legs are weak but the top is reasonably strong, I have no idea.

You see flashes of the strength but it’s not quite there yet. And still does well along the boards some/most of the time. When he fills out, he’ll be a monster there.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I’ve seen Slaf look really strong at times and weak at others. Whether it’s a balance thing or legs are weak but the top is reasonably strong, I have no idea.

You see flashes of the strength but it’s not quite there yet. And still does well along the boards some/most of the time. When he fills out, he’ll be a monster there.

Core and balance combined with raw strength / physical attributes creates game strength. Nylander and Erik Karlsson are good examples of players that are not exactly physical specamins, but are game strong .

Slaf is big and has physical strength but without core strength and balance it doesn't translate to power in the game. Slaf is easy to knock off the puck or win battles against at the moment. Dach is a good example of a big player who is becoming game strong. It took Dach 4 years to get to this point where he's hard to knock off the puck. It will take Slaf 4 years as well.

Leaf's Knies is surprisingly game strong at a young age. He's hard to knock off the puck. PK Subban at his peak was game strong after he built up his core. But then he put on too much muscle / weight and compromised his agility and stamina.

Each player is unique. Hopefully Slaf has the right trainers who can get him to where he needs to be. But i see improvement already.

 

[Habs Halifax]

100% agree. Big guys make an impact later than average size or undersized guys. Dach has found his mojo. Dach is now experimenting to determine what he can and can't do with his physical assets and talent. You can see him cutting in the middle now rather than playing on the perimeter and using his size more effectively as well as hitting guys.

Slaf looks awkward when he tries to hit guys. He's not strong. He's big but he's not game strong. He skates well but his balance is not quite there when he has a man draped on him. Like Dach, Slaf's game will come with maturity.

Well said with Slaf. Takes time for the big boys to fill into their frames so if he does, the results will be much better. Having extra confidence he can move to areas of the ice and handle contact is a big factor for a guy like Slaf. Right now, his balance is a bit off when he faces contact.

Setting aside the physical parts, you can clearly see has has a good shot with vision. There is skill in this big man

 

[Gillings]

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Many people have been vocal about how they had them and Cooley above Slaf, many going as far as saying they had Slaf at 5.

Its ok.

I am simply exposing how it already looks like a bad take.

Btw, they are in the AHL because they could not crack an NHL line up. Not because they are being developed down there.

While Slaf is rapidly emerging as a top six player.



That we cannot draw any conclusion from an 18YO playing in the NHL is not an opinion. Its a fact demonstrated by many evidences.

Lmao, sure. It’s not too early to call or anything. Slaf got an assist and played a strong game. He must clearly be the better pick now. You can’t make this shit up. Haha

Well said and I seen it the same. Modest growth and improvement but lets not pump that up more than what it is.

Slaf is very young and he needs to be with guys like Dach and Newhook. This is how he gains confidence as he matures towards his prime. He doesn't feel he has to do everything on his own. That's what is important right now.

What I would like to see if better ability to carry the puck around guys and handle contact. He's not 100% stable in that area yet as a big player. If he figures that part out, watch out! He has a long reach and if he can cut around guys where he overpowers them, he's going to get the leverage he needs to get that shot or pass off.

Positive signs of him learning how to deal with less time and space. It was an issue last year. Not playing a full season was not a good thing.

we all want Slaf to be a beast. Claiming he was a monster bla bla smells like posters caring more about being right. Much the way they blame the skeptics of wanting to be right. I want to be 100% wrong because my favourite team needs elite talent. Whether he is one remains to be seen.

I always said I thought we got a good player here, but not the pick I would have made and not the path I would have chosen for his 18-19 year old seasons. We will see how it plays out. I want him to be the top pick in the draft because that bodes well for the Habs, which is what I care about.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Lmao, sure. It’s not too early to call or anything. Slaf got an assist and played a strong game. He must clearly be the better pick now. You can’t make this shit up. Haha

we all want Slaf to be a beast. Claiming he was a monster bla bla smells like posters caring more about being right. Much the way they blame the skeptics of wanting to be right. I want to be 100% wrong because my favourite team needs elite talent. Whether he is one remains to be seen.

I always said I thought we got a good player here, but not the pick I would have made and not the path I would have chosen for his 18-19 year old seasons. We will see how it plays out. I want him to be the top pick in the draft because that bodes well for the Habs, which is what I care about.

It will be interesting to see who is the best from Slaf, Nemec, Cooley, Wright, Jiricek. Do they all become 2nd tier talent or does a few of them reach top line or top pairing talent. We can only guess today so no fan should be acting with authority on this.

I would have taken Wright but I was not involved with interviews. Cooley as a skilled winger but how complete will his game be? Heading into his 1st pro season, it does appear he has a bit of an edge to produce.

Remember the KK vs Tkachuk debate? We loss. Is there value into the "it" factor and confidence? Tkachuk to me looked real confident at the WJC before the draft but then other posters talked about his skating and meh production in the NCAA. I wanted Tkachuk but I was influenced by others that is was a bad pick.

 

[bcv]

Lmao, sure. It’s not too early to call or anything. Slaf got an assist and played a strong game. He must clearly be the better pick now. You can’t make this shit up. Haha

If it's too early to tell for Slaf, it certainly is for all others from that draft.

Except Mesar, that dude's a bust.

 

[DAChampion]

@ReHabs ,

You're one of my favorite posters but you do come off like you're emotionally invested in the Slafkovsky debate. It's a bit much how you're so energetic in this thread.

I'll acknowledge that I think that the Habs mishandled him last year, and that he probably wouldn't be drafted first in most draft years. But I still hope and expect a lot from him.

You point out that the first game of the season is a one game sample. Technically true but ... It's the most recent game, and it's really a six game sample once you include strong preseason play. Also I suspect you'd have been present if he had played badly on said one game sample.

 

[Tyson]

Young players like Slaf generally struggle with consistency. Game one he played great no doubt. He may replicate that in game 2 or he may struggle.
If Slaf hits 15-17 goals as a 19 year old I will be ecstatic. Alot of great players don't hit their stride until year 3 or 4. Patience.

 

[Kennerback]

It will be interesting to see who is the best from Slaf, Nemec, Cooley, Wright, Jiricek. Do they all become 2nd tier talent or does a few of them reach top line or top pairing talent. We can only guess today so no fan should be acting with authority on this.

I would have taken Wright but I was not involved with interviews. Cooley as a skilled winger but how complete will his game be? Heading into his 1st pro season, it does appear he has a bit of an edge to produce.

Remember the KK vs Tkachuk debate? We loss. Is there value into the "it" factor and confidence? Tkachuk to me looked real confident at the WJC before the draft but then other posters talked about his skating and meh production in the NCAA. I wanted Tkachuk but I was influenced by others that is was a bad pick.

IDK who I would have taken in the Habs GM position. Out of of the 4 others, Wright seems like the most unlikely to finish the best. To me, he’s stagnated, he’s now in Coachella Valley and did nothing last night. If you want to feel good about Slaf go and watch a Wright AHL game. But I think he’s a bad reference point and would have been a disaster at #1.

 

[japhi]

I’m not trolling but this thread isn’t life in death. Slaf is now floating on a media and fan-fuelled cloud because of his first game. I’m just bringing a bit of balance and I’m fighting a losing battle trying to do so.

Surprised you haven't compared him to Lindsay Vallis yet.

 

[Kennerback]

Surprised you haven't compared him to Lindsay Vallis yet.

Lindsay Vallis would be no more removed with reality than some of the laudatory comparisons in this thread. Two big 1st rounders. But there’s no hate here, I’m convinced Slaf is already better than Vallis.

 

[Gillings]

Jeez a 1st line player in the NHL should be a 80+ point guy consistently.

Montreals first liners are like 50-70 points. That should be 2nd line

30-50 for third and 10-30 for fourth.

That’s my opinion.

 

[Miller Time]

I wonder, for all those so confident in the belief that it was a "mistake" by the team to take the approach they did with Slaf, what's the threshold of evidence you'd need to admit that this was a bad take?

Or is anything that happens over the next 3-5 years irrelevant (unless of course he flames out and never becomes a legit top 6? Top line? player... in which case we'll hear for years about how big of a mistake it was lol)

I'm legitimately curious.

Very few people around here took the team, and player, at their word... Or seemed to bother actually watching the kid play enough to notice the subtle yet definitive ways he was improving prior to the injury) and even fewer have a good grasp of elite athlete development... yet soooo many remain steadfast in their belief that last year was a "mistake", with the only basis of this being his NHL stat line (which, ironically enough, was the best of his draft class )

In any case, it is fun to see that he's come into this season looking energized and showing clear signs of positive progress... that's all that really matters.

 

[DAChampion]

I wonder, for all those so confident in the belief that it was a "mistake" by the team to take the approach they did with Slaf, what's the threshold of evidence you'd need to admit that this was a bad take?

It can't be proven true or false from a single example, it's more of a general rule of thumb.

 

[japhi]

Jeez a 1st line player in the NHL should be a 80+ point guy consistently.

Montreals first liners are like 50-70 points. That should be 2nd line

30-50 for third and 10-30 for fourth.

That’s my opinion.

There are 96 first line players in the NHL and only 29 forwards broke 80 points in 2022. Not even one per team much less all of them.

And no, I am not a math major, but I do have the Google. This data is all very easy to access if you are truly curious about the NHL.

 

[Miller Time]

It can't be proven true or false from a single example, it's more of a general rule of thumb.

And what is that rule, may I ask?

 

[Habs Halifax]

IDK who I would have taken in the Habs GM position. Out of of the 4 others, Wright seems like the most unlikely to finish the best. To me, he’s stagnated, he’s now in Coachella Valley and did nothing last night. If you want to feel good about Slaf go and watch a Wright AHL game. But I think he’s a bad reference point and would have been a disaster at #1.

I like all 5 of them for different reasons. Anybody talking BPA are reaching. There was no clear BPA and we ended up taking the guy with size who was performing well in international tournaments with some men mixed in. Lets not pretend that other teams were high on Slaf and would have been very happy to get him 3-5 range.

I've learned lessons over the years. Regardless of who you like as our GM or scouts, they have more information than we do. All we can do today is watch how he improves and we do have MSL who will give Slaf the best shot at reaching his ceiling.

 

[DesmondDekker]

It was always way too early to write him off. After all he is a 19 year-old kid who couldn’t even breathe properly a couple months ago.

 

[DAChampion]

And what is that rule, may I ask?

Prospects should dominate or at least do well at one level for an extended period before jumping to the next level, moreso if there will be a significant offset in total ice time.

 

[417]

Prospects should dominate or at least do well at one level for an extended period before jumping to the next level, moreso if there will be a significant offset in total ice time.

I think this is great in an idealistic world, but there are many examples of players who don't dominate lower levels before jumping to the NHL.

Brady Tkachuk didn't dominate the NCAA and he put up more points for the Sens last year than anyone not named Alex Kovalev has for the Habs in almost year 30 years.