Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[WeThreeKings]

Who was the last 1st pick which had lesser impact on the game in his first 40- 50 games than Slaf?
Stefan?

Jack Hughes and Alexis Lafreniere.

 

[Kennerback]

Pretty sure Yakupov was given #1 PP time.

He probably was early on. However, I think Slaf should play well enough to force MSL’s hand.

I do however have a problem with his usage vs Gallagher. Forget about compounded ice time, Slaf directly loses some valuable ice time to him.

Either MSL views Gallagher as more important, which is a problem whether he’s right or wrong. Either Gallagher has so much importance in dressing room politics that he needs to be assuaged, not good either.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Slaf main issue his with the speed (of execution) in the NHL, there is a large gap between the NHL and the AHL there (and between NHL teams as shown by the Wild vs Habs last game).

There is also a large gap between high school and university but that doesn't mean 10 years old who want to be engineers should skip the former.

If he gets sent down, he's not going to adapt to the NHL speed of execution at all.

Logical fallacies in action.

He can learn plenty in the AHL (and would have doubly so last season). He's a man-child who shows some good potential. He's a raw player with the odd flash of brilliance. He should be seeing plenty of minutes, be relied upon and go against an appropriate level of competition.

Young Euros are in a unique position in this respect. Teams have a golden opportunity to send these 18, 19 years old to a professional league that is just one step behind the NHL, with a coaching staff that has a direct line to the big club. Meanwhile, NA guys of that age are confined to the CHL with no intermediate step to take, even if they are ready to make one.

I've seen a few people criticize the selection of Slaf at #1 and I disagree with that. No one was clearly standing out but he's definitely one of the guys with the most raw potential. He was an understandable choice in a shitty year. But that needs careful development and Saint-Louis, Hughes and Gorton are f***ing that up. I don't know if they're somehow blinded by his draft status but he's not ready and they are wasting key years of his.

 

[LesCanadiens]

I have a question for posters calling Slaf a bust. At what point was/is LaFreniere a bust? Or isn't he? Is he a bust if all he pans out to be is a 40pt player? Slaf has had far better ppg to this point than Joe Thornton and Owen Nolan did. I use them as comparables as they were both big kids selected 1st overall. Now, I'm not saying Slaf is a lock to become as good as those guys wound up being, but I'm also not going to say he's a lock to be a bust. Hughes said right off the bat that they're looking for him to be the best player drafted in 2023 by year 3. Big bodies usually develop slower. Add to that a massive change of culture, I'd give the kid more time before screaming BUST.

 

[morhilane]

Logical fallacies in action.

Accuse me of logical fallacies, start talking about anything but NHL speed of execution which is the only thing I mentioned.

 

[Mrb1p]

I have a question for posters calling Slaf a bust. At what point was/is LaFreniere a bust? Or isn't he? Is he a bust if all he pans out to be is a 40pt player? Slaf has had far better ppg to this point than Joe Thornton and Owen Nolan did. I use them as comparables as they were both big kids selected 1st overall. Now, I'm not saying Slaf is a lock to become as good as those guys wound up being, but I'm also not going to say he's a lock to be a bust. Hughes said right off the bat that they're looking for him to be the best player drafted in 2023 by year 3. Big bodies usually develop slower. Add to that a massive change of culture, I'd give the kid more time before screaming BUST.

Hes not a bust, hes a disappointment. Slaf isnt but hell most liekly be a disappointment at 1Oa. Just like Laf is.

 

[Deebs]

Hes not a bust, hes a disappointment. Slaf isnt but hell most liekly be a disappointment at 1Oa. Just like Laf is.

I think the only disappointment is where he's playing. Absolutely never should've been in the NHL last year and really, he shouldn't be here now. There is zero rush with him, zero and that's what's happening and it's truly unfortunate. Him and Roy should be trying to light up the A together and then bring that to the NHL as a combo.

 

[Mrb1p]

I think the only disappointment is where he's playing. Absolutely never should've been in the NHL last year and really, he shouldn't be here now. There is zero rush with him, zero and that's what's happening and it's truly unfortunate. Him and Roy should be trying to light up the A together and then bring that to the NHL as a combo.

Agreed.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Pretty sure Yakupov was given #1 PP time.

Slafkovsky is playing on a last place team in desperate need of guys to step up offensively on the PP. The opportunity is there for him to get those minutes as well.

 

[morhilane]

Slafkovsky is playing on a last place team in desperate need of guys to step up offensively on the PP. The opportunity is there for him to get those minutes as well.

The way MSL/Burrows has been coaching, Gallagher will get opportunities on PP1 over Slaf.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I have a question for posters calling Slaf a bust. At what point was/is LaFreniere a bust? Or isn't he? Is he a bust if all he pans out to be is a 40pt player? Slaf has had far better ppg to this point than Joe Thornton and Owen Nolan did. I use them as comparables as they were both big kids selected 1st overall. Now, I'm not saying Slaf is a lock to become as good as those guys wound up being, but I'm also not going to say he's a lock to be a bust. Hughes said right off the bat that they're looking for him to be the best player drafted in 2023 by year 3. Big bodies usually develop slower. Add to that a massive change of culture, I'd give the kid more time before screaming BUST.

With a young player all I hope for are glimpses of what he can be. Even if its just a couple shifts a year.

 

[nhlfan9191]

The way MSL/Burrows has been coaching, Gallagher will get opportunities on PP1 over Slaf.

It would not be hard to supplant Gallagher on the PP regardless of whatever politics people think may be going on. They’d be actively throwing games and screwing with the rebuild if they weren’t choosing to let their more effective young guys who they’re hell bent on keeping in the NHL play above Gallagher. The reason he isn’t playing there is because they don’t think he’s better option right now and that begs the question on what we’re really doing with Slafkovsky right now.

 

[morhilane]

It would not be hard to supplant Gallagher on the PP regardless of whatever politics people think may be going on. They’d be actively throwing games and screwing with the rebuild if they weren’t choosing to let their more effective young guys who they’re hell bent on keeping in the NHL play above Gallagher. The reason he isn’t playing there is because they don’t think he’s better option right now and that begs the question on what we’re really doing with Slafkovsky right now.

Gallagher is being played above Ylonen and RHP who have been more effective than him in pre-season and all 3 games this season. Gally shouldn't be on PP2 over these two to start with.

And they aren't doing anything with Slafkovsky. MSL said it before the season started, he haven't really started to coach him yet.

 

[Seb]

Who the eff cares what Slaf's impact is in his first or second year in comparison to the other 1st OV picks?

How many times does it have to be explained that :

1) He was drafted 1st in one of the weakest draft at the top in the past 25 years so it's ridiculous to compare him to most of the other 1st OV.
2) He was always a project. We will most likely have to wait a few years before he becomes impactful.

So yeah, progression in his game is all we can hope for right now.

 

[Tyson]

No one wants Slaf to succeed more than me but is it fair to say that while he has shown marginal progress, he clearly is not showing enough for someone having been drafted 1OA?

 

[morhilane]

1) He was drafted 1st in one of the weakest draft at the top in the past 25 years so it's ridiculous to compare him to most of the other 1st OV.

This one is starting to looked like an understatement. 2023 had more NHL ready players than 2022 even does a year later. Wright and Kasper played a few games in the NHL last year, but none this year even.

 

[Ezpz]

No one wants Slaf to succeed more than me but is it fair to say that while ge has shown marginal progress, he clearly is not showing enough for someone having been drafted 1OA?

Yeah this rebuild is a dud if we don't get Celebrini. I don't see a single forward or prospect in our system that would be on Toronto's top line and they're not even a real contender. We can't even say look at Vegas when none of our D have established themselves yet and our goaltending trio is the worst in the league, Monty is back to waiver fodder level. Vegas also has the best defensive winger of this generation and a franchise center in Eichel. We're currently set up to be a 2010s Minnesota Wild where we may make the playoffs and go out early every year but could also miss in any given year.

 

[LesCanadiens]

With a young player all I hope for are glimpses of what he can be. Even if its just a couple shifts a year.

Exactly my sentiments as well. A few games into his second season doesn't seem to equate to all the negativity.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Slaf’s playing with the 3rd Center at 5 on 5. He plays with Gallagher on the 2nd PP. 2 top centres are on the 1st PP. He has no special responsibilities otherwise.

He’s on a third line track with no defensive responsibilities. The fact they liked playing him with Dach doesn’t change that. Same as RHP, he’s not a 1st liner whether he plays with Suzuki or not.

More like "if he struggles", he'll end up with 20-30.

Whereas if he keeps showing the positive progress he's shown so far this season, he should surpass 30 barring injury

Is this Miller Time's expert opinion?

Before Dach’s injury I’d have completely disagreed. But now? I think you’re probably right.

Agreed. There was good chemistry there.

 

[Captain Mountain]

No one wants Slaf to succeed more than me but is it fair to say that while ge has shown marginal progress, he clearly is not showing enough for someone having been drafted 1OA?

....No? He was the only player from his draft class to play meaningful NHL minutes last season. Its been 3 games this season and he has the same number of points as Suzuki. He's had good underlying numbers (even without Dach) an hasn't been as sheltered as he was last season.

Unless you were expecting a superstar 1st OA player (no one should have expected that), then I'm not sure where you would get "clearly is not showing enough"? from.

 

[salbutera]

I hope you are right but I am not optimistic with this player panning out. I am trying to stay positive, looking for glimpses of what's to come, I don't see much. Maybe it's the team in general around him. Maybe he needs to play in a lower league. He imo does not belong in the NHL and this could backfire badly.

Define “panning out”?

Pre 2022 draft it was unanimous, there was no generational talent available, and was the weakest daft cuvée since 2000.

 

[ReHabs]

Who the eff cares what Slaf's impact is in his first or second year in comparison to the other 1st OV picks?

How many times does it have to be explained that :

1) He was drafted 1st in one of the weakest draft at the top in the past 25 years so it's ridiculous to compare him to most of the other 1st OV.
2) He was always a project. We will most likely have to wait a few years before he becomes impactful.

So yeah, progression in his game is all we can hope for right now.

Cooley is out producing him. Arizona probably doesn’t feel it was a bad draft. Why should Habs fans be told to eat crap and be grateful?

 

[Tyson]

....No? He was the only player from his draft class to play meaningful NHL minutes last season. Its been 3 games this season and he has the same number of points as Suzuki. He's had good underlying numbers (even without Dach) an hasn't been as sheltered as he was last season.

Unless you were expecting a superstar 1st OA player (no one should have expected that), then I'm not sure where you would get "clearly is not showing enough"? from.

Did he show enough in the 39 games he played last season? Just because he played more games than other 2022 pick doesn't mean he should have. Maybe it was a huge blunder by our God like management team?

 

[Kennerback]

Cooley is out producing him. Arizona probably doesn’t feel it was a bad draft. Why should Habs fans be told to eat crap and be grateful?

I’m still barely more impressed with Cooley. 3 assists. 2 of them secondary by virtue of being Center on the 1st line/PP and logging tons of minutes. I’ll give it a couple more games before I crown him.

 

[WeThreeKings]

This seems to be the biggest issue

Not all 1st overall prospects are created equal.

You have to adjust the expectations around the choices we had. Right now the best player looks to be Cooley and even with the best prognostication on Cooley, he's a small center who likely goes to wing and becomes a similar player to Keller.

The draft was weak and it's been known it was. Even Bob McKenzie said it didn't look like they had a surefire 1st line player in it.