Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[le_sean]

I like what Marty said about the open dialogue with Slaf. That it’s a discussion and not a dictatorship, and he’s very engaged. I have a feeling it wouldn’t be that way with Shane Wright.

 

[Jaynki]

The fishbowl aspect is in and of itself a good reason for the Habs to not rush prospects. Montreal is a unique market so players in general might need more time to mature to play here.

You are right. Sorry English is my 2nd language and i did not understand the fishbowl analogy correctly the first time.

But yeah, you are right. I think the new management also put an emphasis on this and that they will select player that will thrive in our f***ed-up market.

People are mocking this as character like MT/MB used to say, but i think its truly an aspect worth considering.

 

[DAChampion]

You are right. Sorry English is my 2nd language and i did not understand the fishbowl analogy correctly the first time.

But yeah, you are right. I think the new management also put an emphasis on this and that they will select player that will thrive in our f***ed-up market.

People are mocking this as character like MT/MB used to say, but i think its truly an aspect worth considering.

Your English is terrific and I'd never have suspected it's your second language.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Honestly, I didn’t watch it. It’s preseason and there is a bunch of hopeless rubbish on both teams. Sorry to disappoint.

Calm down, you’re acting hysterical.

If you’ve already made up your mind, you don’t have an argument.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

Slaf must’ve had a good game last night. Beforehand the poll was pretty close, now it’s solidly in favour of him being in the NHL.

The game was against an AHL team...

 

[Jaynki]

Your English is terrific and I'd never have suspected it's your second language.

Thank you kind sir. Its a pleasure exchanging with you on HFBoards.

And although a controversed character, its a real pleasure exchanging with @ReHabs and one have to admit he has a way to make his point in a subtly provocative, really funny manner.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

He will be a force earlier than 21 but once he matures he will be dominant and become a top 10 player in this league. I wouldn't bet against him.

Man, this is just as bad as those who think he will bust. It reminds of when KK was having a good first season and people jumped the gun.

The most defining thing that seperates the top 10-20 from the rest is high hockey IQ. There are many big and skilled players that do not reach it because they do not have that very high-end hockey IQ.

 

[Tyson]

Man, this is just as bad as those who think he will bust. It reminds of when KK was having a good first season and people jumped the gun.

The most defining thing that seperates the top 10-20 from the rest is high hockey IQ. There are many big and skilled players that do not reach it because they do not have that very high-end hockey IQ.

Perhaps you are right and we all have opinions on the matter. I may very well be wrong. One thing for sure, I have never drawn a paycheck for my hockey expertise. I am a pure fan who has an opinion that I hope isn't wrong.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Perhaps you are right and we all have opinions on the matter. I may very well be wrong. One thing for sure, I have never drawn a paycheck for my hockey expertise. I am a pure fan who has an opinion that I hope isn't wrong.

I'm just cautioning you that big and skilled is not the main defining feature of top ten players, yet a lot are doing like you and think big & skilled is what will lead to high performance. It's still the biggest mystery box with Slaf. How high can his hockey IQ go. There's really no telling for now.

As it is, Caufield and Suzuki are more likely to reach that as they have high hockey IQ and I very much doubt they'll reach the top 10.

 

[ReHabs]

If you’ve already made up your mind, you don’t have an argument.

I'm making a point not to take the troll bait and respond to personal attacks that are off-topic but you have me completely wrong. Going forward I will continue to report these as 'flames', because they are. Stick to the topic -- I am not the topic. That said...

I admit I don't follow prospects. I admit I have zero interest in non-NHL hockey. I admit I would never think I know about any prospect beyond a cursory and then detailed personal analysis of the write-ups as the draft approaches. It fits with my skills in my life -- I am not an athlete or sportsman, much less professional team sports.

If Slafkovsky succeeds it will be 100% good for me. I'll argue what I believe for as long as I am interested in doing so but I have zero motivation to lie about what I believe or do not believe. I don't like prospects with Slafkovsky's profile - true - and I would have never drafted him with the 1OA - true - I think last year was a catastrophic failure - true - but I very much want his success despite all this.

I will disagree with many of you and your blisteringly low standards for success and your painfully low standards of this prospect but that doesn't mean I don't also want success, both this player's and the team's. I want to see a star player out of him, I want to see him win a playoff round for us. I want to see him score GWGs and shoot out goals. I have zero motivation to want his failure -- his failure would mean a cascading series of failures that will undermine all of the current management team. Nobody wants to see this to happen except maybe Marc Bergevin. So, kindly, gimme a damn break.

The context wouldn't be different...just our perception of it would be.

The "feels" would be better, that's all.

Him playing in a different league last year (ie one that isn't the top-tier of the sport) would very much be a tangibly different context. Use your head.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It's always the same little group of guys that bash him. You can find the same group bashing the team in the tank thread.

That will always be the case. There were guys who bashed Price - we traded Halak and they never got over it. We had guys who trashed PK... On other team boards there are certain fans who will bash their star players. It is what it is.

Not sure why that thread even exists this year, as it's not a tank year per say. That thread is an embarrassment and not sure why it's even allowed.

The tank thread exists because it's where people can go to discuss a rebuild. It's a catch all thread and safe space to talk about the team sinking in the standings. And because it's all contained in one area, it's easy to avoid if you don't want to read about it.

 

[Redux91]

ROTFLMFAO.

If the semi-NHL Senators last night were rubbish, how is sending Slaf to play against the full and true Belleville Senators preferable?

/thread.
Lol

 

[417]

Him playing in a different league last year (ie one that isn't the top-tier of the sport) would very much be a tangibly different context. Use your head.

it's ironic (again) to see you write this, moments after crying foul of personal attacks.

But I mean, sure, the context of where he played would be different...but he'd still be the same player lol.

That's the main point.

 

[BaseballCoach]

That will always be the case. There were guys who bashed Price - we traded Halak and they never got over it. We had guys who trashed PK... On other team boards there are certain fans who will bash their star players. It is what it is.

The tank thread exists because it's where people can go to discuss a rebuild. It's a catch all thread and safe space to talk about the team sinking in the standings. And because it's all contained in one area, it's easy to avoid if you don't want to read about it.

That is fine, but the agreement when the thread was first created last year or the year before was that tank consideratinos should not be peppered into all the other threads.

If that is enforced, we should be good.

 

[habdynasty]

Slaf stalker took a slap shot past the tonsils last night.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It'd be so good for Slaf if we had a superstar center to bring him along. Take the pressure off, help boost his points. It's a drag when you don't have that.

But I think Dach might be the next best thing. He has really improved. Drives the play, big strong player who I think is only going to get better. He made that number one line so much better last year.

I'd still prefer AHL. But if Slaf stays up, Dach could be really good for him. Two big guys that will be really hard to contain.

 

[BaseballCoach]

We had 68 points last season and finished 5th last. It's not because Guy Larose decided the team will be better that it's the reality that will unfold.

The reality right now is that we're still at the bottom of the barrel. We might get out, we might not, but to stand there and pretend we already moved on is foolish at best.

The embarrasment is seeing habs fans once again counting their chickens before they hatch.

It might come down to injuries.

Suzuki-Caufield-X
Monahan-Dach-X
Newhook-Anderson-X
RHP-Gallagher-X

are four decent lines.

Matheson-Barron
Guhle-Savard
Xhekaj-Harris

Monty ( if continues improving)
Allen as backup

..is really a decent lineup. Likely not a playoff team, but should be better than last year easily.

 

[Dharvey08]

His positioning without the puck is much better and that’s a major part of the « step » he needs to make.

I am seeing strides in his game and unlike Galchenyuk he seems to be learning from his mistakes.

The guy could very well become a force to reckon with sooner rather than later.

 

[Gustave]

It'd be so good for Slaf if we had a superstar center to bring him along. Take the pressure off, help boost his points. It's a drag when you don't have that.

But I think Dach might be the next best thing. He has really improved. Drives the play, big strong player who I think is only going to get better. He made that number one line so much better last year.

I'd still prefer AHL. But if Slaf stays up, Dach could be really good for him. Two big guys that will be really hard to contain.

If he’s up, give him minutes and important game situations. He has to learn his role, I’m not going through another failed experience with a pick.

Laf and Kakko are stuck on a 3rd line, no way Jose, don’t want that with Slaf.

 

[ReHabs]

it's ironic (again) to see you write this, moments after crying foul of personal attacks.

But I mean, sure, the context of where he played would be different...but he'd still be the same player lol.

That's the main point.

The topic is Slafkovksy and his progress and development — we all know he isn’t the finished product no matter what happened last year or happens this year — therefore a different context (ie priors) would have a different perceived trajectory for him.

Has anyone ever told you that you like to argue for its own sake?

 

[morhilane]

The game was against an AHL team...

It was the Senators NHL bottom 6 and half their NHL dmen + experienced AHLers/twinners beside Toure playing for a spot on the main team.

And Dach's line dominated them all. That line played like a top 2 NHL line last game or the Sens bottom 6 will be very weak this coming season...

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If he’s up, give him minutes and important games situations. He has to learn his role, I’m not going through another failed experience with a pick.

Laf and Kakko are stuck on a 3rd line, no way Jose, don’t want that with Slaf.

Totally agree.

I don't think last year was a waste or 'catastrophic' but I think Slaf would be a better player today if he'd gotten more ice at a lower level. Instead we played him in limited minutes and didn't give him much time with our best players.

If he's going to be up this year he MUST be in the top six. If not, just send him down. I'd prefer he be in the AHL anyway. I'd rather he be THE MAN down there and get all the PP time, best linemates, dominate... But I get the argument for keeping him up. Want to keep him up? Okay. But don't f*** around with this guy.

Great call out on Laf and Kakko. That's exactly what I want to avoid. Even if they get used on the first this year and break out... it's still a lot of wasted years. The Rangers really did a piss poor job with those guys.

 

[417]

The topic is Slafkovksy and his progress and development — we all know he isn’t the finished product no matter what happened last year or happens this year — therefore a different context (ie priors) would have a different perceived trajectory for him.

Yet here you are, with personal attacks.

But no, I disagree with you, a different context last year just changes our perception of where he's at as a prospect.

I.e. if he played in Laval last year and had 50+pts, yet had the exact same performance on Monday that he had...we'd all be in the prospect board telling everyone who can read that he's the next Rick Nash.

Has anyone ever told you that you like to argue for its own sake?

This is a discussion forum - I engaged you with a discussion,

You responded with "use your head".

I'm not sure if you understand the purpose of a discussion forum, but it's very existence is to "argue for one's own sake". But I promise you, there's nothing about discussing Juraj Slafkovsky that gives me the desire to attack you personally, it ain't that serious for me.

 

[Lshap]

A reminder the topic is Slafkovsky, not each other. Kindly stop attempting to reach into each other minds and reveal our hidden motives. 1) It's not allowed. 2) It's not interesting to read or particularly funny – an even worse sin IMO.

 

[rik schau]

He's looking better than last season but still needs to be more stable. Depending on the roster,might be fine either place but some time in the A can't hurt.