LW Juraj Slafkovsky (2022, 1st, MTL) Part 3

[OKR]

I think TPS actually did a better job with Slaf's development last season than Habs are doing now. When he wasn't scoring early season in Liiga, they sent him down to play in junior league where he scored 18 points in 11 games. I'm sure that improved his confidence.

Prior to being sent down by TPS:
8GP 0+1

After:
13GP 1+2
2 of those points were against bottom 3 teams btw.

Then after he got suspended for 6 games:
10GP 4+2

So it had much more to do with him being well rested, and not him being confident after dominating kids half his size lol

 

[majormajor]

He should have never made the team based on his training camp performance.

Based on how he was being used and his play, he should have not been kept after 9 games although burning his ELC did not really infuriate me as our cap situation by the time we get to 2025 is quite clean.

He then had a nice 5 points in 7 games stretch to start December, which was good.

And then came a stupid benching in the 3rd period against the Ducks for reasons no one understood last Thursday. Since then, his game has fallen off a cliff. And the coach has essentially benched him twice more in 3rd periods since then. A slew of awful, overpaid veterans get all kinds of rope though.

We seem to be at a crossroads. Will they do the right thing for the player's development or continue to go down the path too many top prospects rushed into the league have gone down and stubbornly keep him in the NHL?

Unless something dramatic changes on the 23rd in Dallas, he should be sent to the AHL as soon as the roster freeze ends on December 28th.

Forget the ELC slide, that won't matter. But if they burn an RFA year at the 40 game mark then that's terrible. Why waste that in a meaningless season when the player is contributing little to nothing.

He needs to be playing AHL level comp to figure out his game. It's hard to understand why some of these GMs keep prospects in bad situations like this. What is the purpose of it?

 

[goforit]

Unfortunately the new regime just like the last one seems intent on making him learn to grind and be a better person or something.

Once a dinosaur old boys club always one.

Maybe someday people will realize that 18 yo kids still have things to learn and to figure out to become good, efficient NHL players. Geez, at that age I was still learning to become an adult, studying and working part time (and partying). Those kids are not different from the others starting their career after graduating, they need to grow in their jobs and to learn from mentors.

It's not about the organization, it's about helping a young man to become the best version of the hockey player he can be. When he plays well, he plays more. When he plays badly, he's sheltered. It has nothing to do with punishment and MSL have been pretty vocal about it.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Why didn’t he go to the World Juniors? Seems so weird to just let him grind it out with 12 mins a game in Montreal. He’s not where the Habs want him surely, and the tournament would have helped him develop with guys his age.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Why didn’t he go to the World Juniors? Seems so weird to just let him grind it out with 12 mins a game in Montreal. He’s not where the Habs want him surely, and the tournament would have helped him develop with guys his age.

In early December he was playing his best hockey of the season. So they felt it was best for him to stick around.

Then came the return from injury of the useless veterans: Hoffman and Drouin. Slaf's ice time started to dip and then came the game against the Ducks on December 15th I talked about in this thread, where he was inexplicably sat for almost the entire 3rd period even though he had 5 points in 7 games entering that night. He has been a broken player since then.

The whole Slaf situation is an absolute mess and a real blackmark on the new front office in my view. They act like he dominated all of last year and all he needs is ''to learn how to be a NHLer'' and ''repetitions''.

He was a 3rd line player in the Liiga last season who essentially produced like one (I know he was better after the Olympics but he still was not dominant). We have wasted a 1/2 season based on this idea he's this NHL ready player that just needs to learn and there is no indication it's about to change. Sigh.

 

[Peasy]

In early December he was playing his best hockey of the season. So they felt it was best for him to stick around.

Then came the return from injury of the useless veterans: Hoffman and Drouin. Slaf's ice time started to dip and then came the game against the Ducks on December 15th I talked about in this thread, where he was inexplicably sat for almost the entire 3rd period even though he had 5 points in 7 games entering that night. He has been a broken player since then.

The whole Slaf situation is an absolute mess and a real blackmark on the new front office in my view. They act like he dominated all of last year and all he needs is ''to learn how to be a NHLer'' and ''repetitions''.

He was a 3rd line player in the Liiga last season who essentially produced like one (I know he was better after the Olympics but he still was not dominant). We have wasted a 1/2 season based on this idea he's this NHL ready player that just needs to learn and there is no indication it's about to change. Sigh.

After seein how Gorton handled Kakko and Laf, can't say its that surprising.

 

[Wats]

Interestingly, he's had by far the worst showing of the last three top 3 picks Habs played in NHL at 18. Maybe he'll develop to be the best, it's all we can hope as Habs fans. That and some lotto luck this year.

 

[Colezuki]

After seeing how Gorton handled Kakko and Laf, can't say its that surprising.

Gorton left in 2021, 3 months after Laf played his first game, his development is absolutely the fault of the current administration

 

[TheBeastCoast]

If they are going to go full into the tank for Bedard they really should be getting as many of the kids away from it as they can. That shit can be bad for young players just getting absolutely destroyed nightly.

 

[Peasy]

Gorton left in 2021, 3 months after Laf played his first game, his development is absolutely the fault of the current administration

Kakko, Andersson, Kravtsov then.

He was at the helm and constantly jerked these players around and they have really just floundered since being drafted (Kakko been much better overall but still lacking production).

Also, he was the gm for Laf's first season where he didnt look like he belonged at all. Laf was drafted in 2020... not 2021.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Also, he was the gm for Laf's first season where he didnt look like he belonged at all. Laf was drafted in 2020... not 2021.

Where else would Laf have played though? He was not AHL eligible at age 19 when the 2021 56 game season began. Everyone felt he was too good for the Q.

Not sure Kravtsov is super comparable as he had the KHL option and didn't seem to enjoy playing in the AHL in 2019-20. He then spent 2020-21 in the KHL before coming over right as that season was ending and just before the Rangers fired Gorton.

Kakko is absolute on him though, should have never been in the NHL at age 18.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

In early December he was playing his best hockey of the season. So they felt it was best for him to stick around.

Then came the return from injury of the useless veterans: Hoffman and Drouin. Slaf's ice time started to dip and then came the game against the Ducks on December 15th I talked about in this thread, where he was inexplicably sat for almost the entire 3rd period even though he had 5 points in 7 games entering that night. He has been a broken player since then.

The whole Slaf situation is an absolute mess and a real blackmark on the new front office in my view. They act like he dominated all of last year and all he needs is ''to learn how to be a NHLer'' and ''repetitions''.

He was a 3rd line player in the Liiga last season who essentially produced like one (I know he was better after the Olympics but he still was not dominant). We have wasted a 1/2 season based on this idea he's this NHL ready player that just needs to learn and there is no indication it's about to change. Sigh.

Thanks for that context. It’s just all so odd. You’d agree in hindsight that playing for team Slovakia would have been best I gather?

 

[Peasy]

Where else would Laf have played though? He was not AHL eligible at age 19 when the 2021 56 game season began. Everyone felt he was too good for the Q.

Kakko is absolute on him though, should have never been in the NHL at age 18.

Fair. I just think GMs get to hung up on sunk cost fallacy/1st overall NEEDING to play in the NHL. If you have a young player struggling for over half a season in the NHL, imo its best to put them in a better environment rather than sticking with the same thing hoping something changes (look at Drais). But the Rangers were trying to win games then so I guess they felt that Laf gave em a better chance to win even if it was in such minor roles.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Thanks for that context. It’s just all so odd. You’d agree in hindsight that playing for team Slovakia would have been best I gather?

It couldn't have hurt considering what a mess the last 3 weeks have been for the Habs and Slaf's rapidly declining confidence. But I am not sure spending 6-7 games to likely dominate against kids would have changed the situation that much. Yes, Slovakia probably beats Canada with him but they probably also finish higher in their pool with Slaf and matchup doesn't happen in the QF.

Not sending him to the AHL is the far bigger mistake in my view.

 

[ijuka]

Where else would Laf have played though?

He should have played in QMJHL.

Better to be too good for QMJHL than not good enough for NHL. Even if you are vastly superior to your competition, you can still work on many things. But if you have to play survival hockey, you only learn survival hockey. NHL is also not a development league.

I wonder, how many people ended up busting because they returned to juniors? The amount of players busting due to being rushed to NHL is likely quite a bit higher.


And on the topic of Slafkovsky, he should have been playing in AHL. He should be playing in AHL. They're just Kotkaniemi vol. 2:ing him with this development.

How many careers must be ruined by rushing prospects to NHL before they're ready before the teams will learn?

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Sounds sort of Hab typical to rush a guy

 

[Ligue]

Sounds sort of Hab typical to rush a guy

It's not something the "Habs" do. It has to do with the decision makers, which are different from 2 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago... It's a new regime, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

It's not something the "Habs" do. It has to do with the decision makers, which are different from 2 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago... It's a new regime, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

It is though. KK, Galchenyuk, Juulsen, etc. It’s the Hab way. Declare a very young but talented guy NHL ready then give him grinder minutes with pawn linemates.

 

[Ligue]

It is though. KK, Galchenyuk, Juulsen, etc. It’s the Hab way. Declare a very young but talented guy NHL ready then give him grinder minutes with pawn linemates.

So who are the “Habs” then? It’s a company. It cannot make decisions itself. The decision makers of the hockey department were fired a year ago. Also I don’t really see how Juulsen got rushed. He got serious injuries that seem to have seriously jeorpadize his career but that’s beside the point as I agree the Bergevin regime weren’t good in that department.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

So who are the “Habs” then? It’s a company. It cannot make decisions itself. The decision makers of the hockey department were fired a year ago. Also I don’t really see how Juulsen got rushed. He got serious injuries that seem to have seriously jeorpadize his career but that’s beside the point as I agree the Bergevin regime weren’t good in that department.

The franchise known as the Montreal Canadiens is known for rushing young talent. It’s their “brand”.

 

[Colezuki]

The franchise known as the Montreal Canadiens is known for rushing young talent. It’s their “brand”.

Oh you Mean Bergevin,

 

[Ligue]

The franchise known as the Montreal Canadiens is known for rushing young talent. It’s their “brand”.

So you think Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton get hired and they go along with it because it is tradition in habs land?

 

[BenchBrawl]

impossible to predict what Slafkovsky will look like in 3 years.

very unpredictable arc

on one hand, he is too big to play in junior, amd he has to learn to keep his head up. He wont learn that playing against small players

on the other hand, Montreal is tanking hard for Bedard now, so thats not very good environment for him

And the AHL farm team sucks

Overall, Id send him down to AHL and roll the dice

 

[scoutman1]

Montreal really missed the boat sending Slafkovsky down to the World Juniors to help Slovakia make a run...the way he is playing in Montreal he could have used going to the World Juniors and being the man with his team...if Slovakia had a guy like him in the Canada game i do not think Canada would have beat them. I think he could have used to the world juniors to gain some confidence and get sent to AHL right after that...

IMO he was not ready for the NHL and if Montreal wants to keep him up they risk ruining him in my eyes.....I think the kid has a lot of holes in his game he needs to work on...AHL is where he can work on these holes...he really needs to be put in a situation where the game is a little slower, a little less skilled to allow for him to start adjusting.

 

[jfhabs]

It is though. KK, Galchenyuk, Juulsen, etc. It’s the Hab way. Declare a very young but talented guy NHL ready then give him grinder minutes with pawn linemates.

Juulsen ?
He was not rushed at all. He was nhl ready when brought up and had a freak injury.