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

[Goon42]

The guy that rushed and ruined kakko and laf also rushed slafkovsky? I'm so shocked

 

[Jukurit]

The thing, he's really not that ''offensive''.

Not an elite shooter.

Not an elite passer.

Doesn't have elite vision or hockey sense.

Everything is kind of just OK to good.

But hey, he's big!!!

I fear he'll be like Lawson Crouse at best. 20-25 goals. 50 points.

People who watched him play in Liiga said that he wasn't that impressive. But the response was usually "TPS is a defensive team", "Liiga is low scoring", "His game is better suited for smaller ice" etc.

 

[kabidjan18]

Agreed. They also rushed Joel Armia and Jake Evans, who also got unnecessarily injured instead of being safely in Laval learning their trade some more.


Avoidable - how? Was it more avoidable than Armia's injury?

You get injured less when you don't play in the league with the world's biggest and fastest players who play the most games in a season with the shortest breaks in between games.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Terrible handling of this prospect.

Hughes and Gorton are Idiots who have wasted a first overall pick

 

[bossram]

Just send him to Laval. Prioritize development. Just foolish usage of Slaf.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I have been saying it since the beginning of the season that you don’t want to rush this kid, that he should have been in the AHL getting offensive reps and top PP time. Then I said he should play at the WJC to get some confidence in his offensive game again. Kids this raw you should never rush. Seems like MTL may be doing that.

Not over yet but not looking promising either.

 

[wonton15]

Gorton and rushing prospects

 

[JohnLennon]

Don't want to single out any people in this thread, but it's really funny how many fans default to this idea that every prospect comes from the early 2000s Red Wings, lmao. In fact, Habs brass were still confident in their decision to keep him in the NHL until this very day, and to the contrary of what many will have you believe, Slafkovsky's confidence has not wavered since being in the NHL (this is a big point I will mention again below):

Kent Hughes at his media availability went over some fascinating insight into Juraj's development and why they chose to keep him in the NHL. This is what he said:

-Slafkovsky has a unique set of skills, foundational understanding of the game, and personality. In hockey, the game is so fast and so reactive, that in Juraj's case, they are trying to help him understand how he can be most successful here in North America, and that's not necessarily natural to him right now.

-They believe his development will happen in stages, because they want him playing reactive on the ice, not thinking on the ice. The team had a progression plan for Slafkovsky where he would meet thresholds and then be given additional responsibilities, with the assumption by the end of the year it would crescendo with most responsibility. Slafkovsky was still meeting development goals that were set out for him until his injury.

-They are not worried about the production side of things - they are worried about seeing progress in the areas they want him to improve upon. They believe that in the long-term, if he makes these changes to his game, it will allow him to adapt to the NA style and be the most successful player he can be.

-Habs brass met regularly to discuss Slafkovsky's progress, whether to send him to the AHL, and more. They felt that they kept seeing improvement in the areas of his game they were looking at. They also felt that Slafkovsky was very unique in his confidence levels, and that this allowed him to stay in the NHL and keep showing improvement in key areas. Other prospects don't display the same confidence, and benefit more from being sent to juniors/AHL.

-Again, it has never been about offensive production at this stage. Kent even said they discussed the AHL and the idea that once Slafkovsky hits a threshold, they could send him down for some games to the AHL and all of a sudden the coaching staff and everyone else is expecting him to score, and he's expecting it of himself as well, and it's almost additional pressure than he actually had in the NHL. So they're trying to balance all of these factors, considering there is no one path for any one player, and they like what he's working on in the NHL.

...In the end, Slafkovsky is right on track in progression. Guys with his combination of tools often take some time to develop, and Kent's comments today indicate they believe in their plan to have him in the NHL and that he can continue growing his game in order to become a truly unique, impactful player in a few years. As someone who watched him all season, the improvements are visible and it is true that he is an extremely confident kid. His future is very bright. See you next year!

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Don't want to single out any people in this thread, but it's really funny how many fans default to this idea that every prospect comes from the early 2000s Red Wings, lmao. In fact, Habs brass were still confident in their decision to keep him in the NHL until this very day, and to the contrary of what many will have you believe, his confidence has not wavered since being in the NHL (this is a big point I will mention again below):

Kent Hughes at his media availability went over some fascinating insight into Juraj's development and why they chose to keep him in the NHL. This is what he said:

-Slafkovsky has a unique set of skills, foundational understanding of the game, and personality. In hockey, the game is so fast and so reactive, that in Juraj's case, they are trying to help him understand how he can be most successful here in North America, and that's not necessarily natural to him right now.

-They believe his development will happen in stages, because they want him playing reactive on the ice, not thinking on the ice. The team had a progression plan for Slafkovsky where he would meet thresholds and then be given additional responsibilities, with the assumption by the end of the year it would crescendo with most responsibility. Slafkovsky was still meeting development goals that were set out for him until his injury.

-They are not worried about the production side of things - they are worried about seeing progress in the areas they want him to improve upon. They believe that in the long-term, if he makes these changes to his game, it will allow him to adapt to the NA style and be the most successful player he can be.

-Habs brass met regularly to discuss Slafkovsky's progress, whether to send him to the AHL, and more. They felt that they kept seeing improvement in the areas of his game they were looking at. They also felt that Slafkovsky was very unique in his confidence levels, and that this allowed him to stay in the NHL and keep showing improvement in key areas. Other prospects don't display the same confidence, and benefit more from being sent to juniors/AHL.

-Again, it has never been about offensive production at this stage. Kent even said they discussed the AHL and the idea that once Slafkovsky hits a threshold, they could send him down for some games to the AHL and all of a sudden the coaching staff and everyone else is expecting him to score, and he's expecting it of himself as well, and it's almost additional pressure than he actually had in the NHL. So they're trying to balance all of these factors, considering there is no one path for any one player, and they like what he's working on in the NHL.

...In the end, Slafkovsky is right on track in progression. Guys with his combination of tools often take some time to develop, and Kent's comments today indicate they believe in their plan to have him in the NHL and that he can continue growing his game in order to become a truly unique, impactful player in a few years. As someone who watched him all season, the improvements are visible and it is true that he is an extremely confident kid. His future is very bright. See you next year!

I am sure every management group that has bungled up a players development has thought they were doing the right thing in real time too. Nobody is actively attempting to do a bad job at it. Doesn't mean they are doing a good job with him though.

 

[JohnLennon]

I am sure every management group that has bungled up a players development has thought they were doing the right thing in real time too. Nobody is actively attempting to do a bad job at it. Doesn't mean they are doing a good job with him though.

Indeed, however it is helpful to have additional insight behind thought and reasoning behind it. As Kent mentioned, they had internal thresholds and goals they were watching for Slafkovsky to meet, and he kept meeting them. Even upon struggles his confidence never wavered, which is a key factor in often demoting players to minor leagues.

I'd argue anyone making definitive statements before a player hits 40 NHL games at 18 years old is delusional, and questioning the current approach based on what we've seen and learned is a fool's errand.

 

[Eggtimer]

Habs brass ofer-thought thimhs at the draft and at the beginning of the year to play him right away. They knew Slaf would be a but longer term project so why push for him to play in the NHL right away? Would it have made them look bad for somewhat going off the board with the 1sr overall pick then mot having him play in his first year? Who cares about optics.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Don't want to single out any people in this thread, but it's really funny how many fans default to this idea that every prospect comes from the early 2000s Red Wings, lmao. In fact, Habs brass were still confident in their decision to keep him in the NHL until this very day, and to the contrary of what many will have you believe, Slafkovsky's confidence has not wavered since being in the NHL (this is a big point I will mention again below):

Kent Hughes at his media availability went over some fascinating insight into Juraj's development and why they chose to keep him in the NHL. This is what he said:

-Slafkovsky has a unique set of skills, foundational understanding of the game, and personality. In hockey, the game is so fast and so reactive, that in Juraj's case, they are trying to help him understand how he can be most successful here in North America, and that's not necessarily natural to him right now.

-They believe his development will happen in stages, because they want him playing reactive on the ice, not thinking on the ice. The team had a progression plan for Slafkovsky where he would meet thresholds and then be given additional responsibilities, with the assumption by the end of the year it would crescendo with most responsibility. Slafkovsky was still meeting development goals that were set out for him until his injury.

-They are not worried about the production side of things - they are worried about seeing progress in the areas they want him to improve upon. They believe that in the long-term, if he makes these changes to his game, it will allow him to adapt to the NA style and be the most successful player he can be.

-Habs brass met regularly to discuss Slafkovsky's progress, whether to send him to the AHL, and more. They felt that they kept seeing improvement in the areas of his game they were looking at. They also felt that Slafkovsky was very unique in his confidence levels, and that this allowed him to stay in the NHL and keep showing improvement in key areas. Other prospects don't display the same confidence, and benefit more from being sent to juniors/AHL.

-Again, it has never been about offensive production at this stage. Kent even said they discussed the AHL and the idea that once Slafkovsky hits a threshold, they could send him down for some games to the AHL and all of a sudden the coaching staff and everyone else is expecting him to score, and he's expecting it of himself as well, and it's almost additional pressure than he actually had in the NHL. So they're trying to balance all of these factors, considering there is no one path for any one player, and they like what he's working on in the NHL.

...In the end, Slafkovsky is right on track in progression. Guys with his combination of tools often take some time to develop, and Kent's comments today indicate they believe in their plan to have him in the NHL and that he can continue growing his game in order to become a truly unique, impactful player in a few years. As someone who watched him all season, the improvements are visible and it is true that he is an extremely confident kid. His future is very bright. See you next year!

 

[JohnLennon]

View attachment 637329

What are you trying to convey here?

 

[Hemsky001]

The thing, he's really not that ''offensive''.

Not an elite shooter.

Not an elite passer.

Doesn't have elite vision or hockey sense.

Everything is kind of just OK to good.

But hey, he's big!!!

I fear he'll be like Lawson Crouse at best. 20-25 goals. 50 points.

Someone said that finally. Yippee!

 

[howkie]

I pray to god Bedard dont end up in Montreal, so they ruin him aswell even if that seems to be pretty hard... but can anyone it is Gorton..

 

[BaseballCoach]

You get injured less when you don't play in the league with the world's biggest and fastest players who play the most games in a season with the shortest breaks in between games.

So this explains why Guhle got injured in his 20 year old season and Suzuki did not?

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I don’t know if this is the correct thread - but perhaps “working out” at younger ages like alot of kids do from at very young age now equates positively to injury’s more and more in sports in todays world.

Would love a study on this.

 

[Miller Time]

I am sure every management group that has bungled up a players development has thought they were doing the right thing in real time too. Nobody is actively attempting to do a bad job at it. Doesn't mean they are doing a good job with him though.

Right. Hence why being able to discern the subtle nuances that seperate BS from real planning is important.

Hughes's approach & communication from the get go match both the decisions made and the observable progress in the player's game.

This is not a case of a prospect rushed and a GM trying to spin... Devil is in the details

 

[jiboy]

Most important thing for him is to keep his head up and not let go his guard at any moments. Hes a bit naive on this subject where its like he forgets its war out there.

Hes very disruptive on the forecheck , has decent vision and hes a big dude. I trust management to monitor his confidence level during his growing process

He seems to have a positive personality and willingness to listen and improve

Interested to follow his progression in the next years

 

[AlexGretzchenvid]

Just send him to Laval. Prioritize development. Just foolish usage of Slaf.

Send him to the OHL lol

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Send him to the OHL lol

Habs have to send him onto IR instead.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

What are you trying to convey here?

Just because Hughes elaborated on their plan doesn't mean it's the right plan for the player.

Right from the get go, they have approached this whole situation like Slafkovsky was this NHL ready player who dominated last season and now he just ''needs to learn how to be a NHL player''.

In terms of production and usage, he wasn't even a regular top 6 player in the Liiga, which might be the 5th best league in the world (NHL, AHL, KHL, SHL would arguably all be ahead).

They got blinded in their evaluation by 2 tournaments.

I pray to god Bedard dont end up in Montreal, so they ruin him aswell even if that seems to be pretty hard... but can anyone it is Gorton..

The main difference is that Bedard is 100% NHL ready to play his game. Like Suzuki, Guhle and Caufield (ignore the Ducharme disaster last year) were. If Bedard became a Hab, he'd immediately be put in our top 6, probably with Dach as his C (a great passer who excels in transition) and there would be no issue.

The Habs screw ups have mostly been with raw players who still need development time and they inexplicably put them in the NHL at age 18 or 19 and they convince themselves it's going to magically be fine playing in the best league on the planet.

 

[JohnLennon]

Just because Hughes elaborated on their plan doesn't mean it's the right plan for the player.

Right from the get go, they have approached this whole situation like Slafkovsky was this NHL ready player who dominated last season and now he just ''needs to learn how to be a NHL player''.

In terms of production and usage, he wasn't even a regular top 6 player in the Liiga, which might be the 5th best league in the world (NHL, AHL, KHL, SHL would arguably all be ahead).

They got blinded in their evaluation by 2 tournaments.

Well, no one has ever said that they regarded Slafkovsky as an NHL-ready player. Habs brass also said they weren't trying to win this year, they were focusing on developing their youth. Actually, they said Slafkovsky's development will take long, but they feel it is best to progress at the NHL level right now, for reasons mentioned above.

Really, what I find interesting is the notion that amateur scouts on HFBoards assume that demoting a player is always good for development. That prospects have a singular development path. Everyone just assumes "stint in AHL = confidence building" and say stuff like "let him go down there and dominate". Even though he plays with less skilled players at a slower pace in a less offensively tilted league.

Kent Hughes made a point to repeat time and again that Slafkovsky's confidence is a major factor in keeping him in the NHL, as typically at his age it is much more fragile. It's a reasonable point, one of many that I wrote above which he mentioned today at his press conference.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Well, no one has ever said that they regarded Slafkovsky as an NHL-ready player. Habs brass also said they weren't trying to win this year, they were focusing on developing their youth. Actually, they said Slafkovsky's development will take long, but they feel it is best to progress at the NHL level right now, for reasons mentioned above.

Really, what I find interesting is the notion that amateur scouts on HFBoards assume that demoting a player is always good for development. That prospects have a singular development path. Everyone just assumes "stint in AHL = confidence building" and say stuff like "let him go down there and dominate". Even though he plays with less skilled players at a slower pace in a less offensively tilted league.

Kent Hughes made a point to repeat time and again that Slafkovsky's confidence is a major factor in keeping him in the NHL, as typically at his age it is much more fragile. It's a reasonable point, one of many that I wrote above which he mentioned today at his press conference.

Good thing Jeff Gorton has a great track record of developing top 5 picks.

 

[Hisch13r]

He played exactly how I expected he'd play if thrown into the NHL. He was NOWHERE near ready. At a minimum he needed a year in the AHL and I always thought he'd need at least 2.