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

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

he's also in every single habs thread on main board. and i have never ever read anything positive from his posts.

He had some absolute doozies in the Gaudreau threads. He's been doing this crap for nearly a decade

LW Johnny Gaudreau (2011, 104th overall, Calgary) IV

He's played 8 games and has yet to register a hit. Kinda surprising, usually you see the new rookies look to throw their body around (not that I would expect him to have 10 hits a game but at least 1 a game..) Gaudreau has never been a player who throws the hits. People are just looking for...

forums.hfboards.com

Seems like every game he doesn't end up on the scoresheet.

Again, he looks "pretty" out there, but at some point he's going to have to start producing. 3 points in 9 games is not very good when he's a player who doesn't offer much more.

I saw some fans predict a 60+ point season from him this year, he'd better start scoring soon if this is going to happen.

Narrator: He scored 64 points that year.

 

[Maitz]

I hoped he would be sent to Laval to play on the top line and 20 min a night to adapt to NA and gain some confidence. I think 25-30 pts on a 3rd line is realistic for him this year.

 

[DJB]

I think it’s a mistake that the Habs are keeping Slaf. He didn’t look ready at all.

Rushing prospects that aren’t ready is never a good decision. Rushing prospects with massive expectations of being the first overall pick is a recipe for disaster

 

[jfhabs]

I think it’s a mistake that the Habs are keeping Slaf. He didn’t look ready at all.

Rushing prospects that aren’t ready is never a good decision. Rushing prospects with massive expectations of being the first overall pick is a recipe for disaster

Time will tell, maybe they just give him 9 games..

 

[Maitz]

I think it’s a mistake that the Habs are keeping Slaf. He didn’t look ready at all.

Rushing prospects that aren’t ready is never a good decision. Rushing prospects with massive expectations of being the first overall pick is a recipe for disaster

Totally agree, he needs to adapt to the NA style and smaller ice. He wasn’t dominant or bad during the exhibitions games but clearly not the player we want him to be. I think a full year in the AHL would do wonders for him.

 

[CupInSIX]

This is the guy who was adamant the Habs would pick Slaf back in April. I don't know if I agree with him that he should start in the NHL, only to be sent down.



Are they having Lecavalier work with him on some things in between practice? Vinny would be a big help.

 

[NewEraGM]

9 games isn’t going to hurt his development and player development is THE #1 priority both in Laval and Montreal this year so I don’t think it really matters where that development happens.

If habs were focused on winning and couldn’t give him good minutes/opportunities then I would say it’s different but in this case I think it’s okay to be with the habs for at least 9 games to start and then see from there.

 

[Xirik]

Drouin still has potential I see.

 

[sennysensen]

Give him 9 games. He's massive, so can physically play in the NHL no problem. After 9, decide if it's better to develop his game in NHL or AHL. It's a tough call. Some players have unshakeable confidence to be able to handle underwhelming statistics in a learning environment. Some need to put up some points in AHL to feel comfortable. Joe Thornton's 1st year didn't hurt his career

 

[LMFAO]

Give him 9 games. He's massive, so can physically play in the NHL no problem. After 9, decide if it's better to develop his game in NHL or AHL. It's a tough call. Some players have unshakeable confidence to be able to handle underwhelming statistics in a learning environment. Some need to put up some points in AHL to feel comfortable. Joe Thornton's 1st year didn't hurt his career

You understand that if they sent him to Laval it changes nothing wether he plays 9 games or 43 ?

 

[sennysensen]

You understand that if they sent him to Laval it changes nothing wether he plays 9 games or 43 ?

In that case, give him 12 games.

 

[Canadienna]

This is the guy who was adamant the Habs would pick Slaf back in April. I don't know if I agree with him that he should start in the NHL, only to be sent down.



Are they having Lecavalier work with him on some things in between practice? Vinny would be a big help.

I mean Grant's prediction is already off.



Also, I don't think it's fair to say he didn't earn it.

There are a number of forwards on the Habs who are barely hanging on at the NHL level. Slaf absolutely outplayed some of them (Hoffman, Drouin, Monahan etc).

This doesn't mean it's the right call to bring him up, as maybe even if he would be a top 12 forward it's best to develop in the AHL.

That said, it's absolutely not true that Slaf was one of the worst forwards who weren't cut.

 

[JohnLennon]

You understand that if they sent him to Laval it changes nothing wether he plays 9 games or 43 ?

No, his contract would slide if he were sent to the AHL (assuming he plays 9 games or fewer in the NHL).

 

[Frank Drebin]

Drouin still has potential I see.

very much so. He was picked #3 overall you see

 

[Steeler23]

1. Play a couple of games in the NHL (with real lineups) to see what he really need to work on + feel the pace of the NHL
2. Send him to the AHL
3. Get used to the NA rink size, play 20min on the top line + special units, while keeping in mind the difference of pace between the A and the NHL (so you don't ""settle"" for a pace that won't be enough for the NHL)

If you send him straight away to the AHL, he might get used to take that extra second to finish a play, a second he might not get in the NHL.

Even for people who think he should play in the AHL, it's ay too soon to assume he won't play a majority of his season in the AHL.

Also, with a prospect with this much potential, I'm happy if he spend the most time possible with coach St Louis + a guy like Anderson who seems to want to help him use his physicality more often

 

[LMFAO]

No, his contract would slide if he were sent to the AHL (assuming he plays 9 games or fewer in the NHL).

If Slafkovsky is sent to Laval and any point this year it burns a year off his entry level deal

Wether he plays 8 games or 32. It changes nothing.

 

[Thirty One]

If Slafkovsky is sent to Laval and any point this year it burns a year off his entry level deal

Wether he plays 8 games or 32. It changes nothing.

I do not believe this is true.

 

[LMFAO]

I do not believe this is true.

Well it is

You are confused with the CHL rule where you can play a player 8 games and send him back to junior without burning a year of the Entry level deal.

CHL and AHL don’t have the same rule.

If you send Slafkovsky to the AHL at any point it will burn a year off the entry level deal.

 

[Thirty One]

Well it is

You are confused with the CHL rule where you can play a player 8 games and send him back to junior without burning a year of the Entry level deal.

CHL and AHL don’t have the same rule.

If you send Slafkovsky to the AHL at any point it will burn a year off the entry level deal.

Yeah, but I'm not confused. You are. The entry-level side rule is most commonly used for CHL players, but it doesn't say anything what league you play in. Just your age, and that you play fewer than 10 NHL games. William Eklund's contract slid last year--he played in the SHL. Donovan Sebrango's contract slide too--he was in the AHL.

 

[koyvoo]

 

[Lambo]

Anyway, I'm surprised a player with 0.32 PPG in Liiga was drafted first. He should have become a decent scorer in the Finnish league for another 1-2 years.

 

[Berri UQAM]

On the radio, it sounded like Slafkovsky would be playing on the third line against the Maple Leafs, with no power play minutes. Coach Martin St. Louis mentioned that Slafkovsky needs to watch and learn, or something like that, in order to better manage his energy.

Do a lot of prospects struggle with managing their energy? I am just trying to put this challenge into context. Won't limiting Slafkovsky's minutes have a negative effect, if any, on his conditioning?

And the "watch and learn" comment is odd to me. It's Slafkovsky's first NHL game. I would let him focus on his own game. Instead, he has to spend cognitive energy focusing on how other players play. That step can come later on, in my view, or else he might have to focus on too many things at once.

 

[Xirik]

On the radio, it sounded like Slafkovsky would be playing on the third line against the Maple Leafs, with no power play minutes. Coach Martin St. Louis mentioned that Slafkovsky needs to watch and learn, or something like that, in order to better manage his energy.

Do a lot of prospects struggle with managing their energy? I am just trying to put this challenge into context. Won't limiting Slafkovsky's minutes have a negative effect, if any, on his conditioning?

And the "watch and learn" comment is odd to me. It's Slafkovsky's first NHL game. I would let him focus on his own game. Instead, he has spend cognitive energy focusing on how other players play. That step can come later on, in my view, or else he might have to focus on too many things at once.

Yes, They usually suck managing there energy ingame and because of it lots of rookies tend to trail downwards in play halfway through the season because they aren't used to how hard they have to play and how long the season is.

 

[Canadienna]

And the "watch and learn" comment is odd to me. It's Slafkovsky's first NHL game. I would let him focus on his own game. Instead, he has to spend cognitive energy focusing on how other players play. That step can come later on, in my view, or else he might have to focus on too many things at once.

 

[Rob]

If he does get sent down to Laval I hope the Habs will let him play for Slovakia at the World Juniors in December.