Player Discussion The Slaf Thread - Parabolic Growth Edition

[Kennerback]

Unislafcornsky

My favorite is Slafsquatch.

 

[417]

Think about it though. Do you think a player like Slaf would have crippled his career if they buried him in the AHL? IMO Europe, AHL, CHL, he would have made it. He’s too skilled and driven. You can’t break someone like that.

You're asking the wrong question though.

We shouldn't be asking if playing in the AHL or Europe or CHL would have hurt him or rather, playing in one of those leagues wouldn't have hurt him.

We should be asking what would have benefited him the most.

And given a fairly significant and indicative sample of his time spent in the NHL, which again, I will remind everyone is the best league in the world...it's hard to argue that the AHL or Europe or the CHL, would have been more beneficial.

 

[Apfel Struble]

Think about it though. Do you think a player like Slaf would have crippled his career if they buried him in the AHL? IMO Europe, AHL, CHL, he would have made it. He’s too skilled and driven. You can’t break someone like that.

It wouldn't of course, but the ressource he'd have access to wouldn't have been the same. Access to top training facilities, chefs (I hope the Habs have a team chef), highly qualified training staff, access and one-on-one time with said staff, quality of amenities, etc

Here's the thing with lower leagues in North America (namely the CHL, AHL and ECHL) that I never see gets pointed out, the time players spend being shuttled around in buses in kinda staggering. The fact that the schedules are made in order to limit travel time is an indicator of that. It represents what, 10% to 20% of their active time?

 

[Kennerback]

You're asking the wrong question though.

We shouldn't be asking if playing in the AHL or Europe or CHL would have hurt him.

We should be asking what would have benefited him the most.

And given a fairly significant and indicative sample of his time spent in the NHL, which again, I will remind everyone is the best league in the world...it's hard to argue that the AHL or Europe or the CHL, would have been more beneficial.

I don’t think other leagues would have been more beneficial, but I think the Habs succeeded in his development by anticipation the day of the draft. They drafted the right player with the right personality.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Everything is fair to wonder. But nobody has the answer. As it's been done times and times again by tons of different players, he could have played a junior year at 18 or in thie AHL, come in at 19 and flourish just as much. Or...instead of seeing it at 19, we would have seeing it a year later. We don't know.

One thing is SURE. It was NOT a mistake to have him in the NHL at his age. It can't be...he's just great. What we will NEVER know if it would have been a mistake to have him in the AHL at 18.

Obviously, we will only know if it's mistake or not for every decision AFTER the fact. Was it a mistake to have Reinbacher play in Europe this year? Strangely, nobody has an opinion right now....I guess until he comes in and does great or not....

Agree with this. And I still think he’d have been well served by a year in the minors. But ultimately… who cares?

 

[Apfel Struble]

I can't speak for hockey as i played amateur all my life but when it comes to school i can tell you from my own experience that dominating can be very detrimental.

I spent my secondary (high?) school not being challenged. Was able to "ace" my way thru secondary school while not having to study once and still got 80+ average in all classes. It's not really that i was lazy i just did not need to study and it was easy so instead i was meddling with the family computer trying to learn assembly on my own etc ...

When i entered university reality hit me in the face. I now had to study and i never did it. I did not have the discipline nor the experience. I was able to survive but the first two years were hard and i had to mature fast. I wish secondary school would have been more challenging.

That's why i will always personally oppose the "a player must dominate". Sometime it can be good to be challenged if you are ready to be. Having an easy time can be a bad thing.

Exactly! It's a fine balance of course because too much adversity can destroy a person's sense of worth and have long lasting effects on their psyche

I was the same as you in high school. I had to adapt real quick and developing a good school work ethic is just so hard

 

[Supersonic]

Typically this thread would only be this active when Slaf was slumping and all the haters were feasting lol

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Typically this thread would only be this active when Slaf was slumping and all the haters were feasting lol

Now it’s just a bunch of grown men fist pumping and air-humping.

 

[Supersonic]

Now it’s just a bunch of grown men fist pumping and air-humping.

I’m tailgating the Bell Center right now, got any folding tables for me to jump through?

 

[waitin425]

Now it’s just a bunch of grown men fist pumping and air-humping.

 

[pepperMonkey]

Still scoring only half as many points as McDavid, even tonight. Not a real 1st OA.

Also despite Slaf's many Internet fans, Shane Wright still has a much better ppg than Juraj does.

Sure. Wright has a better PPG with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, but there is a non-zero chance for Slaf to catch up by the end of this year

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Unislafcornsky

Parabolosky

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Typically this thread would only be this active when Slaf was slumping and all the haters were feasting lol

As LShap pointed out, the ebb will come. We’ve been playing crap teams and our first line has racked up points. That’s great but we need to remember that last night’s win came against the Ducks.

On the flipside though this wasn’t a one off. He’s been improving all year. I think it’s more than fair to celebrate how good he was yesterday.

 

[sampollock]

start using his size even more, it is awesome

 

[417]

Exactly! It's a fine balance of course because too much adversity can destroy a person's sense of worth and have long lasting effects on their psyche

I was the same as you in high school. I had to adapt real quick and developing a good school work ethic is just so hard

I don't think this happens in professional sports, nearly as much as fans think it does.

 

[Apfel Struble]

I don't think this happens in professional sports, nearly as much as fans think it does.

Yeah I was talking about school here, especially university. It's honestly going terribly at the academic level at the moment mental health wise

Top athlete already have acquired that killer mentality

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

So happy to be wrong, serve me more crow, please.

 

[417]

It wouldn't of course, but the ressource he'd have access to wouldn't have been the same. Access to top training facilities, chefs (I hope the Habs have a team chef), highly qualified training staff, access and one-on-one time with said staff, quality of amenities, etc

Here's the thing with lower leagues in North America (namely the CHL, AHL and ECHL) that I never see gets pointed out, the time players spend being shuttled around in buses in kinda staggering. The fact that the schedules are made in order to limit travel time is an indicator of that. It represents what, 10% to 20% of their active time?

Not to mention one of the most important factors...

level of competition.

 

[Andy]

Now it’s just a bunch of grown men fist pumping and air-humping.

When the inevitable 5 game pointless streak occurs, the murmurs will return in full force.

 

[Wats]

Didn't expect him to stick with Caufield/Suzuki this long, they were pumping him with 18+min/game even when not producing. If this was the plan, I'll also gladly eat crow.

 

[V13]

Gotta be honest guys... I've been following the habs for what we can call decades, unfortunately for me. I barely missed the 93 cup because I was a little too young (born in 87).

My fav Habs in my lifetime has always been Markov.

Slaf is special. I've been saying this shit to my friends for months now. He's got a combination of size, skill, hockey IQ that we haven't seen in MTL since... LeClair?

I'm so f***ing happy we got him

I may get shit for this but.....Slaf is looking better now than Leclair in his first full season in the NHL.

And the beauty of this ? Leclair was 21 and Slaf is 19. I'm not saying Slaf will end up as better than multiple 50 goals seasons Leclair but man.....it is looking good right now and sky is the limit. I don't remember watching a player improve that much in such a small period of time. It's crazy

 

[417]

Now it’s just a bunch of grown men fist pumping and air-humping.

Our 1st overall pick is showing a lot of great things...why shouldn't it be that way?

Why is that wrong?

Seems a lot more weird to me to see a bunch of grown men/women fist pumping and air-humping when he's not playing well.

That's the real problem.

 

[LaP]

As LShap pointed out, the ebb will come. We’ve been playing crap teams and our first line has racked up points. That’s great but we need to remember that last night’s win came against the Ducks.

On the flipside though this wasn’t a one off. He’s been improving all year. I think it’s more than fair to celebrate how good he was yesterday.

He'll keep struggling against top experienced teams who show up there's not doubt about it but that's normal for a 19 years old player tbh.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He'll keep struggling against top experienced teams who show up there's not doubt about it but that's normal for a 19 years old player tbh.

That’s okay. You’re right, it’s to be expected. People just need to remember it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Agree with this. And I still think he’d have been well served by a year in the minors. But ultimately… who cares?

It’s a mute point now. I think it would’ve been a much smoother transition had he spent last year in the the AHL. He did get a taste of adversity early tho and that’s something that’s probably a big positive playing in a market like Montreal long term.