Unless the argument is different depending of who you talk to? Are you talking to people who said that he was bust? That there's no way he'd ever succeed if he goes directly to the NHL? Or to people that think that the safer course of action is to be patient?
More talking to the folks who thought his viability as an NHL player depended on a trip to Laval/Europe/CHL, with a detour to the WJC.
My nobody knows is SOLELY about MY argument. Not MOST PEOPLE. My argument was that I would have started him at 18 in the AHL. And gradually have him up. Or even start him in Laval THIS year and see how it works out.
Yeah, I would have also but not because I think it would change the outcome of what he would be as a player, as I've said several times, I don't think the Ahl is that transformative.
More because I assumed the Habs would do like they usually do with young players and that's bury them on a 4th line with limited opportunities.
Still, I don't really get your point of view. Of course, those are opinions. Even you, when you have an opinion...do you actually know? Do you think pros know? Their opinion was that JK was the best option at our draft rank....didn't they know? Or if the problem is the development...how come they didn't know?
That's exactly my point of view that no one knows and that we get too caught up in these discussions about where a player develops when it's really not that impactful on the final product.
But again, and especially with Slaf, I was repeatedly told that “proper development” requires gradual dominance at lower stages and that I didn't understand how development works and so on so forth.
Hockey fans especialky have a very archaic way of looking at player development that's really unique to this sport.
I still wonder how anybody knows if he would have started at 18 in Laval that it would have been detrimental/unecessary based on what? Size? JK at nice size.
But somehow, for you, wanting to be patient with a kid and wanting him to start in North America in Laval at 18 was a big upsetting thing to say....strange.
As I've said sseverak times, i’m not moved by what is “not detrimental”, I'm moved by what's optimal and that's different for different players.
The Habs were patient with Slafkovsky, it's fans/media who were impatient because they want to see immediate results.
The team didn't, I certainly didn't.
So who was really upset? Lol
Who cares? You did. 'Cause that was my sole and main point. Hoping he'd be in the AHL at 18 instead of directly in the NHL until you somehow took offense of that. Which was strange 'cause there were WAY MORE outrageous things that were said about him...lol
Took offense? Sorry I don't recall taking offense to anything you've said. We've had a lot of debates on whether or not the NHL is a developmental league, but nothing offensive that I recall was ever exchanged?
My beef ain't with you lol
CLEARLY, I didn't predict his insane progression since January. You did? Well seriously...congrats.
That's not even what I'm saying…The only thing I've ever argued was that their approached was measured and patient and that it was our impatience as fans that made us believe he was being rushed.
I'm not sure I called his insane progression but I definitely argued that playing him in the NHL would be more beneficial than anything he could learn at lower levels.
100%
