Player Discussion The Slaf Thread - Parabolic Growth Edition

[Spearmint Rhino]

We had one line going to start the year, to try and get Dach to wake the f*** up we broke that up and been a blender ever since. Put CC/Nuke/Slaf back together and leave them together. Leave Dach as the 4C to see if he can find his game against weaker comp or let him watch a couple from the press box.

 

[HuGort]

Philly healthy scratched Michkov couple of games best thing ever happened to him. We could do same with Slaf or Dach

 

[Kents polished head]

Remember this summer when people suggesting it was a little early for the kind of contract he got were getting ridiculed in here for speaking their minds?

Good times.

I'm inclined to bridge Slaf for two or three years and take the chance we might be paying him more from ages 24-30/31.

I'm not crazy about the attitude I'm seeing at the WC. I'd like to see him focused on more growth and not assuming he has 'made it' now.

This guy was ridiculed at the time when he made this comment and I remember thinking something along the same lines in the WC. Looks like it was not ALL that idiotic of a take.

 

[ReHabs]

Remember this summer when people suggesting it was a little early for the kind of contract he got were getting ridiculed in here for speaking their minds?

Good times.



This guy was ridiculed at the time when he made this comment and I remember thinking something along the same lines in the WC. Looks like it was not ALL that idiotic of a take.

BaseballCoach is one of the most thoughtful and drama-free commentators here.

What funny is I was force-fed so much crow after Slaf's 50pt season that I haven't criticised his development ever since. Enjoying the show with a diet coke and popcorn now. I wish I could be enjoying his play on the ice.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Remember when Slaf dropped the gloves in preseason only to start pulling hair and then got dropped?

He's not a man yet

 

[Kennerback]

I am hard on Slaf but I think people that are complaining we should have drafted Cooley, should watch a lot more Cooley games. A small center that avoids contact and plays pass-first. He’s barely better than underachieving Slaf right now and would solve none of the team’s problem.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I am hard on Slaf but I think people that are complaining we should have drafted Cooley, should watch a lot more Cooley games. A small center that avoids contact and plays pass-first. He’s barely better than underachieving Slaf right now and would solve none of the team’s problem.

Having 2 top-6 centers would certainly help the team

Anyways I still support the Slaf selection, he just needs to perform much better no more excuses at this point

 

[sampollock]

I am hard on Slaf but I think people that are complaining we should have drafted Cooley, should watch a lot more Cooley games. A small center that avoids contact and plays pass-first. He’s barely better than underachieving Slaf right now and would solve none of the team’s problem.

well true on that

but Slaf is big and not getting involved

 

[Kennerback]

Having 2 top-6 centers would certainly help the team

Anyways I still support the Slaf selection, he just needs to perform much better no more excuses at this point

If Cooley is the BPA in 2022, it would confirm we had a stroke of incredible bad luck drafting #1. Small center who’s incessantly attempting zone entries dekes that worked vs College teams but will never work in the NHL. At least I have hope that Slaf can take it to the next level.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

If Cooley is the BPA in 2022, it would confirm we had a stroke of incredible bad luck drafting #1. Small center who’s incessantly attempting zone entries dekes that worked vs College teams but will never work in the NHL. At least I have hope that Slaf can take it to the next level.

It's sports you have to make your own luck

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I am hard on Slaf but I think people that are complaining we should have drafted Cooley, should watch a lot more Cooley games. A small center that avoids contact and plays pass-first. He’s barely better than underachieving Slaf right now and would solve none of the team’s problem.

Agreed, well said.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if Hage ends up being a more effective NHLer than Cooley.

It's sports you have to make your own luck

Slaf hasn’t been good but he also hasn’t been 100% healthy either IMO based on him missing games and seemingly unwilling to shoot. Something is a miss.

I’d still take Slaf over Cooley right now, potential is higher.

 

[Goalfield13]

Slaf played well last year. He has it in him. I am not worried.

 

[Tyson]

Slaf played well last year. He has it in him. I am not worried.

Put him back with Caufield and Suzuki

 

[Habssince89]

Slaf's issue to me is between the ears. He possesses a high IQ and reads the game well, but I think he's trying to read the play too much and it causes him to not move his feet and get involved. I think he sees himself as a skill player (which he should) but he needs to understand that asserting himself physically to win the puck is how he will succeed. Once he has the puck, he's a good player. I think right now he's trying too hard to be cerebral.

 

[Tyson]

Slaf's issue to me is between the ears. He possesses a high IQ and reads the game well, but I think he's trying to read the play too much and it causes him to not move his feet and get involved. I think he sees himself as a skill player (which he should) but he needs to understand that asserting himself physically to win the puck is how he will succeed. Once he has the puck, he's a good player. I think right now he's trying too hard to be cerebral.

I wonder what he does in his spare time. Montreal night life for a rich kid has to be fun.

 

[sampollock]

Slaf's issue to me is between the ears. He possesses a high IQ and reads the game well, but I think he's trying to read the play too much and it causes him to not move his feet and get involved. I think he sees himself as a skill player (which he should) but he needs to understand that asserting himself physically to win the puck is how he will succeed. Once he has the puck, he's a good player. I think right now he's trying too hard to be cerebral.

At draft , MTL brass said he was far advanced, due to playing with men and not boys.
so now what

 

[the valiant effort]

I am hard on Slaf but I think people that are complaining we should have drafted Cooley, should watch a lot more Cooley games. A small center that avoids contact and plays pass-first. He’s barely better than underachieving Slaf right now and would solve none of the team’s problem.

Those folks barely watch hockey. They watch highlights, read stats, and type, type, type.

 

[Habssince89]

At draft , MTL brass said he was far advanced, due to playing with men and not boys.
so now what

????? You're going to have to elaborate or else this doesn't respond to my post at all

 

[ReHabs]

Slaf hasn’t been good but he also hasn’t been 100% healthy either IMO based on him missing games and seemingly unwilling to shoot. Something is a miss.

Oh boy the mysterious injury that excuses everything thing comes out right on time.

I’d still take Slaf over Cooley right now, potential is higher.

From the draft to right this moment, surely Slaf is the more sexy pick with the more relevant upside. But as time goes on we’d better hope they don’t remain on their current respective trajectories.

 

[sampollock]

????? You're going to have to elaborate or else this doesn't respond to my post at all

oh sorry, was just a general comment on how he was to be used to playing with men not jr players.
confused this all

 

[KevSkillz4]

Anyway, I'm a big fan of Slaf and I believe that he will dominate in this league, but Slaf and Cooley are not even the best players from 2022 draft, it's....

Lane FREAKING Hutson !!!!!!!!

 

[Frank Drebin]

Remember this summer when people suggesting it was a little early for the kind of contract he got were getting ridiculed in here for speaking their minds?

Good times.



This guy was ridiculed at the time when he made this comment and I remember thinking something along the same lines in the WC. Looks like it was not ALL that idiotic of a take.

Can you explain to me how a bridge contract makes sense?

We dont need the cap space now. We need it in years 3-8 of his contract. So we bridge him, save cap now when we don't need it, and if he is a superstar in 3 years we pay him 12-13 million per year?

Versus:

Paying extra now when we don't need it, and risking him becoming a mediocre top 6 player only worth 5-6 million in 2028?

To me, one of these options has a significantly higher cap risk than the other. Unless we think that Slaf is a junk asset not even worth hanging on to past RFA.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If he wasn't skating at 2 mph every night for the past month I think we could live with the lack of production and even goalscoring.


Safe to say our coach is a complete idiot and not helping though , plus ca change plus c'est pareil. Why are we playing our first overall who complements the top line well with scrubs lol , I get it for a game or two but his deployment recently is just bad for everybody involved

 

[Frank Drebin]

Logan Cooley at 1oa would have been a completely off the wall pick. Mckenzies list had 5 (first place votes) for slaf, 4 for wright and one for cooley.

 

[sampollock]

If he wasn't skating at 2 mph every night for the past month I think we could live with the lack of production and even goalscoring.


Safe to say our coach is a complete idiot and not helping though , plus ca change plus c'est pareil. Why are we playing our first overall who complements the top line well with scrubs lol , I get it for a game or two but his deployment recently is just bad for everybody involved

that is what I worry about
not moving his feet, many posters say it and top announcers are saying it to