Player Discussion The Slaf Thread - Parabolic Growth Edition

[Hacketts]

maybe he has a broken heart.

 

[DAChampion]

No, he didn’t play an olympic qualification tournament around september because of a back injury. Not because he played in may.

He also missed games near the start of the season. Looks like your searching for something to argue about.

If Slaf's back is injured he shouldn't be playing at all.

 

[ReHabs]

Oh is that what Habs fans do? We excuse every bad game with an injury? Like clockwork huh?

Yes there’s a contingent of fans who excuse a player’s poor performance with “they’re probably playing through a mysterious injury that is not ever mentioned or announced”. 100%.

You and I must be living in alternate realities then. Because in the one I live, the Habs fanbase is one of the least forgiving ones. Just look at Dach coming back from a season ending injury and a major surgery. This fanbase sure has been understanding and forgiving of his bad games.

Dach played preseason, so he was fit to start the season playing contact hockey. He took a NHL roster spot that could’ve gone to another player had he been not fit. (His surgery was performed at the end of October 2023.)

To start this season he played very badly — bottom of the league badly — and was criticised for his effort levels not necessarily his production. His efforts were bad, his decisions were bad, his defensive play was bad.

Slafkovsky’s efforts this season are not much better and the tenor of the criticism is rising.

It’s probably a mysterious injury from last May that’s bothering him this January

If Slaf's back is injured he shouldn't be playing at all.

Apparently the Habs are the only organization that plays players through devastating chronic injuries despite having zero reason to do so.

 

[Archijerej]

This season's version of Caufield (not to mention Slafkovsky's last year) should caution against categorical statements during young forwards' developmental phase.

That said, one thing that caught my attention is the talking to he got from the management, as well as an earlier clash with the Slovak federation. Perhaps Juraj's head is not where it should be right now, and our young man got a bit full of himself. Wouldn't be the first 20-year-old to have that happen to him...

 

[OldCraig71]

The thing that concerns me is how he continues to take big hits. He got rocked again last night and I don't remember the Hawks player who got him but he was in the usual reaching position.

 

[Skip Bayless]

The thing that concerns me is how he continues to take big hits. He got rocked again last night and I don't remember the Hawks player who got him but he was in the usual reaching position.

Dickinson. Slaf had no clue what was coming. He still thinks he's playing in LIiga..

 

[JianYang]

I'm just going to shoot off some premier "big men" off the top of my head and their point totals during their 20 year old seasons:

Joe Thornton: 60 points in 81 games

Todd Bertuzzi: 39 points in 76 games

Mats Sundin: 59 points in 80 games

Jaromir Jagr: 69 points in 70 games

Anze kopitar: 77 points in 82 games

Ryan Getzlaf: 39 points in 57 games (I used his 21 year old season since his 20 year old season was a lockout year)


Jagr was a unicorn so I'll set him aside.

Kopitar has been remarkably consistent points wise through his entire career, but he was not the 2 way beast at that age whatsoever.

The other four guys... relatively pedestrian with much more to come in the upcoming years.

And before anyone jumps on me, no, the point of this was not to say that I think slaf will become someone like Joe Thornton. I'm trying to show that premier big guys generally take time before they become what we remember them for.

I've used the samsonov and thornton case before as well to illustrate this in the past from a different angle.

 

[austin316]

Below average shot, below average skating, below average hockey IQ, and below average compete. Add those together and you have a below average hockey player.

Slaf is approaching 200 games in the NHL. He is who he is. It’s time we accept that.

 

[Andrei79]

Below average shot, below average skating, below average hockey IQ, and below average compete. Add those together and you have a below average hockey player.

Slaf is approaching 200 games in the NHL. He is who he is. It’s time we accept that.

His skating was objectively not average before this year and he had high compete. His size and strength are an outlier for his age.

He had a fantastic 19 year old season, what was your opinion then.

 

[Andrei79]

Slaf was never that good to begin with. He is a decent prospect but some of you got carried away with his good stretch last year.

When you drafted the 18 years old Slaf, you look at his Liga stats and you realize he would have been drafted probably mid 1st in a normal draft year. Probably the player drafted 1st overall with the worse stats in the last 20 years at least*.

*And before anyone says otherwise, stats DO matter especially for a top 5 pick.

You yourself were saying he would have a higher peak than Cooley last year, so whatever you say about others, you were guilty of it as well. It's the usual HF inconsistency though.

And how could you not be positive about a 19 year old having an excellent 40 game stretch ? He looked fantastic.

Bringing up his Liiga stats still after he just scored 20 goals and 50 points in the NHL as a 19 year old is just completely useless. A lot of young players and big players go through ups and downs. It's way too soon to conclude anything from it, aside from the usual suspects coming back here as Dach is now playing well.

 

[Naslundforever]

He is a Young player with ups and down, This is a down season Right now even though he would still be on pace for close to 50 point on a 82 game basis.
What worries me is that he has been so slow and that his shot is super weak. I never was impressed with his IQ but it was enough to play a Support role to CC Suzuki last year, don t think he has improved or regressed in this area.


That does not make me like his contract though. For instance Heineman has been much better than him this season, playing on an energy line.

Heineman looks like a hockey player. Slaf looks like a big athlete that plays hockey.

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

Heineman looks like a hockey player. Slaf looks like a big athlete that plays hockey.

I don't understand your argument but i'm pretty sure you're wrong.
Juraj Slafkovsky look like a freaking hockey players.

 

[SlafySZN]

Below average shot, below average skating, below average hockey IQ, and below average compete. Add those together and you have a below average hockey player.

Slaf is approaching 200 games in the NHL. He is who he is. It’s time we accept that.

habs fans never beating the impatient dramatic fans allegation.

‘’He is who he is, time we accept that’’

talking about a 20 years old playing his 2nd full season…

 

[Naslundforever]

I don't understand your argument but i'm pretty sure you're wrong.
Juraj Slafkovsky look like a freaking hockey players.

He has no anticipation or improvisational skills. He compensates with size, engagement and reach.

He will carve a career on his tools and get better positionally with experience. He has no mean bones in his body and reacts to gameplay, no way does he lead it.

He’ll always be big.

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

No improvisational skills really?
The top 20% of his touch with the puck is a work of art.
The high IQ play late last years was to pass the puck to Slafkovsky.

 

[Naslundforever]

No improvisational skills really?
The top 20% of his touch with the puck is a work of art.
The high IQ play late last years was to pass the puck to Slafkovsky.

Agreed, for Nick and Cole to soft dump somewhere the big guy can fetch it is a high iq play. There’s a reason no-one ever passes to him in open ice though.

He can make a pass, he has skills. They are oft picked off or way too strong but he has tools, no argument here.

He’s very valuable as a big body, and if he can become positionally sound, with tons of xp he’ll be a core player, just not a play driver or part of the entertainment factor for me.

My assesment is time stamped, I am aware he’s still 20, but you can see players that rely on skills and/or size (speed for others like Newhook) and others that have good anticipation and IQ even at that age.

 

[Tyson]

Slaf is going through the growing pains of learning the pro game. While he is not comparable to MacKinnon let's discuss Mackinnon's path to superstardom.
63 points as a teenager, i think he won ROY. He followed that with a 38 point season, then a couple of 50 point seasons and in year 5 he exploded with a 97 point season.
Like I said, Juraj Slafkovsky is not the same caliber of player as Nathan Mackinnon but it does show the ups and downs of development.
Guy Lafleur scored 130 goals in his last junior season, yes...130 goals. He scored 29 as a rookie, then 28 and 21. Year 4 he finally figured things out.
Slaf has the upside to become a 65-70 point player and that's not a bad thing...I don't expect a breakout until year 5.

 

[digmor crusher]

Slaf was garbage last night, I'm really starting to worry about this guy. He may not have a toolbox.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

This season's version of Caufield (not to mention Slafkovsky's last year) should caution against categorical statements during young forwards' developmental phase.

That said, one thing that caught my attention is the talking to he got from the management, as well as an earlier clash with the Slovak federation. Perhaps Juraj's head is not where it should be right now, and our young man got a bit full of himself. Wouldn't be the first 20-year-old to have that happen to him...

Obviously we don’t know what’s happening.

But he just signed his first big deal. Totally possible that he’s a little complacent.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Some unhinged takes in this thread, wow

Slafkovsky will be fine
He plays so-so right now, but he'll find consistency

 

[Naslundforever]

Obviously we don’t know what’s happening.

But he just signed his first big deal. Totally possible that he’s a little complacent.

As much as I love Caufield dishing finishing his hits in the neutral zone and Suzuki flattening people recently, I feel these things are Slaf’s job. I don’t remember a single guy he hurt or took out of the play intentionally this year.

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

HE AIN'T DONE BEING PARABOLIC.
Source: trust me bro.

Look i was white knighting Justin Barron before this is much much much easier.

 

[CHfan1]

He’s been a lot slower than last season.

2023-24: top speed - 22.76 mph, speed bursts over 20 mph - 85 (1.04 per game)

This season: top speed - 22.04 mph, speed bursts over 20 mph - 14 (0.4 per game, on pace for 33)

He also had a lot more high danger and mid-range chances last season:

2023-24: high danger chances - 70 (.85 per game, 13 goals) mid-range - 53 (.65 per game, 5 goals)

This season: high danger chances - 18 (.51 per game, 2 goals) mid-range - 11 (.31 per game, 1 goal)

 

[Heffyhoof]

This thread continues to serve as the example that certain posters prefer the illusion of being right and will pounce after every shift or game 'We should've drafted Wright, I mean Cooley, I mean Jiricek, I mean Nemec, no wait I mean Wright again because he was scoring for a few games, now Cooley again."

 

[crosbyshow]

Something that we have to look at with him is his training last Summer.

Remember when he said in September that he wanted to loose some weight in the Summer and he was at 217 pounds...

Remember the summer of Kk after his first season...he cameback and he was awfull...always on his ass...apparently all he did that Summer was playing Tennis...

Slaf said that he tried someting New last Summer but never gave the details but it d'id't helped him at all.



As a fan , or journalist etc we don't really know exactly about their training and it is so important cause for Habs players ( when we don't make the playoffs) it is 5 months...and it is huge at that age..


Slaf is not as strong on his legs than the last 50 games.of last season.

I am tellijg you..his last Summer's training has something to do with it