With hindsight, would you take Cooley over Slaf?

[BLNY]

No. We need size with skill. Slaf has showed he has it. He had points in what, 5 of the first 6 games? Then got hurt. Upon return, he got pushed down to the second line. I can only assume it was to see if he could drive a line. IMO, it was too soon to try that. He's back with Suzuki and Caufield. He is showing signs of getting out of the slump. Leave him there.

 

[amnesiac]

Leonard over Reinbacher.

That’s what he said yes, but then he’s passing on Michkov too

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Leonard over Reinbacher.

Caufield-Suzuki-Leonard
Laine-Cooley-Demidov

Checks out.

 

[HabsCode]

Slaf will bust hard.

 

[The Last Red]

That’s what he said yes, but then he’s passing on Michkov too

Either would have been better than DR, IMO. But only time will tell . . .

 

[LaP]

Too soon for the hindsight

Cooley had a great start last year then Slaf had a great 2nd half then Cooley has a great start this year but it's too soon to conclude anything. I still like what Slaf can bring to a lineup once he'll have matured physically.

 

[Yasuo]

Cooley looks like the better pick at this time.

Especially for a lottery pick, stats and production matter. Slaf la Liga stats were never worthy of a top 10 pick to begin with. See with Hutson as well the stats were a massive indication.

It's true he produced well for a 19 years old last year but we need to remember he did not do anything until being put with Suzuki and Caufield. He will be the kind of player that will need to be put with our best players and play the grinder role.

Also Slaf is the perfect example why you don't offer massive contract to a 20 years old for a decent 50 games stretch.

Maybe but there are ton of exemple where it work out and the contract end up a bargain. Look no further than Cooley linemate Dylan Guenther. His contract look like a steal already and the aav is low compared as if they waited this year to negociate. Its a gamble sometime it work sometime it doesnt. But for Slaf maybe it wasnt a good gamble because Slaf will need to be at least ppg for that 7.6m aav contract to be a steal so i dont see the upside on signing him that early.

 

[windycity]

I wanted Cooley to begin with but hopefully Slafs develops

 

[Nicko999]

This has to be one of the worst example ever. Daniel Briere has playoff beast. Pretty sure we beat Flyers if Briere signed with us lol. Rick Nash did nothing in the playoff vs Briere.

I would rather have Daniel Briere in the playoff.

2009-10

Philadelphia Flyers

NHL

75

26

27

53

71

-2

23

12

18

30

18

Rick Nash Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Rick Nash, a hockey player from Brampton, ONT born Jun 16 1984 who was active from 1999 to 2018.

www.hockeydb.com

Daniel Briere Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Daniel Briere, a hockey player from Gatineau, PQ born Oct 6 1977 who was active from 1994 to 2015.

www.hockeydb.com

Exactly my point lol. Being big doesn’t necessarily imply big playoffs performer (as people are projecting with Slaf). While a smallish player can be a post season performer.

 

[Ezpz]

Current roster composition I think Cooley completes the top six while slaf is our third best winger. But who knew we'd get paid to take Laine or draft Demidov. Slaf is quickly going to find himself out of the top six next season if he's not careful.

I don't think he has the upside to pass Demidov or Laine and even Cole is a stretch.

Now we're at a point too where we may just not finish bottom five so that second line center hole is unlikely to be filled. Most top six c in the league are drafted at the top.

 

[Hacketts]

Hutson is pretty physical i’d say. He isn’t laying big hits but he plays physical, similar to how Gally is.

For Cooley I don’t think it’s a problem for him either, he’s not scared.

Comparing both him and Slaf is early at this stage, though. I don’t think trying to say Slaf plays better with Suzuki and Caufield is some negative, good players needs other good players around them to actually be good. It’s not a surprise that Cooley has been better playing with Guenther, too.

I wouldn't say it's a negative, but I would say that it shows that he's a very heady player. That is something that needs to be addressed, and maybe it is already. I don't know. He's the type of athlete that is probably going to need a sports psychologist..most likely. He has the tools and the ability to become a dominant player, he's showed us that in spurts. He's also showed us how it can go a bit sideways too.

His mental needs to be supported big time imo, for him to reach his potential.

 

[JianYang]

There's going to be alot of yo-yo-ing on this over the next few years as players like slaf and Cooley go through their ups and downs.

 

[teamfirst]

Too early, too early, too early, too early and.........too early

 

[JianYang]

Too soon for the hindsight

Cooley had a great start last year then Slaf had a great 2nd half then Cooley has a great start this year but it's too soon to conclude anything. I still like what Slaf can bring to a lineup once he'll have matured physically.

It's also worthy to note that teams very rarely end up picking the best player available at their respective draft slot (with the benefit of hindsight).

In this case, we are talking about a #1 pick, so maybe one ought to have higher expectations of getting the best player, but not all drafts are equal, and 2022 was a class where there was no definitive #1 guy.

The focus should be on picking and developing players who become critical peices to the cup puzzle rather than whether you ended up picking the guys who ended up being the best players of the class. The latter is a game that no team wins with any form of regularity.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Too soon to say but I’ll take Slaf. If nothing else we need his size in the top six.

I’d take Hutson over both. Very good chance we got the two best players in that draft. And by the end of it Beck might even make the top ten.

 

[DAChampion]

Come back when they are are both 24-25.

I disagree.

If you're drafting top-5 let alone top-1, it's critical to get value prior to a player turning UFA. It's totally unrealistic to cast aside all of a player's RFA years. For most players that's both the majority of their prime years and their highest value years.

 

[HuGort]

Logan Cooley is on pace for 18G 56A 74P in his 2nd season already

Curious if fans think they shouldve taken him over Slaf now, especially with the concerns at 2C going forward.

Big size difference, but Cooley's gonna be a star in Utah. No doubt.

Cooley was my pick back then. But I think Slaf is a 50 point big guy.

 

[Monsieur Miz]

I wanted Cooley from the start so of course.

Right now, he's better than Slaf in every aspect. Slaf has the size to play a physical game but he looks more like Drouin than anything else out there. No f***ing idea why he's being so soft this year

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

The difference between Slaf and Cooley this season, is that instead of playing with Dach he played with guys who can score. Typical Cooley point: skates fast accross the blue line, bobbles the puck, linemates picks it up, passes it to second linemate. Another Cooley second assist. Good luck getting that kind of production with Dach instead of Guenther.

Have you ever watched Cooley play?

I take Cooley without thinking twice. Slaf may end up a great complementary player but I've never seen high end tools (passing, vision, shot, skating) beyond size.

 

[417]

Not this again….

 

[dcyhabs]

The habs really needed more size in the top 6, and I think Hughes was willing to take a lesser player rather than unbalance the team more. Wright isn't big, Cooley isn't big, and I think that made the decision.

I'd normally go for skill over size, but if Slaf develops he may be more important to the team than Cooley would be while scoring less.

 

[SlafySZN]

I wouldn't say it's a negative, but I would say that it shows that he's a very heady player. That is something that needs to be addressed, and maybe it is already. I don't know. He's the type of athlete that is probably going to need a sports psychologist..most likely. He has the tools and the ability to become a dominant player, he's showed us that in spurts. He's also showed us how it can go a bit sideways too.

His mental needs to be supported big time imo, for him to reach his potential.

It shows that he is a young guy that need some offensive support with him on his line until he gets the experience and then can help others himself. It’s the same for most young players.

 

[OldCraig71]

I believe they drafted Slaf for what he would be at 23-24 years old and the trade for Dach was to fill the second line center spot.

A couple of years later they made a trade to move up in the draft to get Hage and that move might have nothing to do with Dach not being what they hoped he would or maybe it does.

Slaf isn't playing a physical game right now, he could actually look at Heineman for inspiration how to play as a big man in the NHL, that kid plays like a 30 year old vet. The future is very bright for him, great trade.

I wanted Shane Wright so I didn't really have a preference between Cooley and Slaf. Wright seems to be figuring things out but it's too early to tell how all three will end up.

 

[1909]

Cooley = Point in TB.

I wanted Cooley from the start so of course.

Right now, he's better than Slaf in every aspect. Slaf has the size to play a physical game but he looks more like Drouin than anything else out there. No f***ing idea why he's being so soft this year

$$$$ and brand new sexy girlfriend.

 

[Don D]

Cooley = Point in TB.


$$$$ and brand new sexy girlfriend.

Hope he does not go downhill (young, women, money) like Galchenyuk. The lifestyle messed with him.