Prospect Info: 2022 - 1st OA] Juraj Slafkovsky (LW) Part 4

[cphabs]

Is it the case that Slaf would be "safer" in the AHL?

If the kid survives? We are going to have one heck of a player by the time he turns 21… 3 years from now. Also, if he makes it? I don’t want to hear anything from opposing D after his rookie campaign’s cheap hits. He’s going to return the favor. He’s 18 btw…

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Maybe but the Devils wanted Slafkovsky.

They likely did, it doesn’t change the discussion. Teams were all over the map with the top pick.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

If the kid survives? We are going to have one heck of a player by the time he turns 21… 3 years from now. Also, if he makes it? I don’t want to hear anything from opposing D after his rookie campaign’s cheap hits. He’s going to return the favor. He’s 18 btw…

The difference for me is that Slaf clearly has exceptional raw tools and genetics in his favour, but he struggles with the game processing, mental aspects of the game, positioning, anticipation, reaction time.

I believe he’s going to be a very good player or at least should be, but I argue what we are doing for his development this year is actually hindering his ability to adapt. We’re asking him to learn these finer aspects in the toughest league in the world when there is a league a tier below the toughest where he would still learn, but have slightly more time and space to do it. We’ve already seen him get rocked countless times for not being aware or skating with his head down etc. Not to mention he’s barely getting any ice time to improve.

I can see gradually increasing his 5vs5 time, but the kid should be stapled to the first PP unit all year long etc. if Slaf succeeds it will be because he was just too damn good to be held back and nothing to do with this 10-11 min per night shit they’ve been feeding him. It’s been reminiscent of Michel Therrien and Claude Julien’s developmental plan, a hot mess.

 

[Kennerback]

I also think the Devils drafted by need. They still got themselves a good player, but they've been building their forward group with high picks for years. And now they're building their back end.

They got Hischier, Hughes, Bratt (not a high pick, but a stud for them), Holtz, and Mercer up front. Now they want to build their D with Luke Hughes last year and Nemec this year, adding them to Hamilton and Marino.

The only 2022 player that has an incredible season is Jiricek. I still don’t know what to make of Nemec.

 

[ReHabs]

How can you expect Slaf at 18 years old to change the fortune of the whole team?

I don’t. You’re fabricating again.

 

[Jaaanosik]

I don’t. You’re fabricating again.

The fabrication is yours when you say Suzuki's play (an irrelevant comparison) does not follow Slaf's pattern.

I am pointing out that it just might be the cause of Slaf's decline in play could be the same cause as in Suzuki's under-performance.
You want to relegate Slaf to AHL, why not Suzuki?

 

[Kennerback]

The fabrication is yours when you say Suzuki's play (an irrelevant comparison) does not follow Slaf's pattern.

I am pointing out that it just might be the cause of Slaf's decline in play could be the same cause as in Suzuki's under-performance.
You want to relegate Slaf to AHL, why not Suzuki?

I don’t like Slaf’s game this past 1 or 2 weeks. I don’t like a few other’s games any more, but Slaf needs to play. If he’s not in MSL’s short term plans he should play minutes in the AHL.

 

[Jaaanosik]

I don’t like Slaf’s game this past 1 or 2 weeks. I don’t like a few other’s games any more, but Slaf needs to play. If he’s not in MSL’s short term plans he should play minutes in the AHL.

The whole Montreal team is in a funk since Dec 10.
Scoring less than 2 goals per game.
Slaf's decline is correlated to the team's bad play.
MSL has to fix the team, nothing personal against Slaf.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Im not going to go over this again. Let’s agree to disagree.

We all want the best Slaf that there can be. We can agree on that.


I love Hutson, but his stature makes him a long shot to ever be an NHLer imo. Love the kids talent.

I don’t see why being 5’9” would be a hindrance at this point.

 

[Tyson]

I don’t see why being 5’9” would be a hindrance at this point.

Isn't Jared Spurgeon 5'9 and the Captain of the Minnesota Wild?

 

[Runner77]

You literally explained everything I wanted to say.
Slaf is handled like a pee-wee right now. They don't know what to do with him. Gorton and Bobrov are god awful at drafting also. It should be Hugues but let'S be honest there is no way Gorton didnt interfere in some decisions.

I still think we did the wrong choice at the draft and now by how he's handled he's even worse.

I had qualms about Bobrov- Lapointe heading the draft, plus Gorton -- I dunno, the early returns look good to me. Beck and Hutson just to name a couple, look like amazing picks. Of course it's still early in their development cycle but I'd rather judge all of these individuals based on what they do as a Hab drafting contingent vs. what any of them may have done in the past.

It's still much too early to make a judgment call on Slaf. Plus, there was no clear-cut no. 1 candidate in this draft, so it's not as if they passed on a consensus pick -- there was none.

 

[ReHabs]

The fabrication is yours when you say Suzuki's play (an irrelevant comparison) does not follow Slaf's pattern.

I am pointing out that it just might be the cause of Slaf's decline in play could be the same cause as in Suzuki's under-performance.
You want to relegate Slaf to AHL, why not Suzuki?

Because I don’t care about Slaf’s play as relevant to the team’s campaign, I care about his play as a product of his development. I’m here discussing his development. With Suzuki, it’s different in many ways.

You’re totally out to lunch with this line of argument.’

 

[admiralcadillac]

Isn't Jared Spurgeon 5'9 and the Captain of the Minnesota Wild?

Krug, Spurgeon, Hughes, Ellis. They exist.

 

[Jaaanosik]

Because I don’t care about Slaf’s play as relevant to the team’s campaign, I care about his play as a product of his development. I’m here discussing his development. With Suzuki, it’s different in many ways.

You’re totally out to lunch with this line of argument.’

Slaf does not produce points in the last couple of games so his development sucks.
And that happens in a vacuum, right?

That's the problem with your logic.

 

[ReHabs]

Slaf does not produce points in the last couple of games so his development sucks.
And that happens in a vacuum, right?

That's the problem with your logic.

Well, that’s not my argument nor my logic.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Slaf does not produce points in the last couple of games so his development sucks.
And that happens in a vacuum, right?

That's the problem with your logic.

Holy Strawman Batman!

The only 2022 player that has an incredible season is Jiricek. I still don’t know what to make of Nemec.

You are going entirely off of stats again.

Switch teams between Nemec and Jiricek and I suspect your opinion would also flip.

 

[The Real Guy Lafleur]

Slaf is a Mario Lemieux in progress. He's going to be a superstar.

 

[ReHabs]

Slaf is a Mario Lemieux in progress. He's going to be a superstar.

I see the resemblance. Super Mario had 282pts in his draft year season while Super Slafio was only a mere 272pts off from that.

In his first NHL season Mario had 100pts in 73 games, and all Slaf needs to do to catch up is get another 90pts in the remaining 48 games, which someone with his prodigious talent and physical stature could easily hit if it wasn't for that jerk coach irrationally suppressing his TOI.

 

[The Real Guy Lafleur]

I see the resemblance. Super Mario had 282pts in his draft year season while Super Slafio was only a mere 272pts off from that.

In his first NHL season Mario had 100pts in 73 games, and all Slaf needs to do to catch up is get another 90pts in the remaining 48 games, which someone with his prodigious talent and physical stature could easily hit if it wasn't for that jerk coach irrationally suppressing his TOI.

You missed the word "PROGRESS", but keep being you son.

 

[ReHabs]

You missed the word "PROGRESS", but keep being you son.

If Slaf picks up 90pts in the next 48gp, I'll be the first to say he's the next Lemieux in progress.

 

[Natey]

There is nothing that indicates Wright is a prima Donna except for some fans imagination.

I agree on Nemec, but I don’t agree that if you feel he’s the best you pass on him for being a dman.

Or you know his time in Kingston where he blamed his teammates etc

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

There is nothing that indicates Wright is a prima Donna except for some fans imagination.

Well, there was that death stare…

 

[WeThreeKings]

Look at the stark contrast between Bedard and Wright. And Bedard is a year younger.

Wright was never that level of prospect after the pandemic. So those who are still carrying a bias against Slafkovsky cause they feel like we (and 2 other teams that thwart this narrative by passing on Wright) passed on a can't miss 1st overall, will hopefully realize we selected who we liked and projected best out of a group of 4 prospects that simply weren't a Bedard level talent.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Look at the stark contrast between Bedard and Wright. And Bedard is a year younger.

Wright was never that level of prospect after the pandemic. So those who are still carrying a bias against Slafkovsky cause they feel like we (and 2 other teams that thwart this narrative by passing on Wright) passed on a can't miss 1st overall, will hopefully realize we selected who we liked and projected best out of a group of 4 prospects that simply weren't a Bedard level talent.

I'm pretty sure if that Slafkovsky played for Slovakia, he will show so much more than Wright right now. The talent of Slaf is impressive and unique. Shane Wright isn't the 15 years old guy who played in OHL. Nothing "wow" in his game, maybe is going to be a good two-way C, but Slafkovsky have potential to be a real star.

 

[Naslundforever]

I see the resemblance. Super Mario had 282pts in his draft year season while Super Slafio was only a mere 272pts off from that.

In his first NHL season Mario had 100pts in 73 games, and all Slaf needs to do to catch up is get another 90pts in the remaining 48 games, which someone with his prodigious talent and physical stature could easily hit if it wasn't for that jerk coach irrationally suppressing his TOI.

They both started their career on crap teams and I’ll go out on a limb and say that’s where the resemblance will end lol