Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two

[Lafleurs Guy]

Here we are in year two already. And the big question that has repeatedly been asked or argued about is where he should spend the year. As such, we’re adding a poll.

Regardless of where he plays, let’s hope for the best. He’s obviously got talent. Hopefully he puts it together.

Click to read more...

 

[waitin425]

A new thread?!?!?!?! My prediction.....115 pages of regurgitated arguments

 

[Redux91]

Lol oh God LG.. what are you doing?!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

A new thread?!?!?!?! My prediction.....115 pages of regurgitated arguments

But… we have a poll now!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Lol oh God LG.. what are you doing?!

You mean when you guys were asking us to close the thread it meant you didn’t want a new one?

 

[417]

I don't know how to quote a conversation from a closed thread...

Mod Edit: You just copy and paste. Like this:

Can I ask what your history in hockey is? Not being disrespectful. I’m just curious. I actually like our debates and just want to know the history behind your ideologies.

but to answer your question @nhlfan9191 - see below.

I know, we've had this conversation before.

I've never played hockey so my opinion is worthless according to you.

You were being disrespectful then, and you are again...which is cool, doesn't bother me.

It ain't going to prevent me from posting here as I have for over 20 years.

But to develop my answer more...

I've never played hockey before...but I played basketball at a fairly high level, I currently coach U-16 kids in competitive basketball, which again, is at a fairly high level since we're playing kids all over the province.

So despite not having had the opportunity or desire to have played hockey growing up (not exactly a popular sport for a young black kid growing up - just saying) i'm very familiar with concepts of development.

 

[Andy]

I think it's important to stress that since the Dahlin draft, none of the 1OA were ready to make an impact in their D+1 year. Dahlin, Power, Hughes, Laf, and Slaf have all had a slow start to their careers.

Even other players drafted in the top 3 during those years have had slow starts (Byfield, Stutzle, Kakko, Berniers, McTavish, Kakko, Dach, KK, Svechnikov).

Everyone needs to chill and give the player time to develop.

 

[waitin425]

 

[Gustave]

@Lafleurs Guy this is like opening a second waste dump.

We knew we were creating trash, and we knew we were filling it up to the brim in an uncontrolled manner . At least it was condensed at one place and gave us a perspective of the the huge pile of shit we generated.

But now, this brand new sweet smelling hell hole is just sitting there empty… you know we’ll fill it up again

 

[SlafySZN]

I think we can finally leave the Liiga conversation in the old thread right… RIGHT?

 

[waitin425]

@Lafleurs Guy this is like opening a second waste dump.

We knew we were creating trash, and we knew we were filling it up to the brim in an uncontrolled manner . At least it was condensed at one place and gave us a perspective of the the huge pile of shit we generated.

But now, this brand new sweet smelling hell hole is just sitting there empty… you know we’ll fill it up again

We can't help ourselves. We cautiously come in to take a look at what others think and then we fall right into the same patterns!

 

[Zorro]

@Lafleurs Guy this is like opening a second waste dump.

We knew we were creating trash, and we knew we were filling it up to the brim in an uncontrolled manner . At least it was condensed at one place and gave us a perspective of the the huge pile of shit we generated.

But now, this brand new sweet smelling hell hole is just sitting there empty… you know we’ll fill it up again

You paint quite a picture!

 

[Pazucha]

If they cant give him guaranteed consistent good TOI and PP and solid line mates than I prefer AHL

 

[Naslundforever]

Whether he’s gonna suck and bust or become Jagr 2.0, I prefer to watch while he does it, so nhl.

Everything in between not worth debating over.

 

[Whitesnake]

@417 In response to your post in the other thread....no, I don't know for sure. Just like they don't know for sure if Galchy was in the best environment to develop, or Kotkaniemi etc.

RHP and Trudeau clearly benefitted from some AHL time. Then, you know my take on the draft...there's a limit you can do...only Jesus was able to transform water into wine....or so they say.

As far as the players you named that benefitted from an early NHL arrival....they did. I'm not sure they would have regressed with a 1-year journey in the AHL though. And Harris, well he was 22 when he played his 1st complete year in the NHL. Xhekaj 21-22 etc. Slaf started it at 18. To me there's a difference. The last 2 guys we started at 18 were Galchy and Kotkaniemi. They ALSO both would have deserved for us to take it slower with them. It,s really as if they look at his body, and just come to the conclusion that yep...he will be able to sustain a NHL calendar. While in the process despite the body, he was being destroyed left and right 'cause of how he wasn't able to have his head up.

Nope, organizatoin can't force people to understand what they are trying to do. I'm still shocked though that we do expect every fan out there to realize it with all that's been said, and also with the TSPS we suffer (Too-soon-player-syndrom)....

@BaseballCoach Not sure what you mean. Plenty of stars have started in the AHL before they reached the NHL. Geez Pacioretty has asked to go back in the AHL to perfect his offensive skills so he could get that confidence going. And that,s surely what Slaf needs to do too.

 

[Jaynki]

I think it's important to stress that since the Dahlin draft, none of the 1OA were ready to make an impact in their D+1 year. Dahlin, Power, Hughes, Laf, and Slaf have all had a slow start to their careers.

Even other players drafted in the top 3 during those years have had slow starts (Byfield, Stutzle, Kakko, Berniers, McTavish, Kakko, Dach, KK, Svechnikov).

Everyone needs to chill and give the player time to develop.

Another point i would like to make.

''Slaf is not a true 1st overall, it was a weak draft.''

I would not trade Slaf for many player on this list let me tell you.

I would take Slafkovksy well above all of those players excepted Svechnikov, Stutzle, Dahlin, Hughes and MAYBEEE Beniers.

 

[Rapala]

I'm not sure we should be voting on anything until camp is complete. Slaf like any other youngster should have to earn his ice time NHL or otherwise. I'm not sure he did that last season which was a bone of contention. But he hasn't failed outright this year IMO. It's probably a very good idea to give him as many preseason games as possible.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

He should definitely start in the nhl. If he has a long period of poor play, then thats when you consider sending him down to the ahl.

 

[Maitz]

I don't want to press on the panic button at all because he is still young at 19 years old but what I saw from him is a player with no offensive confidence trying to do too much, send him in the AHL with a bunch of players his age and give him a ton of icetime, that will be perfect for him

 

[morhilane]

I think it's important to stress that since the Dahlin draft, none of the 1OA were ready to make an impact in their D+1 year. Dahlin, Power, Hughes, Laf, and Slaf have all had a slow start to their careers.

Even other players drafted in the top 3 during those years have had slow starts (Byfield, Stutzle, Kakko, Berniers, McTavish, Kakko, Dach, KK, Svechnikov).

Everyone needs to chill and give the player time to develop.

Patience with prospects has never been the strong suit of this fanbase, there is also too many stats watchers around.

Habs management/coach didn't care last season if Slaf produced at the NHL level in his first season. He wasn't in the NHL to produce, he was there to learn. What? We can't be sure, because they never shared the details of his development plan.

We can see what Slaf worked on in his off-season thought, because his cardio, scanning and keeping his head up are much improved now. And that is going to help him a lot. He's going to gain confidence, react faster in-game and build momentum with those improvements.

 

[ReHabs]

Given Slafkovsky is not a typical NHL 1OA pick, he should not be treated as a typical NHL 1OA nor should the expectations of a typical NHL 1OA be placed on him.

What does this mean? He needs time to cook.

I don’t think he’s so skilled that he just needs more time to put it together. In fact, given his profile and what we know of him, he has a lot to improve in terms of putting his game together. He’s a project, right?

Let him get maximal puck touches and situations in which to be The Man. I don’t think the intensity and difficulty of the NHL will help him to develop his game. I don’t think the AHL is preferable either, that still seems like too far from his game. If I were the boss he would be in Finland with a mandate to be the best player of that league.

Barring Europe, being placed in the AHL would clearly offer more opportunities to perform as a first line forward than in the NHL where the quality of competition is beyond his ability.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Ahl for sure like he needed to go last season.

 

[abo9]

I voted AHL. What has Slaf done or showed for us to play him in the NHL?

We like to rush players for some reason... give a guy like Ylonen who is 23 a chance this year. Its his 4th year playing NA hockey, nothing to lose from playomg 3rd/4th line minutes.

Meanwhile, let Slaf gets his bearings in the AHL.

 

[417]

@417 In response to your post in the other thread....no, I don't know for sure. Just like they don't know for sure if Galchy was in the best environment to develop, or Kotkaniemi etc.

RHP and Trudeau clearly benefitted from some AHL time. Then, you know my take on the draft...there's a limit you can do...only Jesus was able to transform water into wine....or so they say.

Yes clearly, given where they were drafted - that's expected.

In theory, and maybe that's not even the right word, the higher you're picked...the more you've proven that you're ready for pro hockey.

I understand that's not always the case, but how often is a drafted top 5 and needs 2 years of development in the CHL or NCAA or Europe?

As far as the players you named that benefitted from an early NHL arrival....they did. I'm not sure they would have regressed with a 1-year journey in the AHL though. And Harris, well he was 22 when he played his 1st complete year in the NHL. Xhekaj 21-22 etc. Slaf started it at 18. To me there's a difference. The last 2 guys we started at 18 were Galchy and Kotkaniemi. They ALSO both would have deserved for us to take it slower with them. It,s really as if they look at his body, and just come to the conclusion that yep...he will be able to sustain a NHL calendar. While in the process despite the body, he was being destroyed left and right 'cause of how he wasn't able to have his head up.

No, that's certainly not what I was suggesting. But what's the point of delaying?

"not regressing", is not "progressing"...and that's really all that prospects should be doing. If the only benefit they're getting from playing in a certain environment is that they're not getting worse, then that's an issue IMO.

I never understood or agreed whenever people say "no one was ever hurt staying in the AHL longer"...that's not true IMO.

 

[River Meadow]

AHL, please.

He should not be in the NHL I don't give a _____ what position he was drafted at.