Player Discussion The Slaf Thread - Parabolic Growth Edition

[GrandmaCookie]

To me, the 2022 race is over and Slaf won. He brings a bunch of intangibles the other don’t bring. If he can produce as much or more, it’s over. For the 2023 draft I count on Reinbacher’s attitude to pull him up. And the skills staff to help him iron out the rest.

Yep, less then 2 years post draft, the 19 years old with a whole 4 more points than the other 19 years old is the clear cut winner of that race. Get the horses back in the range already.

Come on now. I’m pro Slafkovsky but this is horse shit (no pun intended).

 

[G0bias]

It's possible players like Nemec and Jiricek (i'm biased but i think he has massive upside) end up being considered better players in a vacuum. Defensemen, specially #1 D's, tend to have the edge on wingers.

Would I still pick Slaf? Without a single doubt.

6'4 230 freaks, who gladly welcome and thrive under pressure and competition, only come around once in a blue moon.

 

[nhlfan9191]

I mean people can still claim to want Cooley, kid is also a beauty. So is Nemec.

There's no actual bad player in that top 5, Wright is the "worst" of the bunch and he's still producing .8 in the AHL as a 19 YO.

You know it's pretty funny that a lot of people were clamoring that it was too soon to prefer X and Y over Slaf and now... They are doing victory laps and doing the same thing ? It's almost as if, no one in this shit show has clean hands.

The top 5 that was projecting to be a gong show in 2022 is actually looking good now. And ironically, the guy who had the most hype in Wright is looking the worst. It’s funny how things work. Im just glad Shane Wright started to set off alarms before then draft and not after.

 

[the valiant effort]

the 2022 race is over and Slaf won.

Correct.

 

[Miller Time]

It's possible players like Nemec and Jiricek (i'm biased but i think he has massive upside) end up being considered better players in a vacuum. Defensemen, specially #1 D's, tend to have the edge on wingers.

Would I still pick Slaf? Without a single doubt.

6'4 230 freaks, who gladly welcome and thrive under pressure and competition, only come around once in a blue moon.

Yup.

The scouting process was a massive success on that front. They nailed the character & competitor assessment, recognizing that this kid has the mental make up to not just survive an environment like Montreal, but to thrive in it.

Cants wait to see a playoff series with Slaf, Nick & Cole rising to the occasion.

Like PK, these guys are the types that rise to the occasion and feed of the spotlight pressure... Not every NHLer does.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I mean people can still claim to want Cooley, kid is also a beauty. So is Nemec.

There's no actual bad player in that top 5, Wright is the "worst" of the bunch and he's still producing .8 in the AHL as a 19 YO.

You know it's pretty funny that a lot of people were clamoring that it was too soon to prefer X and Y over Slaf and now... They are doing victory laps and doing the same thing ? It's almost as if, no one in this shit show has clean hands.

But no one was critical of the Habs' pick because "Slaf is amazing but Cooley is McDavid-like" or that Patrice Bergeron (Wright) is slightly more valuable than Mikko Rantanen (Slaf).

Their complaint was that we drafted Chad Kilger 2.0 and no, it is not too soon to say that this is incorrect.

 

[V13]

Slaf is officially not a teenager anymore today

He's a man now. A real man's man

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yep, less then 2 years post draft, the 19 years old with a whole 4 more points than the other 19 years old is the clear cut winner of that race. Get the horses back in the range already.

Come on now. I’m pro Slafkovsky but this is horse shit (no pun intended).

To me, what is settled is that we drafted a worthy player and did not blow the pick on a bust. Slaf is not Kilger, not Leblanc, not Scherbak, not Chipchura, not McCarron. He is not Kotkaniemi or even Galchenyuk. He has first liner written on him.

But OBVIOUSLY, the best player from this draft will not be clear for years, and even then there could be reasonable disagreement.

I mean if Slaf ends up 100% as good as prime Rantanen, but Cooley becomes as good as Jack Hughes and Arizona is super-happy they have him, I still won't give Hugo a failing grade for drafting Slaf.

 

[Tyson]

To me, what is settled is that we drafted a worthy player and did not blow the pick on a bust.

But OBVIOUSLY, the best player from this draft will not be clear for years, and even then there could be reasonable disagreement.

I mean if Slaf ends up 100% as good as prime Rantanen, but Cooley becomes as good as Jack Hughes, I still won't give Hugo a failing grade for drafting Slaf even while Arizona is super-happy they have Cooley.

Cooley could very well become a point producing star but the total package that Slaf brings is still more needed imo.

 

[HomaridII]

Happy birthday slaf!

 

[BaseballCoach]

Cooley could very well become a point producing star but the total package that Slaf brings is still more needed imo.

I probably agree, but it could still happen that Slaf is not the consensus first pick when we look at this in five more years because someone explodes into a Hall of Famer, maybe even someone not in the top 6 of 2022. Yet if this happens, it won't be a negative mark on Hugo.

Happy birthday slaf!

Going forward, we no longer measure Slaf against all players in history for their achievements under age 20.

Now we measure against those under 30.

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

Slafkovsky and level headed folks is bad mixture because THEY AREN'T READY.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

I feel like his point streak gonna end today Turning 20 is tough stuff, I remember when I did!!!

 

[BaseballCoach]

I feel like his point streak gonna end today Turning 20 is tough stuff, I remember when I did!!!

On the other hand, should Slaf record a point tonight, he will, for a time, be the only player in NHL history to score in every game he played in his twenties. This factoid will be repeated on multiple You Tube channels dedicated to the Habs.

 

[yianik]

If Slaf gives us a 1st line that can score off the rush and the cycle, with him counting for upwards of 30 goals and playing a physical game, then very happy.. Most importantly, that's a line that should still produce come play off time.

 

[Rapala]

Slafkovsky and level headed folks is bad mixture because THEY AREN'T READY.

The HFHabs Slaf-o-Meter has gone from 5 volts last season to 300 million volts or lightening's equivalent this season.

The good news is I have plenty of room to work with for tempered takes.

 

[BLONG7]

Cooley could very well become a point producing star but the total package that Slaf brings is still more needed imo.

We have just seen the tip of the iceberg on Slaf's size being used.
He is so big and strong at this point, that will just get better used and honed over the next 2-3 seasons......
Good time ahead for this kid!!

As for Cooley, going to be a heck of a player, but his size can possibly be an issue for durability....

 

[McGuires Corndog]

We have just seen the tip of the iceberg on Slaf's size being used.
He is so big and strong at this point, that will just get better used and honed over the next 2-3 seasons......
Good time ahead for this kid!!

As for Cooley, going to be a heck of a player, but his size can possibly be an issue for durability....

All this talk of Slaf’s size, strength and the length of his stick has me feeling some sort of way..

 

[Archijerej]

So if Slafkovsky matches or even passes Joe Thornton's point total of 41pts in his 2nd NHL season as a teenager after a poor statistical rookie season...does it mean he's going to be a Hall of Fame player and one of the best players of his generation?

It has to right?

View attachment 842216

What a silly question.

Of course it does.

 

[BaseballCoach]

If Slaf gives us a 1st line that can score off the rush and the cycle, with him counting for upwards of 30 goals and playing a physical game, then very happy.. Most importantly, that's a line that should still produce come play off time.

What we have seen the last three months is that our first line is capable at any time of creating scoring chances. Even if the opponents dominate for a few minutes, sooner or later the first line has a shift that re-tilts the ice back in our favour. Very rarely do they go more than two straight shifts in their own zone.

This is one of the factors, along with improvement in team defence, that has kept us in so many games against good teams.

Once Dach is playing full-time and our $15M of cap space is spent on additional good players, we should be a playoff team next year barring very bad injury luck.

 

[Egresch]

Happy birthday slaf!

Just 365 more days and he can have a beer on US roadtrip.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Well suddenly 40 pts as a 20 year old is not that impressive.

 

[Miller Time]

Well suddenly 40 pts as a 20 year old is not that impressive.

From saviour back to bust with the flip of a calendar page

 

[Skip Bayless]

From saviour back to bust with the flip of a calendar page

This is me and how much I care about that :

 

[KevSkillz4]