Post-Game Talk: Habs lose 2-1 to the Devils in preseason opener

[Rapala]

Ovechkin has played at 240+ lbs his whole career and he has been very healthy

A horse is a horse in any color.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

It doesn't make any sense. According to this Ghule sucked big time on Defense. Come on, that can't be true

But it looks impressive and authoritative.

 

[bsl]

He's got a hell of a shot.

What I like is Beck shot while heads up and looking at target. Very good.

 

[bsl]

Slaf will play at 240+ for his whole career. Probably much more than 240. That’s his physical makeup. Either that’s good for the Habs or not. If it’s not, they’ll need to flip him because they’ll never make a 225 Power Forward out of him. It’s just not physically possible.

LOL at that height 225 is completely possible. What are you talking about? Laughable post.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

We win this game with Price

Comforting. We would have beaten a split squad New Jersey team.

 

[Anardil]

as trollish as this post is I don't think you're that far off though I think you're a bit uncharitable.

Not too sure if it's a toolbox issue but it could be. I just think he's really raw at this point. But he absolutely needs a lot of work. I still saw him being quite electric at times in the rookie game. The potential is massive but like I said in another post he's like a 9.0D or even a 9.5F or Z.

I'm not wholly convinced he can refine his game but I'm not writing him off. Not saying you are.

I do think Laval is the best place though for him. I'm almost 100% he'll struggle there. Maybe even as long as the entire first season but at least the first 20 games I could imagine. The organization has to really get a dedicated skills coach for Laval or at least someone who can show him how to use his tools/size more effectively.

The problem with junior is he'll rip that league apart without having to change his game much which wouldn't help his overall development at all. If Galchenyuk could destroy that league after coming off a year of not playing, just imagine what Slaf would do. He looks far above Galchenyuk at this point.

I'm not trolling at all. I am hoping that Juraj develops into the player that the management believes that he will be. I am a Habs fan after all. I'm just concerned that up to now, the only time that he has shown anything resembling a first overall pick is in scrimmages.

Is it wrong to expect to see something, anything to justify being the 1st choice in the Draft? Up to now he has only shown:

- Elite size
- Above average skating ability.

I mean, even Kotka and Chucky showed more at the same point in their initial camps. I'm not saying he's a bust or anything like that, I was/am just concerned that he has shown almost nothing in tangible hockey skills to give me hope that he will be the top line winger we are all hoping the Habs envisioned.

It's still early yes. I am happy that the Habs finally joined the 21st century with the hiring of a dedicated skills coach, because Slaf will need to be developed.

 

[Canadienna]

I'm just concerned that up to now, the only time that he has shown anything resembling a first overall pick is in scrimmages.

Is it wrong to expect to see something, anything to justify being the 1st choice in the Draft?

Are you talking about during their practices then?

He's played a single preseason game...

When you say he hasn't shown anything outside of scrimmages, are you really just saying he didn't show anything in his handful of minutes in one preseason match?

 

[Anardil]

Are you talking about during their practices then?

He's played a single preseason game...

When you say he hasn't shown anything outside of scrimmages, are you really just saying he didn't show anything in his handful of minutes in one preseason match?

He also played in the prospect challenge, where one would expect a 1st overall pick to dominate his peers (somewhat), since you know he's been playing against men

 

[Talik Sanis]

I mean, even Kotka and Chucky showed more at the same point in their initial camps. I'm not saying he's a bust or anything like that, I was/am just concerned that he has shown almost nothing in tangible hockey skills to give me hope that he will be the top line winger we are all hoping the Habs envisioned.

Precisely my thoughts when Slaf was drafted first overall: during their own draft years - and then, later, by this admittedly very early point in their respective tenures with the Canadiens - both Galchenyuk and Kotkaniemi were vastly superior players and prospects, with skills in shooting and puck handling that vastly exceeded those of Slafkovsky at this time.
They were better picks, and, I am confident, will have better careers by the time that all three of them retire. Galchenyuk, particularly due to his initially possessing only passable skating skills, was completely derailed by injuries, but Slafkovsky will not reach the heights that he did.

I'm certainly not "panicking" and calling Slavkovsky a bust after two pre-season games. That would be as irrational an overvaluation of performance in a small sample of meaningless games as drafting first overall someone with a dubious history of offensive performance who only ever achieved success in a short tournament facing D-tier competition.