Confirmed with Link: Three-year, entry-level contract for Juraj Slafkovsky

[Runner77]

Have a bad feeling that Kotkaniemi/Dach mistake will be repeated with Slaf.

If the prior administration were still here, there would be a lingering doubt. But, the new guys seem very focused on development and skills. I’d give them the benefit of the doubt unless they give me reason not to trust them.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I thought it was interesting that Slaf will spend August in Montreal training.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I thought it was interesting that Slaf will spend August in Montreal training.

Hoping they get Dach on the ice here in August, too.

 

[FloJack]

Juraj looks so much like Sid Vicious to me. Lol.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

I'd like to see Slaf with Farrell on the same line with Laval.

 

[Captain97]

Even if he stays with the Habs it won't be the same as KK where it's defense first all the time and mistakes can get you benched.

We brought in MSL cause he is good to help develop young players.

Just food for thought if he stays with the big club.

 

[KevSkillz4]

The difference between him with KK or Galchenyuk, they are not good skater like him. They not protect puck like him. They not have physical ability like him.

Realistic projection for Slafkovsky is a 30g, 30a per season. But I think he can be a very good playmaker in this league, can reach 35-40a per season. He have great scoring instinct, great shot, so we can certainly hope that he can put 30 goals per season in NHL, maybe more, but if he put 30g, 35-40a per season with his style of play, that's a really good 1st overall pick.

Playing one day with Suzuki and Caufield, they are both pretty great playmaker too... that would help Slafkovsky to put goals.

 

[AustonMarner]

In all seriousness, I don't see the KK comparison because Slafkovsky already has a skating/strength basis that is ahead of where KK is now.

Kotkaniemi's game was really all predicated on hockey IQ with some solid skills but Slafkovsky has better hands, a better shot, likely not a better playmaking game, however. KK is a bit meaner in the way he plays but it doesn't come off as effectively since he's not strong enough in his lower body.

Realistic expectations for him would be a 25-30 goal guy who is a support player for smaller, skilled players. I don't expect a whole lot of assists, 20-30 per year.

Thanks

Hope he turns into a good player

But I personally would expect to get better than 30/30 type player with a 1st OA pick...

I just feel like JS was ranked to high at #1 mostly due to strong draft season & Olympic performance...

I don't think he'll turn out to be the best player in this draft for some reason...

 

[WeThreeKings]

Thanks

Hope he turns into a good player

But I personally would expect to get better than 30/30 type player with a 1st OA pick...

I just feel like JS was ranked to high at #1 mostly due to strong draft season Olympic performance...

I don't think he'll turn out to be the best player in this draft for some reason...

Just the way the draft was this year. Very rare to find a 30/30 player with Slafkovsky's size and ability, so you take what you can get.

And in most cases, the 1st OA isn't the best player in the draft. Sometimes its Kucherov in the 2nd round. Sometimes its Makar at 4. Sometimes its Datsyuk in round 7.

Just gotta make sure you get a good player out of it.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Thanks

Hope he turns into a good player

But I personally would expect to get better than 30/30 type player with a 1st OA pick...

I just feel like JS was ranked to high at #1 mostly due to strong draft season & Olympic performance...

I don't think he'll turn out to be the best player in this draft for some reason...

I think that we can hope that Slafkovsky have potential to put 40g, 40a per season too. He have rare asset for a big guy like him and if he play with Suzuki and Caufield... they have potential to become PPG players all 3, if the chemistry is there.

 

[AustonMarner]

Just the way the draft was this year. Very rare to find a 30/30 player with Slafkovsky's size and ability, so you take what you can get.

And in most cases, the 1st OA isn't the best player in the draft. Sometimes its Kucherov in the 2nd round. Sometimes its Makar at 4. Sometimes its Datsyuk in round 7.

Just gotta make sure you get a good player out of it.

You're totally right
I wonder how often the 1OA pick ends up being the "best" player taken in each draft

 

[Hannibal]

I thought it was interesting that Slaf will spend August in Montreal training.

A month with Adam Nicholas could be amazing for him!

 

[cphabs]

Imagine sending the Olympics MVP to OHL.

If this happens? With him? The OHL will never be the same again.

 

[NotProkofievian]

A month with Adam Nicholas could be amazing for him!

Indeed. After Draisaitl's failure to launch in his rookie season he spent the summer in Edmonton, working out every other day and spending the rest of the time on the ice with Dave Pelletier. The rest is history.

I'm very interested to see what effect a development coach will actually have, and it's something I've been asking for for years. We still don't have a skating coach, though.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Slafkovsky doesn't need to be the best player in the draft. He only needs to be better than Wright and Cooley. Maybe you can include Nemec in the mix.

The others were never in contention. They're irrelevant to how you judge the Slafkovsky pick.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

The difference between him with KK or Galchenyuk, they are not good skater like him. They not protect puck like him. They not have physical ability like him.

Realistic projection for Slafkovsky is a 30g, 30a per season. But I think he can be a very good playmaker in this league, can reach 35-40a per season. He have great scoring instinct, great shot, so we can certainly hope that he can put 30 goals per season in NHL, maybe more, but if he put 30g, 35-40a per season with his style of play, that's a really good 1st overall pick.

Playing one day with Suzuki and Caufield, they are both pretty great playmaker too... that would help Slafkovsky to put goals.

He is a better skater than KK or Galchenyuk for sure as his edges are quite good but his straight ahead speed and acceleration need some work and are not a strength in his game. He is very well balanced in his stance and can rotate his torso over his hips really well which is important for puck protection and keeping passing/shooting options open through a broader range of motion. Galchenyuk used to come almost to a stop when moving laterally as he wasn't able to maintain his base and KK just didn't have the core strength to keep his torso engaged when his base deviated from the center.

Slafkovsky is just a far superior athlete than either KK or Galchenyuk were/are and my only real question concerns his ability to think the game. I was not impressed with his decisions away from the puck but that can be fixed as MSL is a great person to teach such concepts as spreading the ice and attacking the recognizing developing routes and options. I have no doubt that he will improve in this area but his ceiling will be determined by how much of MSL's teachings Slafkovsky will find intuitive and how quickly and to what degree they become instinctive. If Slaf is a player that struggles in building mental maps then his upside may never justify his draft position but if he excels then we have a beast......time will tell and there is no way to really know from a casual onlooker how Slaf will respond this season and in future seasons but there is no doubt that they key to his success is between his ears.

 

[morhilane]

Indeed. After Draisaitl's failure to launch in his rookie season he spent the summer in Edmonton, working out every other day and spending the rest of the time on the ice with Dave Pelletier. The rest is history.

I'm very interested to see what effect a development coach will actually have, and it's something I've been asking for for years. We still don't have a skating coach, though.

Adam Nicholas, the new director of hockey development, specialize as a skating coach and started as one. Skills coaching came later in his career.

 

[FrankMTL]

I don't know if this was posted, but Slafkovsky and Mesar are something else....Especially Slafkovsky with his deadpan humour.