HF Habs: What Kind Of Impact Does Slafkovsky need to have for rebuild to be successful?

[Le Barron de HF]

Hello all,

Sorry if this can be transferred over to the Slaf thread or the thread on whether Habs are heading in right direction.

With all the talk about lack of impact player and draft philosophy and the team's days of picking in top 5-7 potentially behind them, what kind of impact does our at times forgotten/overlooked 1st overall pick (Slafkovsky) need to have for the rebuild to be a success and this team a legit contender à la Blues/Hurricanes

Would this rebuild have been a waste if Nathan Horton ends up what he tops out as? I know some might forget how good Horton was in his prime so before spitting on the idea please keep a look at his stats and remember he was a playoff beast.

Edit for clarity: with no real changes to main core and no more top 5-7 picks coming up

Click to read more...

 

[ReHabs]

The success of the rebuild isn’t dependent on Slafkovsky. I find your premise a bit off balance — if Slaf tops at Horton’s level what does the rest of the roster look like? What if he’s prime Nathan Horton on prime Tampa? How many playoff series will we have won, who’s our 1C and 1D and 1G? Are we contenders or pretenders?

How else do we know if the rebuild is a success?

Why not propose some other details too in this scenario…

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If he becomes a top 6 player (minimum 50points) with a forecheck from hell I'll be happy.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

The success of the rebuild isn’t dependent on Slafkovsky. I find your premise a bit off balance — if Slaf tops at Horton’s level what does the rest of the roster look like? What if he’s prime Nathan Horton on prime Tampa?

How do we know if the rebuild is a success? Why not propose some other details too if this scenario…?

As I stated in the OP, we'd be looking at a roster on the upswing starting this year so no more top 5-7 picks. The core would be about the same: Caufield, Suzuki, Dach, Slaf (Newhook?), Guhle, Reinbacher (Hutson?) Plus the rest of the prospect/young guys in the line-up. I don't have a crystall ball so no point going more into details or letting my imagination run wild.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Also you guys are masochist like can we wait until somebody from slafs years shows something before dooming and glooming over him you'd think we passed on Sidney Crosby lmao

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Also you guys are masochist like can we wait until somebody from slafs years shows something before dooming and glooming over him you'd think we passed on Sidney Crosby lmao

Am I part of the masochist clan here? :p

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Am I part of the masochist clan here? :p

No I was reading the other right direction thread and it got me mad haha

 

[BaseballCoach]

Hello all,

Sorry if this can be transferred over to the Slaf thread or the thread on whether Habs are heading in right direction.

With all the talk about lack of impact player and draft philosophy and the team's days of picking in top 5-7 potentially behind them, what kind of impact does our at times forgotten/overlooked 1st overall pick (Slafkovsky) need to have for the rebuild to be a success and this team a legit contender à la Blues/Hurricanes

Would this rebuild have been a waste if Nathan Horton ends up what he tops out as? I know some might forget how good Horton was in his prime so before spitting on the idea please keep a look at his stats and remember he was a playoff beast.

Edit for clarity: with no real changes to main core and no more top 5-7 picks coming up

Matheson is as core as they come.

 

[Ezpz]

[mod]

Slaf has to be better than a second line winger. Horton had a couple great years in Florida but he was also injured every single year. He is supposed to be the cornerstone piece of the rebuild, not the complementary one.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The entire rebuild doesn't hinge on Slafkovsky.

But with his size and other elements he'll bring as he matures, 60ish points is a good outcome.

 

[Wateredgarden]

I want him to be a physical Pacioretty.

 

[Gustave]

If he becomes Horton it’s a win from my perspective.

Horton was always injured though. But a non injured Horton is the kind of player that GM’s trip themselves over to acquire, with good reason.

As for if the rebuild is successful only if Slaf matches Horton? I don’t make a correlation between the two. Slaf is Slaf, the rebuild is the rebuild. Say he busts but the Habs become a powerhouse, rebuild = success and Slaf = bust. If Slaf becomes Horton but we suck and never come on top, Slaf = success and rebuild = HuGo hated forever.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

If he becomes Horton it’s a win from my perspective.

Horton was always injured though. But a non injured Horton is the kind of player that GM’s trip themselves over to acquire, with good reason.

As for if the rebuild is successful only if Slaf matches Horton? I don’t make a correlation between the two. Slaf is Slaf, the rebuild is the rebuild. Say he busts but the Habs become a powerhouse, rebuild = success and Slaf = bust. If Slaf becomes Horton but we suck and never come on top, Slaf = success and rebuild = HuGo hated forever.

Fair enough my mistake for overgeneralizing the two. The discourse following the draft has made me feel that was the position of a good chunk of people after taking a defenseman and with going with Slaf instead of some other options.

 

[Kaladin]

When we look back on the rebuild the Slaf pick won't be the one we regret the most. I can tell you that for free so I voted no. But I agree with your general thought process that the worst of the rebuild is done and so how do we feel about what we've obtained.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I want him to be a physical Pacioretty.

Pre-chara incident Pacioretty would be amazing. Doubt he’ll have that speed but Patches net drive back then was beautiful to watch.

 

[Naslundforever]

I refuse to vote on such an arbitrarily categorical question. My answer is 42.

k I voted no

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

I want him to be a physical Pacioretty.

Are you expecting him to develop a deadly snapshot ?

 

[Naslundforever]

When we look back on the rebuild the Slaf pick won't be the one we regret the most. I can tell you that for free so I voted no. But I agree with your general thought process that the worst of the rebuild is done and so how do we feel about what we've obtained.

No-one has played hockey yet. Including the kids who made the nhl last year since like december, never mind this year’s picks. How would an opinion differ at all today?

lol

“I sure liked Heinemann in June, but July — DON’T GET ME STARTED!”

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If Slaf busts entirely it still makes sense to rebuild. Not every pick pans out. Stay patient and keep drafting.

 

[Scriptor]

[mod]

Slaf has to be better than a second line winger. Horton had a couple great years in Florida but he was also injured every single year. He is supposed to be the cornerstone piece of the rebuild, not the complementary one.

You're imposing this. He doesn't have to be the cornerstone piece at all, but he needs to have a measured impact, IMO.

 

[Runner77]

The entire rebuild doesn't hinge on Slafkovsky.

But with his size and other elements he'll bring as he matures, 60ish points is a good outcome.

Slaf’s size will be meaningless until he starts using it to his advantage. I don’t know if he has it in him to be more than a finesse player but then again he wasn’t drafted for immediate returns.

Hughes was clear that he is a long term proposition so for me he’s too raw and too early in his development cycle to project, let alone trying to extrapolate the type of impact he can have on the rebuild. We don’t even know what type of player he can build himself into.

If some of you are more confident about what he can become, I can’t get there yet. I’ll just keep watching and hoping for the best.

 

[Ezpz]

You're imposing this. He doesn't have to be the cornerstone piece at all, but he needs to have a measured impact, IMO.

My opinion is if you draft first overall and that piece doesn't become the best in your organization it was a bad pick. Obviously there are exceptions where teams pick first more than once. In that case it's fine for the pick to be your third or fourth best piece. Or if you already have elite talent in your system, which we do not.

Slaf has to be an 80 point wrecking ball for us to not have whiffed.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

My opinion is if you draft first overall and that piece doesn't become the best in your organization it was a bad pick. Obviously there are exceptions where teams pick first more than once. In that case it's fine for the pick to be your third or fourth best piece. Or if you already have elite talent in your system, which we do not.

Slaf has to be an 80 point wrecking ball for us to not have whiffed.

Even if the draft is terrible and Slaf ends up as best would that be whiffing?

 

[BaseballCoach]

My opinion is if you draft first overall and that piece doesn't become the best in your organization it was a bad pick. Obviously there are exceptions where teams pick first more than once. In that case it's fine for the pick to be your third or fourth best piece. Or if you already have elite talent in your system, which we do not.

Slaf has to be an 80 point wrecking ball for us to not have whiffed.

"Whiffed" even if neither of the other top choices, Wright and Cooley, get 80 points either?

2010 - Taylor Hall, not the best on his team
2011 - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, not the best on his team
2012 - Nail Yakupov, not the best on his team
2013 - Nathan McKinnon, YES the best on his team
2014 - Aaron Ekblad, not the best on his team
2015 - Connor McDavid, YES the best on his team
2016 - Auston Matthews, YES the best on his team
2017 - Nico Hischier, not the best on his team
2018 - Rasmus Dahlin, maybe the best on his team
2019 - Jack Hughes, YES the best on his team but only after two meh seasons
2020 - Alexis Lafreniere, not the best on his team

 

[DAChampion]

It's the time of year when we have the most bored forum members.