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Post by HTL on Dec 17, 2023 15:23:06 GMT
Not reading any more talk about sending the kid ( and he's still a kid) down to the Rocket. There may have been reason to do so last year and the beginning of this season but would he have actually developed at the same pace down in Laval? Interesting thought. IMO if we were a playoff contender he wouldn't have received the same kind of development with the Habs. It was our actual ineptitude that allowed for more patience in his progress with the big team. We're starting to reap the benifits of that now.
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Post by BigTed3 on Dec 17, 2023 15:43:02 GMT
Not reading any more talk about sending the kid ( and he's still a kid) down to the Rocket. There may have been reason to do so last year and the beginning of this season but would he have actually developed at the same pace down in Laval? Interesting thought. IMO if we were a playoff contender he wouldn't have received the same kind of development with the Habs. It was our actual ineptitude that allowed for more patience in his progress with the big team. We're starting to reap the benifits of that now.
But also notice how his best moments have come when he
1. Played with Dach in pre-season and to start the year
and
2. Played with Suzuki and Caufield
Almost as if actually giving him a chance to play with skill players and play on the PP brought out the best in him... what a shocking and novel concept that our coaching staffs have repeatedly refused to entertain for years. Look at Guhle and Harris... would they be where they are in development now if we had treated them the way we treated Tinordi, Beaulieu, O'Byrne, Pateryn, Diaz, etc.? Stay in the minors, get your shot on the 3rd pairing, then spend 5 games in the pressbox every time you make the smallest mistake. Should we have treated Slaf the way we treated the likes of Kotkaniemi, Galchenyuk, and countless others? Play on the 4th line with players the quality of Mike Blunden and Brian Flynn and then complain when they don't produce... go back to Pacioretty: played poorly in the bottom 6, went down for a while, got a recall with a chance to play on the first line with Gomez and Gionta and his career took off from there.
The bottom line is that you can't properly evaluate skill players in non-skill roles. It's fine to assess an RHP or an Evans or so on in a bottom 6 role if that's where you envision playing them longterm. But the likes of Slaf, Ylonen, Heineman, and so on need to be given a chance to play with equally-skilled players to know what they can do.
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Post by HTL on Dec 17, 2023 20:14:40 GMT
That was pretty much my point. Guys like KK and Chuck were in the lineup on a roster expected to challenge for a playoff spot under MB. That's why you saw them often in bottom 6 roles because they weren't trusted with the added pressures. Slaf played a bit in the bottom 6 but has pretty much played a top 6 roll over his time in Montreal ( especially this season). This management has recognized we weren't playoff bound during this rebuild and it has allowed them the luxury of keeping him with the big team while easing him up the lineup, unlike when Therien would bench or demote KK and Chuck for every mistake. I have no doubt he would have been glued to the 4th line if not Laval if MB was still here, because you just know it was all about getting to the show no matter how many holes you had in your roster with the ex regime.
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Post by electron58 on Dec 18, 2023 6:38:11 GMT
That was pretty much my point. Guys like KK and Chuck were in the lineup on a roster expected to challenge for a playoff spot under MB. That's why you saw them often in bottom 6 roles because they weren't trusted with the added pressures. Slaf played a bit in the bottom 6 but has pretty much played a top 6 roll over his time in Montreal ( especially this season). This management has recognized we weren't playoff bound during this rebuild and it has allowed them the luxury of keeping him with the big team while easing him up the lineup, unlike when Therien would bench or demote KK and Chuck for every mistake. I have no doubt he would have been glued to the 4th line if not Laval if MB was still here, because you just know it was all about getting to the show no matter how many holes you had in your roster with the ex regime. Now only if they would put Ylonen in a position to succeed..........................& Heineman.
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Post by HTL on Dec 19, 2023 3:51:24 GMT
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Post by ramcharger440 on Dec 19, 2023 5:10:13 GMT
Anyone still sore we did not draft Wright? I know it is early but I think we may have a stud in the making here!
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Post by HTL on Dec 19, 2023 12:04:18 GMT
Anyone still sore we did not draft Wright? I know it is early but I think we may have a stud in the making here! I didn't know anything about Slaf other than what i read about him. I did see quite a few games with Wright and i think i was one of the few that passed on him. I just didn't see the hype about that kid.
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Post by claremont on Dec 19, 2023 14:31:22 GMT
Anyone still sore we did not draft Wright? I know it is early but I think we may have a stud in the making here! Hi vision for the game and passing have definitely improved. I want to see him win some more puck battles, use that "Mahovlich" reach and shot more effectively before anointing him to stud level.
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Post by maasart on Dec 19, 2023 15:13:36 GMT
Anyone still sore we did not draft Wright? I know it is early but I think we may have a stud in the making here! He still needs to put it all together but boy does he look good out there right now. As for the draft, I didnt mind passing on wright. I wasnt (and still not sure) on slaf over Nemec or Cooley but all in all i think we still got one of the best players in a so-so draft. Too bad we didnt pick 5th that year and 1st this last year!
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RCAF48
Captain Kirk
Posts: 359
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Post by RCAF48 on Dec 19, 2023 16:10:00 GMT
Suzuki and to a lessor extent CC are helping his game but I'm not sure he is helping their's. He is showing improvement in some areas but IMO still has a way to go before I would consider him a true top six forward. Hopefully the positive trend continues. I think Wright or Cooley would also look good playing with Suzuki. Heck, you might even notice that Ylonen was dressed if he was playing with Suzuki on this team.
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Post by ramcharger440 on Dec 19, 2023 17:22:13 GMT
Suzuki and to a lessor extent CC are helping his game but I'm not sure he is helping their's. He is showing improvement in some areas but IMO still has a way to go before I would consider him a true top six forward. Hopefully the positive trend continues. I think Wright or Cooley would also look good playing with Suzuki. Heck, you might even notice that Ylonen was dressed if he was playing with Suzuki on this team. I disagree! Slaf is a machine along the boards! he is keeping and stealing the puck and then dishing it out to CC and Nick all the time. In my opinion once CC starts getting back between the dots and stops floating around the perimeter he will light up again. The one thing Slaf needs to do most is shoot instead of always feeding the other guys he has to mix it up a bit, but you can see it coming mark my words he is going to be a force!
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Post by maasart on Dec 19, 2023 17:37:36 GMT
Suzuki and to a lessor extent CC are helping his game but I'm not sure he is helping their's. He is showing improvement in some areas but IMO still has a way to go before I would consider him a true top six forward. Hopefully the positive trend continues. I think Wright or Cooley would also look good playing with Suzuki. Heck, you might even notice that Ylonen was dressed if he was playing with Suzuki on this team. I disagree! Slaf is a machine along the boards! he is keeping and stealing the puck and then dishing it out to CC and Nick all the time. In my opinion once CC starts getting back between the dots and stops floating around the perimeter he will light up again. The one thing Slaf needs to do most is shoot instead of always feeding the other guys he has to mix it up a bit, but you can see it coming mark my words he is going to be a force! I think you're both right actually. And obviously its all opinions at this point. Slaf does have to improve, because he's not actually converting on the points yet but that will come. He's getitng into the right spots & muscling through players like we only dreamed he would before. So far though, that usually ends in a pass when he should shoot, or a tap in the wrong direction when he does - but this will all come. He's made huge leaps in his development the last 20 games & makes you wonder what this year would have been like if he had been able to play all 82 games last year. I also do agree that playing with Nick & Cole helps - but - it also helps them. Its not like playing with Crosby who just makes everyone better- Nick and Cole just give a good player a chance to play his game. As does monahan & probably dach - im not sure if there's anyone else on this roster right now that does that. A lot of guys (Anderson) can be really useful but can also kill plays all night based on their relatively singularly dimensional games. Anyway, really happy with how Slaf is progressing. if he keeps this up I could see him scoring 25+ points in the final 50 games or so. That line will start clicking soon & when they do, watch out. Already they control play really well even if it doesnt end up in the net a lot.
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Post by electron58 on Dec 24, 2023 5:40:12 GMT
Juraj Slafkovsky with a little bump along the boards on Chicago Black Hawk Defenseman, 6'8" 228lb. Louis Crevier.
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Post by HTL on Dec 29, 2023 15:34:22 GMT
Reports are that he passed concussion tests after the game last night
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Post by maasart on Dec 29, 2023 19:23:41 GMT
Reports are that he passed concussion tests after the game last night Good to hear. It was a dirty hit & I am curious to hear if Noesen will receive a call from the league. Slaf was getting past him & Noesen clearly, with intent, laid an elbow to his head. This was a incontrovertible head shot.
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Post by electron58 on Dec 29, 2023 21:58:02 GMT
Reports are that he passed concussion tests after the game last night Good to hear. It was a dirty hit & I am curious to hear if Noesen will receive a call from the league. Slaf was getting past him & Noesen clearly, with intent, laid an elbow to his head. This was a incontrovertible head shot. Where's Xhekaj when you need/want him.
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Post by ramcharger440 on Dec 30, 2023 5:58:53 GMT
Couple of interesting interviews over at RDS Slaf sounds less than impressed at how the refs viewed the hit on him! Seems the refs feel he got hit in the chest! I have a feeling he may hit that guy in the chest next game.....
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RCAF48
Captain Kirk
Posts: 359
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Post by RCAF48 on Dec 30, 2023 17:48:38 GMT
Slaf & Kotkaniemi both took hits to the head during the last game, Kotkaniemi because the hit slid up to contact his head, Slaf, due in part, because he reached forward and lowered his head to point of contact maybe without sufficient time for the opposition to react. Under current NHL rules it is difficult for refs to make an instantaneous correct call, perhaps it is time to go to the IIHF rules where any head contact results in a penalty. However, I have read that a lot of the players oppose such a move. These are probably the same players that oppose neck protection rules.
Player safety has never been a priority in the NHL.
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Post by maasart on Dec 30, 2023 22:27:56 GMT
Slaf, due in part, because he reached forward and lowered his head to point of contact maybe without sufficient time for the opposition to react. Uh... slaf moved his head down but this was not about insufficient time for Noesen to react. In fact, his reaction was to bring his elbow up. Had he not reacted, there would have been no elbow-on-head contact.
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Post by ramcharger440 on Dec 30, 2023 23:48:10 GMT
Slaf, due in part, because he reached forward and lowered his head to point of contact maybe without sufficient time for the opposition to react. Uh... slaf moved his head down but this was not about insufficient time for Noesen to react. In fact, his reaction was to bring his elbow up. Had he not reacted, there would have been no elbow-on-head contact. Gotto agree with this! a player has to be able to make plays with the puck and the player who made the hit was not looking to make a play for the puck at all he was intent on making a hit and a dirty one at that! Last season Slaf was a danger to himself for sure but he worked on that and in this case he has no blame in this.
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