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Habs Season Thread: 2024-25 Regular Season

Slaf is progressing though. I don't know what you are expecting? He was never a flashy forward, he's a big boy with decent skating and good hands. He will take some time. At least now he's playing with Dvo and Anderson more and it's showing improvement. He had a good game in the loss.
 
Habsy said:
What happens if he goes to Laval and does worse under Houle? I don't trust the coaching rn. Even with the big club.

They need to bring in a stabilizing force as associate coach.
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We need to bear in mind that the coaching staff in Laval was inherited by HuGo. They aren't "their guys" and I don't think they want to entrust them with Slaf's development. I don't want anyone named Houle having anything to do with player development.
 
Habsy said:
Slaf is progressing though. I don't know what you are expecting? He was never a flashy forward, he's a big boy with decent skating and good hands. He will take some time. At least now he's playing with Dvo and Anderson more and it's showing improvement. He had a good game in the loss.
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As I just posted: production is not the exclusive measure of progress for an 18-year old non elite talent.

Pundits for years were saying how the 2022 draft cuvée was the weakest consensus top-10 talent since 1999 draft…. add to it lack of playing / learning for 16-18 period due to pandemic…
 
Habsy said:
Slaf is progressing though. I don't know what you are expecting? He was never a flashy forward, he's a big boy with decent skating and good hands. He will take some time. At least now he's playing with Dvo and Anderson more and it's showing improvement. He had a good game in the loss.
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I don't seem him progressing at all.
 
Sal_Butera said:
Define progress for an 18-year old?

Slaf is learning to be a pro, but I find people define progress as production…
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I expect him to be generating offense. Don't care if the puck goes in or not. The progression part is that happening more often. Which it has not.
 
worm said:
I expect him to be generating offense. Don't care if the puck goes in or not. The progression part is that happening more often. Which it has not.
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Slaf already has produced more than Jumbo Joe did as an 18-year old

He hit a wall like all 18-year olds do around 30GP, he’s been starting to pick it up last 3-4 GP. He was the best Habs forward last night by a wide margin.

Development is not instantaneous or linear, again he’s not a generational talent, there were no McDavid, Stamkos, MacKinnons last draft..
 
Habsy said:
I really think this is getting overblown. The team is a tire fire and people are worried about Slafkovsky.

Here's how I see it, the NHL is by far the hardest hockey league in the world and you're either going to make it through all the adversity as a 1OA or you're not.

How many first overalls went to good teams?

I'm not worried about Slafkovsky. As the team gets better he will improve too.
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I’d like to see him develop his offensive game and gain confidence, which he would be able to do in Laval. He’s barely touching the puck in Montreal.
 
Sal_Butera said:
I’m not even concerned about Houle coaching - who’s Slaf going to play with that’ll push him to be much better? Belzile?

For all the whining about playing w Evans & Pezzetta - they’re better than what Laval has
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That’s fine, I want him to be the primary driver.
 
He is generating offense. He needs to learn to alter his shot angle. His shots gets blocked way too much.
 
Sal_Butera said:
Slaf already has produced more than Jumbo Joe did as an 18-year old

He hit a wall like all 18-year olds do around 30GP, he’s been starting to pick it up last 3-4 GP. He was the best Habs forward last night by a wide margin.

Development is not instantaneous or linear, again he’s not a generational talent, there were no McDavid, Stamkos, MacKinnons last draft..
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Exactly, so no reason to rush him to the NHL at 18. He’s the only player from that draft playing in the NHL.
 
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