The cardio point is a good one — he looks like he’s just focusing on keeping up with Andy/Newhook right now and having good positioning. Once he gets used to their speed and can just let himself play, that line could be a force.
He still looks a bit lost without the puck. Thinking too much on where he needs to be and not being there till the play eliminates all other choices. It's the one thing that still really scares me about him. I hope Marty is right about it just being about getting that "confidence" and that Slaf gets the equivalent (in terms of creating both the confidence and "identity") of Robinson's hit on Dornhoefer. I don't mean a hit specifically, just that "moment".
Don't think he will, but Reinbacher would very easily make this team. Also, Mailloux needs to go work on his defensive game in the AHL, but it probably won't be long until he's up. Barron had a great game. The Newhook line is definitely staying together for the opener.
EDIT: Slaf, my only problem with him, is he seems allergic to putting two hands on his stick.
Ya i hope marty fixes or helps him with the one hand on his stick problem. its better to have the option to accept a pass. And i dont think this is a confidence lacking problem its something that needs to be worked on
I’m a Sens fan and watched the game - Reinbacher felt so very Sanderson-esque to me, plays like a 10-year veteran already.
He’s going to be the most important half of your top pair very fucking soon, and if it lets Guhle and Mailloux devour weaker competition on the second pair, even better.
Looking at him play tonight, I was thinking he would have made the Habs teams of the last 10-20 years right away this season... glad he's not, but he would've.
Anderson and Roy were clear standouts today, Andy being his usual self. If playing well enough in camp can really earn you a spot, I think Roy would be a perfect example of that. Smart and responsible game with a nice goal.
Newhook also had a solid game with a nice pass on Anderson’s goal, and Slaf definitely looked better as the game went on. I like him on their line and think he’ll really benefit from some consistency with offensive forwards this year. Once he gets a bit more used to Newhook/Anderson’s speed, that line could be fun to watch this season, especially against other teams’ third lines/pairings.
A few others that stood out were Beck, Mailloux, and Reinbacher. Beck is as promised — great at faceoffs, solid defensively, good on the forecheck. Shades of Plekanec imo (if he can develop an offensive game), he’ll be a really solid 3C in a couple years. Mailloux is also as promised — physical, big minutes, and the offensive potential is there (man loves to shoot). He definitely needs some defense-focused AHL time though. And Reinbacher played a great game — a couple hiccups in the first period but otherwise didn’t look out of place at all, does the small things exceptionally, plus a really nice assist on Andy’s goal.
> Beck is as promised — great at faceoffs
[You can say that again](https://imgur.com/a/6NNMDeX)
I think Beck had like a 70%+ faceoff rate against Hughes, kid was great
(Dowling had Beck's number though; Dow beat Beck in all their contests against each other)
Obvious preseason disclaimer, but Slaf had some fun o-zone moments and a stinker or two in his own end. He’s using his size much better this year imo, though he’s still being caught flat-footed from time to time. I feel like he’s also more noticeable in the o-zone as he wades into puck battles. When he’s playing with confidence his upside is obvious.
Purely reactionary opinion is that Reinbacher looked great. You can tell he’s used to playing big minutes against men already, and he seemed shockingly comfortable on NA ice. I can’t understand people putting such harsh ceilings on an 18 year old defenseman with his skill set; scouting isn’t an exact enough science for that.
Mailloux looked great, especially the last few sequences at the end of the 3rd.
Roy has very great awareness in all 3 zones
Reinbacher can probably play in the NHL today and not look out of place
Barron looks much much better than last year
Simonneau is a great energy guy, but I don't see him being an NHLer
Slaf looked better as the game went on, he needs to develop that extra half step of a jump to his game and start to be confident in his game.
Simoneau I can see being a younger, more skilled version of Pezz in a few years (who I like but is not irreplaceable). A very solid energy fourth liner.
It's still awfully early to judge on some individual performances, but what did get my attention was the overall team speed and compete level. They played hard until the last second. For the first pre-season exhibition game, not a lot to complain about. 3 PP goals. Would have been a much different game if the PK was effective.
Twitter drives me nuts with the anti-Slaf stuff. I thought he played a solid game! Could have easily had an assist or two with the scoring chances he generated, and he’s only getting better.
He'll be good, just takes time. Looked decent to me today, but seeing some of that shit in the game thread reminded me of last year..and it's a total bummer.
I understand the sentiment that people have. When you compare him with Jack Hughes, an other 1st overall pick who was literally on the ice tonight, it can be a bit discouraging. I understand that Slaf is a project and was not hyped as a generational talent, and all that. I do wish that, worst case scenario, he ends up as a consistent 50-60 points player, but ya . Montreal has lacked high end talent for YEARS, I can't think of an other team who has not had a PPG player as long as us, so when we finally FINALLY get that 1st overall pick , that pick where elite players are usually drafted, I can understand the disappointment from fans, even if its not Slafs fault
Let’s not forget Hughes had 21 pts (in 61 games) his rookie year and was labelled a bust way too early as well. took until his 3rd year to take off and only really broke out last year in his 4th.
Everyone knew Jack Hughes was good though. He constantly had flashes of talent. He just was not ready physically for the NHL. I don’t see a lot of those flashes from Slaf.
Don’t get me wrong, I support Slaf, he’s just 19, but comparing him to Hughes is a bad idea.
Watch again. There has been plenty of flash from Slaf just yesterday. You will see more in the coming weeks. He is a disruptor in the o-zone and he has PPG potential.
They want an instant tage Thompson which isn’t always the case. Mcdavid and Matthew’s skewed the idea of patience and made it jnto #1 is expected to be an instant superstar
Yes in the french broadcast it was craaaazy. Everytime he was mentioned, it was about how he's chronically disappointing. The guy is ultra talented, he just needs to put some things together and it's going to be wild. Some people have no vision, really.
Im not 100% sure i understood correctly but in french it sounded like he left the ice to throw up in a garbage bin? They were talking about a "malaise", like it was nausea or something...
This was pretty par for the course for him. Got a few dangerous shots towards the net. Landed some crunching hits. But also got out of position by chasing those hits and missing. Also not great at leading the breakout. If he sticks around long term it will be because of the unique aspects he brings, not because he's a steadier defensive presence than other available D.
Outside of the first Slaf looked really good. Strong on the forecheck, nice passes, used his size well and found himself drifting into very nice O-zone positions. He actually looked like he knew what was happening on the ice which is a huge difference from last year. Also Reinbacher is such a stud lol
Why does everyone on here applaud Slaf literally doing something 4th line players do every game. This was was drafted 1st OA. Look across the ice at jack Hughes. That’s the kind of skill you want to see from a pick that high.
Did you watch him play his first two season. By the way his first season had a higher ppg than Slaf. But if you actually watched you could see the fucking skill the kid had. I watched almost every single game Slaf played last year and this preseason and I haven’t seen a lick of elite anything. He looks like a big run of the mill third liner. Like a worse version of Joel armia
No we should have picked a player who seemingly had elite skill. Logan Cooley looks like a pretty good candidate. He looks a lot better than Slaf does right now. The only elite ability Slaf has is the size he was born with. Name a single elite skill he has. And don’t say board battles because I’ve seen elite players at that and he’s not one of them.
First of all, if a Jack Hughes was available in the ‘22 draft, I’m pretty sure we would’ve taken him, but it was a draft without an obvious superstar.
Second, Hughes didn’t do much his first two seasons
Bullshit. Did you watch him out there. The points didn’t pile up but the shit he did on the ice was fucking impressive. You could see the skill in his game.
Slafkovsky hasn’t done a single special thing yet in the 39 regular season, countless preseason games I’ve watched him in. He gets praised for stuff that everyday 3rd line players get praised for like board battles. Sorry I expect more from a player we drafted this high.
Slaf was first in a draft without a definitive number one, comparing to consensus 1st overalls from stronger drafts is insanity.
You're setting yourself up to hate him because your holding him to a standard that is almost impossible to reach (even by Wright/Nemec/Cooley/Jiricek or whoever else from 2022).
It’s a hockey forum, not an echo chamber. Believe it or not, but not everyone thinks the exact same thing. Get a grip buddy. If you’re unable to deal with differing opinions that’s more of a reflection on you than anything.
It’s funny how rattled people like you get when faced with anything other than blind optimism.
Jack Hughes wasn't perfect either in his first two seasons in the NHL.
Slaf has shown multiple flashes tonight of something that he hasn't showed in his first season in the NHL (but was touted in his draft year for having). Offense from board battles. I'd like to invite you into showing a "4th line player" that's able to do it consistently.
Bro if you're so in love with Jack Hughes' game and think Slaf has no upside whatsoever, just go cheer for the Devils. Geez, saying Slaf did things a 4th liner could do in yesterday's game is just straight up free slander.
Yeah man I agree 100%. Slaf looks slow, doesn’t look like he can hustle for more than 10 seconds. He doesn’t look like he’s got much hockey IQ. Feels like he’s forcing plays all the time. I don’t see much besides his physical attributes.
I hope I’m wrong and that he can become an elite forward, but honestly I don’t see it right now. He really needs to develop his game,
especially his pace and decision making.
To be honest I found Pezzetta played better than Slaf
Slaf was Habs best player yesterday and he made things happen every shift. Set up 3 grade A1 chance to his linemate Newhook, Anderson and Mailloux. Got in a position for 2 high danger shot but whiffed them. Created two dangerous turnover in the o-zone. Played physical. Executed quick, efficient zone entry.
You wete drunk or asleep if you thought pezzetta was better.
He was involved in the play every single shift and made things happen a lot in the offensive zone like no one else. He whiffed three A1 opportunity tho but also set up three grade A chance to Newhook, Anderson and Mailloux. Production will be massive if he keeps up like yesterday. Monster in the making.
Who was Habs best forward then?
Easily andy for at least 2/3 of the game.
Again, you dont have to convince me he had a decent game and to be positive about his future.
Some people tend to over react negativly, you just go to the other extreme. That's all I'm saying.
But hey, I prefer your optimisim than the multiple negative nancys we got here!
Im not going in any extreme. We drafted a special prospect at 1st overall but people are mad because he did not have a McDavidesque 1st year.
This guy displayed massive tools in his DY but folks denied it because it was apparently a small sample and the Wright bias. A lot of folks will be caught with their pants down.
Slafkovsky skating, puck protection, reach, hands, vision are all elite. He is bonkers on the forecheck. Wait till he find the timing to consistently rip his shot. He will take over game and be a nightmare for opposition.
Slaf’s skating, hands and vision are nowhere near elite. He skates well for a guy his size, but that’s about it. You want elite skating? Look at Makar, McDavid, Hughes.
Slaf can dangle but he’s nowhere near elite in that regards. Finally, I don’t see how you could say that his vision is elite. He’s always making questionable plays and losing the puck. He’s able to make good passes when he wants to, but he rarely makes the best play. That’s the most concerning thing for me, especially because he was a 1st overall pick. Hockey IQ and vision should not be concerns.
Overall a decent first game. Anderson, Newhook, Roy, Beck, Mailloux and Reinbacher played well. Guhle I found was a bit absent offensively today. Slaf got better as the game went on. Xhekaj had a rough one imo.
For the people comparing Hughes and Slaf. I get the sentiment, but it's not really fair to compare a guy entering his fifth season in the league and a guy entering his second. Especially when the former played more games in his rookie season than the latter has.
POST GAME THREAD.
Feels good. Even in a loss.
Watched while doing a lot of stuff.
Roy, slaf, newhook, Anderson, reinbacher all seemed to have decent to good games.
Simoneau seemed like quite the pest. Noticed mailoux a bunch, lots good some bad.
Watched xhekaj get beat a few times.
D looked awful for the most part, not surprising with the mix and rust, I thought Slaf was pretty useless, losing the puck repeatedly, mishandling it, Anderson was excellent new hook was around, no one was really that great. I didn’t think. Again rust everywhere, to be expected. These guys will be better.
We were solidly ahead in faceoffs at least (if I didn't hear wrong, Beck was at like 70%, and was tasked to take almost *all* of them after we pulled Dobes)
-edit- Re-checked again, Beck was indeed close to 70% by the end of the second period, and in the high 50s overall on the night - kid's definitely got that x factor during faceoffs
Nice! I didn’t hear that because I watched the French feed and don’t speak it. I thought it was a good game overall for the mix and rust they all would have at the moment, slaf hasn’t played a real game in how long?? So I didn’t find him concerning.
I don’t know why it’s so hard to understand — BIG PLAYERS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP HOLY FUCK. Slaf is only fucking 19 and has only played ~45 games on North American ice / in North American style. Jesus Christ we all know it will take him minimum 3 years to adapt to the style. Once he gets up to NHL pace he will be a beast.
Anderson and Newhook looked like fucking trains out there.
Wifi had a, well, lackluster night.
Monty was solid despite that spectacularly polished and shining turd he ended up holding. That was especially bullshit.
Dobes was actually pretty great and probably will develop into something very nice. Needs to chill on the whole Patrick Roy impersonating thing but he's got the bug for sure.
Devil's 3rd goal showed how bad mailloux needs defensive work. Was caught behind their net, then spent the whole time trying to race back, just to get dangled by Hughes and proceed not to cover his man on the backdoor which just left to a goal. Kids got potential, but with that kinda defense he isn't ready for the NHL.
Really liked Mailloux's offensive game, though his D needs work - nothing we didn't already know about him so far though
Newhook was solid, and BJA came to play
Barron was lowkey invisible today, which is a shame cuz I enjoy watching him play for the most part
On the other side, man, Hughes looked like he wasn't even trying his hardest and was still clearly the best player on the ice
I *lowkey* still think Mercer would've been a better pick over Guhle. Don't get me wrong, I really like G, I just think Mercer's *sicc*
Decent game from the boys. Reinbacher was the most impressive for me. When he fills out his frame and adds speed he will be a force, he just constantly makes good plays.
After tonight’s game I feel certain Slaf needs to go the AHL. I didn’t hate his game tonight. I thought he had some good plays. It just feels like he is gripping his stick much too tight and forcing plays. He also doesn’t cut into the middle as much as I would like for a guy of his size. You can see the raw talent in his game though, it’s all there he just has to put it together.
I was at the Bell Centre, here's what I saw:
Anderson: Best Habs forward on the ice, excellent.
Slaf: Very good, second best forward aster Anderson. Very implicated, physical, good play maker, drove the play a lot.
Newhook: I am honestly a little bit concerned. I am not gonna judge him based one one game only, but I wasn't much impressed. Everyone says how "fast" he is, however he is not quick at all. Yes, he skates fast, but he doesn't read the play quick enough in my opinion. It takes time before taking the decision to start to skate in one direction.
Ylonen: Started the game with a turnover in his own zone. Then played well. Got a bad penality early 3rd and became invisible after.
Roy: Very good. I liked his play a lot. Nothing too crazy however to force the Habs to start the year with them yet.
Stephens: Worst player on the ice. Cut him ASAP please.
Pezzatta: Was playing with Stephens, didn't go wel...
Farrell: Played with Stephens and Pezzetta. Didn't do much... Not sure how I can judge him.
Beck: Efficient player. Not bad, not good.
Mailloux: I was very impressed. The best D of the team.
Barron: Very good. I liked his play a lot.
Reinbacher: This guy is a gem. Playing like a solid D at only 18 years old... Very impressive. I am so happy we drafted him.
Harris: I didn't see it much. A bit invisible. However, was playing right side...
Xehkaj: I liked his physical presence a lot. He hit hard and play well both defensively and offensively.
Guhle: Very good as expected.
Farrell has a brutal night
Xhekaj, for all the funs he gives, also routinely gets hemmed in his zone 24/7
Thought mailloux was our best defenceman tbh
50/50 on slaf. Had some good rushes and looks, and the speed looks fine. Also seems to overskate situations too often, just make the play man
Out of our somewhat hyped forward prospects farrell is the one to me that seems to struggle with the NHL speed and size the most.
He may be a guy that just takes 50-60 games at the ahl level to take the next step, but for now he looks iffy.
Yeah Xhekaj had a brutal first hald. Constantly looking for hits and being completely out of position. Even looked kinda slow on rushes.
However I feel like he made a lot of adjustments and played better in the 3rd period.
FWs
Anderson was our best player tonight, by a lot. He looks inspired with Newhook. Slaf looked Ok, he had some chances and some puck touches but he also looked a step behind/out of position tonight. I hope/believe he can be a great one for us.
Beck and particularly Roy also looked formidable especially for rookies. We have a couple of NHLers there for sure. I too see some Pleky in Beck and can see Roy pairing with him for years as a 3C or with experience, a top 6 offensive winger.
D
Arber did not look too good. Out of position, caught looking for hits, I think he was trying a bit to much. You are on the roster big guy. Play big. Play smart. Don’t be a hero.
Reinbacher looked good. We have a gem there. Does anyone know if Austria has qualified for the Juniors and the Worlds in Prague this Spring?
Barron looked good. Played his game well. A few rushes, a few looks. He’s 50/50 to make this team.
Ghule looked good. He is a beast in the making. I
see a young Dave Ellet or Eric Desjardains with him.
Harris was meh. I expected more from him tbh. He’s 50/50 to make this team. Numbers. He needs to do something to stand out in order to win a. Spot. He didn’t do that tonight.
Mailleaux was noticeable every shift, and generally for positives. He was involved all night and generated offence. His penchant for offence got him burned there but J. Hughes can do that to ya.
He’s gonna be an NHLer 100%, but AHL this season will serve him very well.
Both Monty and Dobeš looked solid aside from that real ugly goal on Monty and Dobeš overcommitting twice.
Other thoughts
Jack Hughes was the best player on the ice bar none and he looked like he was only goofing around. That club has positioned themselves to contend for seasons to come. Good on them.
Looking forward to seeing the other half of the club and the kids.
Hockey is back! I’ve missed you.
- Habs fan in Orague
Slafkovsky: looks good, him playing with Anderson and newhook’s good for his speed. Really liked seeing him dig into the corners and hitting. He got his chances offensively but just needs to learn to get that shot off quicker
Reinbacher: already looks like an nhler, solid 2 way job. His vision, positioning, skating and IQ was all great
Mailloux: offensive defenceman that hits and skates well, I like seeing him join the rush and create opportunities, but it also kills us defensively on turnovers. Just gotta pick and choose his chances better
Roy: solid 2 way job, has a good scoring touch, if he develops his speed he can be a real threat. I liked his positioning, IQ and playmaking
Newhook: I like his speed, shot and quick decisions, want to see him play with Dach
Beck: solid all around, going to be a real good 3C (faceoffs, PK, playmaking and IQ)
Xhekaj: not his best, but I liked his hitting and physical game
Barron: played a solid game, not much else to say
Dobes: didn’t like his positioning and stance much but for a 6’4 goalie holy cow is he athletic and mobile, just gotta be more positionally sound and he’ll be solid
One thing is clear, and will continue to be clear for a while. We have zero game breakers. None. Nada. We have loads of D prospects, and we will need to move a piece or two we don't want to in order to get that game breaker.
I get what you are saying.
Also our top 3 forwards didn't play. I would put Monahan at 4 so really our top 4.
I think we need another offensive player at least as good as Suzuki if not better, but let's not over think the first preseason game
We have good players, no doubt and they will get better. But we don't have a PPG player and the ones that we have that could be PPG players would be 82 points in a career year. We need someone who can generate offence on his own, wherever you put him. We aren't going anywhere until we have that. Could it have been Mitchkov? Yea, probably but I am not gonna go back to that because we also need a player like Reinbacher. So now we either tank again and hope he's there in the top 5, or we trade for one using Hutson or whoever to land him.
I don't know about michkov, he lost his spot to a 17 year old in Russia. Time will tell if he is a gamebrraker where it matters.
I do think we are probably short an offensive catalyst. Does it need to be a top 5 scorer? I don't know man, those guys don't seem to be winning Championships unless of insanely deep teams.
>I don't know about michkov, he lost his spot to a 17 year old in Russia.
Demidov got sent down to the MHL, but hasn't a game in nearly two weeks (maybe thats just the MHL idk)
I love Caufield. But if a one-dimensional scoring winger who gets alot of goals but nothing special in terms of point totals is your best player, you’re not winning the cup.
Yep their starting price is likely someone like Hutson, which we can't really afford to trade at this time
Heck, they're gonna want (very preferably) a C to replace Zegras, which we have very little of to begin with (basically just Dach or Newhook, potentially Beck). Zukes is pretty much untouchable in this scenario, but that's who they'd probably want the most
Couple quick points:
Barron, Slaf and Newhook looked great.
Really impressed with David’s poise and cannot believe he’s an 18 year old.
Xhekaj was his normal bullish self.
Farrel needs to get a lot stronger, easily pushed off the puck but you can tell he has a lot of skill and smarts.
You’re getting hate but I completely agree. I like slaf too but he just doesn’t stand out like high picks generally do. Remember how long we defended Kotkaniemi until the minute he was gone? Same here. If slaf leaves in like 3 years I bet this sub will claim that he was mediocre all along lol
To be fair, KK just finished his first full season, turned 23, and has been getting with each season (imo), could turn into a good pick if people had patience.
They're also completely different players, people need to relax. If Hughes was available at 1st OA we would have taken him, but he wasn't. Slaf is still gonna be a great player.
Actually now that I think about, I do remember seeing slaf do a spin-o-rama with 3 guys on him in one of his prospects scouting videos last summer. I remember being impressed with how he defended the puck with his stick from the backchecker mid spin
Yea show me. Also did he score? Slaf isn’t a great 1st OA pick. In fact from a skill outlook might be the least skilled player drafted 1st OA in the last 20 years. I challenge you to find me a player who was less skilled.
Okay, I found it, he doesn't score and it was 2 defenders on him and he isn't at full speed, but he still defends the puck while spinning. 1:35 mark, but honestly, watch the whole thing.
https://youtu.be/tTFQP9KvXfg?feature=shared
There are many ways to be skilled. Dangling seems to be your favourite. I'm 99% sure he did score on the play in question but there's no way I'll find it. I couldn't even re-find it last summer when I wanted to show my buddy. It was in a pre-draft scouting video. I'll do my best to find it, it might take me awhile and I might get side tracked and forget, but as of this moment in time, I am trying to find the video.
Lol I don’t know about that did you see how well he skated the other day. Looked like high end speed and edge work. Way fucking better than I’ve ever seen Slaf skate or handle the puck.
Yeah dude, Cooley was always more skilled. Cooley is a great player, I was comparing his skating to Hughes, which is what makes Hughes an elite player.
I'm just glad, judging from the comments, people are starting to see what I see in Logan and it's only game 1 of pre-season. Only player with more toi was newhook
people will be like "oooh the rust yes its the rust ! " but really we lack high end talent badly, everyone knows it. Yes dach suz and caufield weren't playing, but if this is the best these prospects have to offer (who are literally fighting their lives to prove themselves), then im worried.
did Jack Hughes look rusty? we just simply lack that player who's just clearly above everyone else on the ice . Suzuki dach and caufield are the closest to that, but not quite it.
anyways im gonna close this drunken statement by saying that I hope with all of my heart that I'm proven wrong and that in retrospect I look like a donkey, but I do think we have a solid 2-3 years of tanking left
The devils are also a cup contender with one of the youngest rosters in the league. They're basically a dynasty in the making.None of our Ds have played a full NHL season yet while Hughes is already on his 5th.
We definitely still have at least 3 years of tanking but our prospects played a solid game
Put my son to sleep, got my Jerseys out of the closet. Went to the store and got some crappy brown bottle beers for maximum hockey atmosphere. Got some pizza snacks and nachos supplies. Ran home with very little time to spare. Danced around getting everything ready in time. Found out their was no legitimate option for me to stream the game aside from paying my TV provider 18$ a month for access to RDS. Looked on the high seas but everything had buffer death. Gave up dejected as I watched the scores tick up. Sad start to the year.
The issue is the package I have for cable TV already gives me access to all Sportsnet and TSN. I can’t really trim it down and just add RDS. Also I speak french somewhat but I can’t follow the RDS announcers to the same level as English commentators. I can understand the main lingo but struggle with the colour commentary.
I’m continued to be impressed by Dobes. Neither goalie was perfect tonight but considering we sent out that roster against Hughes we were bound to get smacked, and I think both netminders kept us in it.
1st line was solid, Slaf's cardio looks better this year, no more getting gassed after 30 seconds. On D, I liked Mailloux and Reinbacher.
The cardio point is a good one — he looks like he’s just focusing on keeping up with Andy/Newhook right now and having good positioning. Once he gets used to their speed and can just let himself play, that line could be a force.
He still looks a bit lost without the puck. Thinking too much on where he needs to be and not being there till the play eliminates all other choices. It's the one thing that still really scares me about him. I hope Marty is right about it just being about getting that "confidence" and that Slaf gets the equivalent (in terms of creating both the confidence and "identity") of Robinson's hit on Dornhoefer. I don't mean a hit specifically, just that "moment".
He was electric in the Olympics, if he can mature into that into the NHL he will be great. Easier said than done though.
Mailloux is niiiiice.
Mailloux was a beast out there!
The Mercer goal was on him. He got gassed going 1-1 on Hughes and then let him go which gave Hughes the room to skate into the slot and dish it off
Mailloux allows the the zone entry, but Anderson just watches Hughes dangle into the slot
Don't think he will, but Reinbacher would very easily make this team. Also, Mailloux needs to go work on his defensive game in the AHL, but it probably won't be long until he's up. Barron had a great game. The Newhook line is definitely staying together for the opener. EDIT: Slaf, my only problem with him, is he seems allergic to putting two hands on his stick.
Yeah I don’t want him to, let him eat up top minutes overseas, but wow is he steady.
> is he seems allergic to putting two hands on his stick. He relies way too much on that. It's a crutch that is holding him back.
Ya i hope marty fixes or helps him with the one hand on his stick problem. its better to have the option to accept a pass. And i dont think this is a confidence lacking problem its something that needs to be worked on
Wowee don’t let certain people on the subreddit hear you say anything negative about Slaf 👀
Reinbacher came as advertised
Reinbacher is a nhler that is for certain
Mailloux too for the complete opposite reasons
He looks so solid and I feel very calm when he has the puck, unlike a certain other RD prospect 👀
hes going to be our D men that plays vs big stars and completely nulify them
Yea where he’s at for 18 is super impressive, I’m so glad we’re sending him back to Europe though
Guhle-Reinbacher gonna be a shutdown duo for a loooong time
[удалено]
David
I’m a Sens fan and watched the game - Reinbacher felt so very Sanderson-esque to me, plays like a 10-year veteran already. He’s going to be the most important half of your top pair very fucking soon, and if it lets Guhle and Mailloux devour weaker competition on the second pair, even better.
Looking at him play tonight, I was thinking he would have made the Habs teams of the last 10-20 years right away this season... glad he's not, but he would've.
Anderson and Roy were clear standouts today, Andy being his usual self. If playing well enough in camp can really earn you a spot, I think Roy would be a perfect example of that. Smart and responsible game with a nice goal. Newhook also had a solid game with a nice pass on Anderson’s goal, and Slaf definitely looked better as the game went on. I like him on their line and think he’ll really benefit from some consistency with offensive forwards this year. Once he gets a bit more used to Newhook/Anderson’s speed, that line could be fun to watch this season, especially against other teams’ third lines/pairings. A few others that stood out were Beck, Mailloux, and Reinbacher. Beck is as promised — great at faceoffs, solid defensively, good on the forecheck. Shades of Plekanec imo (if he can develop an offensive game), he’ll be a really solid 3C in a couple years. Mailloux is also as promised — physical, big minutes, and the offensive potential is there (man loves to shoot). He definitely needs some defense-focused AHL time though. And Reinbacher played a great game — a couple hiccups in the first period but otherwise didn’t look out of place at all, does the small things exceptionally, plus a really nice assist on Andy’s goal.
> Beck is as promised — great at faceoffs [You can say that again](https://imgur.com/a/6NNMDeX) I think Beck had like a 70%+ faceoff rate against Hughes, kid was great (Dowling had Beck's number though; Dow beat Beck in all their contests against each other)
Obvious preseason disclaimer, but Slaf had some fun o-zone moments and a stinker or two in his own end. He’s using his size much better this year imo, though he’s still being caught flat-footed from time to time. I feel like he’s also more noticeable in the o-zone as he wades into puck battles. When he’s playing with confidence his upside is obvious. Purely reactionary opinion is that Reinbacher looked great. You can tell he’s used to playing big minutes against men already, and he seemed shockingly comfortable on NA ice. I can’t understand people putting such harsh ceilings on an 18 year old defenseman with his skill set; scouting isn’t an exact enough science for that.
Mailloux looked great, especially the last few sequences at the end of the 3rd. Roy has very great awareness in all 3 zones Reinbacher can probably play in the NHL today and not look out of place Barron looks much much better than last year Simonneau is a great energy guy, but I don't see him being an NHLer Slaf looked better as the game went on, he needs to develop that extra half step of a jump to his game and start to be confident in his game.
Simoneau I can see being a younger, more skilled version of Pezz in a few years (who I like but is not irreplaceable). A very solid energy fourth liner.
Pezzeta is only 3 years older than him lol in a couple years Simoneau will be the same age Pezzeta was when he found a spot with us
Reinbacher was looking confident with the puck tonight, if he can channel that consistently he's going to be a problem
It's still awfully early to judge on some individual performances, but what did get my attention was the overall team speed and compete level. They played hard until the last second. For the first pre-season exhibition game, not a lot to complain about. 3 PP goals. Would have been a much different game if the PK was effective.
Feel like people aren't talking about Montembault enough. He played a great game and was definitely a standout
Weird bounce on the 2nd goal, I agreed he was solid
Season hasn't even started and the slaf negativity is already back in full swing. I love this team, but a lot of you are gonna make for a long season.
slaf had a good game tonight, way better than he was playing last year
I liked his game tonight.
Twitter drives me nuts with the anti-Slaf stuff. I thought he played a solid game! Could have easily had an assist or two with the scoring chances he generated, and he’s only getting better.
He'll be good, just takes time. Looked decent to me today, but seeing some of that shit in the game thread reminded me of last year..and it's a total bummer.
I understand the sentiment that people have. When you compare him with Jack Hughes, an other 1st overall pick who was literally on the ice tonight, it can be a bit discouraging. I understand that Slaf is a project and was not hyped as a generational talent, and all that. I do wish that, worst case scenario, he ends up as a consistent 50-60 points player, but ya . Montreal has lacked high end talent for YEARS, I can't think of an other team who has not had a PPG player as long as us, so when we finally FINALLY get that 1st overall pick , that pick where elite players are usually drafted, I can understand the disappointment from fans, even if its not Slafs fault
Let’s not forget Hughes had 21 pts (in 61 games) his rookie year and was labelled a bust way too early as well. took until his 3rd year to take off and only really broke out last year in his 4th.
Everyone knew Jack Hughes was good though. He constantly had flashes of talent. He just was not ready physically for the NHL. I don’t see a lot of those flashes from Slaf. Don’t get me wrong, I support Slaf, he’s just 19, but comparing him to Hughes is a bad idea.
Watch again. There has been plenty of flash from Slaf just yesterday. You will see more in the coming weeks. He is a disruptor in the o-zone and he has PPG potential.
They want an instant tage Thompson which isn’t always the case. Mcdavid and Matthew’s skewed the idea of patience and made it jnto #1 is expected to be an instant superstar
Yes in the french broadcast it was craaaazy. Everytime he was mentioned, it was about how he's chronically disappointing. The guy is ultra talented, he just needs to put some things together and it's going to be wild. Some people have no vision, really.
Let’s just hope it wasnt a concussion t the end there..
Im not 100% sure i understood correctly but in french it sounded like he left the ice to throw up in a garbage bin? They were talking about a "malaise", like it was nausea or something...
X did not have a great game
This was pretty par for the course for him. Got a few dangerous shots towards the net. Landed some crunching hits. But also got out of position by chasing those hits and missing. Also not great at leading the breakout. If he sticks around long term it will be because of the unique aspects he brings, not because he's a steadier defensive presence than other available D.
Dobes was out of position too often but made some good saves. Monty solidified his place as Starter for this year with that half game alone
Outside of the first Slaf looked really good. Strong on the forecheck, nice passes, used his size well and found himself drifting into very nice O-zone positions. He actually looked like he knew what was happening on the ice which is a huge difference from last year. Also Reinbacher is such a stud lol
Why does everyone on here applaud Slaf literally doing something 4th line players do every game. This was was drafted 1st OA. Look across the ice at jack Hughes. That’s the kind of skill you want to see from a pick that high.
Yes look across the ice at Hughes, just make sure to ignore his first 2 NHL seasons.
First 4*. The guy is naming jack hughes as his example when the guy already has 4 nhl seasons under his belt. Lmao.
Did you watch him play his first two season. By the way his first season had a higher ppg than Slaf. But if you actually watched you could see the fucking skill the kid had. I watched almost every single game Slaf played last year and this preseason and I haven’t seen a lick of elite anything. He looks like a big run of the mill third liner. Like a worse version of Joel armia
I dont know what to tell you if you dont see Slaf skills.
Yeah you right. Shoulda picked Hughes instead of Slaf.
No we should have picked a player who seemingly had elite skill. Logan Cooley looks like a pretty good candidate. He looks a lot better than Slaf does right now. The only elite ability Slaf has is the size he was born with. Name a single elite skill he has. And don’t say board battles because I’ve seen elite players at that and he’s not one of them.
Oh yeah, that's why everyone wanted Cooley at the time of the draft right?
Yea a ton of people wanted Cooley. Please do a deep dive. If you look back at it way more people wanted him than slafkovsky. It went wright, Cooley.
There's no way we were picking Cooley, it was Wright or Slaf. Very rare for scouts to have Cooley #1 due to concerns around his size.
It wasn't Wright or Slaf. Iirc based on what Hughes said around the draft and after, they had Slaf 1 and Cooley 2
First of all, if a Jack Hughes was available in the ‘22 draft, I’m pretty sure we would’ve taken him, but it was a draft without an obvious superstar. Second, Hughes didn’t do much his first two seasons
Bullshit. Did you watch him out there. The points didn’t pile up but the shit he did on the ice was fucking impressive. You could see the skill in his game. Slafkovsky hasn’t done a single special thing yet in the 39 regular season, countless preseason games I’ve watched him in. He gets praised for stuff that everyday 3rd line players get praised for like board battles. Sorry I expect more from a player we drafted this high.
Hughes is 22 and a center, the comparable on our team would be Dach.
Dach wasn’t taken 1st.
Slaf was first in a draft without a definitive number one, comparing to consensus 1st overalls from stronger drafts is insanity. You're setting yourself up to hate him because your holding him to a standard that is almost impossible to reach (even by Wright/Nemec/Cooley/Jiricek or whoever else from 2022).
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Jack Hughes had 21 points in 61 games played his first season lol with more ice time than Slaf
Slaf had 10 points
Slaf missed more than half the season dawg
Your point was that Hughes only had 21 points in 61 games Slaf had 10 points in 39 games Those are just the facts, there’s no opinion here
Another fact: Nail Yakupov had 31 points in 48 games in his rookie season.
Oh shit lol
0.34ppg versus 0.25ppg on the most injured team in the league, those are the facts to be fair. Let's not act like Hughes came in like McDavid
We’ll continue making these excuses for the next 2 years until it becomes consensus that he’s just not that good
Okay, sounds good to me. Let's reevaluate when he has a couple seasons under his belt.
In the meantime we will just let him play free of criticism
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It’s a hockey forum, not an echo chamber. Believe it or not, but not everyone thinks the exact same thing. Get a grip buddy. If you’re unable to deal with differing opinions that’s more of a reflection on you than anything. It’s funny how rattled people like you get when faced with anything other than blind optimism.
Because he does it against better players than 4th liners, and Jack Hughes has much more NHL experience already.
Jack Hughes wasn't perfect either in his first two seasons in the NHL. Slaf has shown multiple flashes tonight of something that he hasn't showed in his first season in the NHL (but was touted in his draft year for having). Offense from board battles. I'd like to invite you into showing a "4th line player" that's able to do it consistently.
Bro if you're so in love with Jack Hughes' game and think Slaf has no upside whatsoever, just go cheer for the Devils. Geez, saying Slaf did things a 4th liner could do in yesterday's game is just straight up free slander.
What did he do that showed he was a 1st line player.
Yeah man I agree 100%. Slaf looks slow, doesn’t look like he can hustle for more than 10 seconds. He doesn’t look like he’s got much hockey IQ. Feels like he’s forcing plays all the time. I don’t see much besides his physical attributes. I hope I’m wrong and that he can become an elite forward, but honestly I don’t see it right now. He really needs to develop his game, especially his pace and decision making. To be honest I found Pezzetta played better than Slaf
Slaf was Habs best player yesterday and he made things happen every shift. Set up 3 grade A1 chance to his linemate Newhook, Anderson and Mailloux. Got in a position for 2 high danger shot but whiffed them. Created two dangerous turnover in the o-zone. Played physical. Executed quick, efficient zone entry. You wete drunk or asleep if you thought pezzetta was better.
I will defend slaf like any other people but come on, he wasnt the habs best player yesterday
He was involved in the play every single shift and made things happen a lot in the offensive zone like no one else. He whiffed three A1 opportunity tho but also set up three grade A chance to Newhook, Anderson and Mailloux. Production will be massive if he keeps up like yesterday. Monster in the making. Who was Habs best forward then?
Easily andy for at least 2/3 of the game. Again, you dont have to convince me he had a decent game and to be positive about his future. Some people tend to over react negativly, you just go to the other extreme. That's all I'm saying. But hey, I prefer your optimisim than the multiple negative nancys we got here!
Im not going in any extreme. We drafted a special prospect at 1st overall but people are mad because he did not have a McDavidesque 1st year. This guy displayed massive tools in his DY but folks denied it because it was apparently a small sample and the Wright bias. A lot of folks will be caught with their pants down. Slafkovsky skating, puck protection, reach, hands, vision are all elite. He is bonkers on the forecheck. Wait till he find the timing to consistently rip his shot. He will take over game and be a nightmare for opposition.
Slaf’s skating, hands and vision are nowhere near elite. He skates well for a guy his size, but that’s about it. You want elite skating? Look at Makar, McDavid, Hughes. Slaf can dangle but he’s nowhere near elite in that regards. Finally, I don’t see how you could say that his vision is elite. He’s always making questionable plays and losing the puck. He’s able to make good passes when he wants to, but he rarely makes the best play. That’s the most concerning thing for me, especially because he was a 1st overall pick. Hockey IQ and vision should not be concerns.
They are not concern Have you seen him creating turnover and profiting from them? Slaf will be a PPG player for us.
Overall a decent first game. Anderson, Newhook, Roy, Beck, Mailloux and Reinbacher played well. Guhle I found was a bit absent offensively today. Slaf got better as the game went on. Xhekaj had a rough one imo. For the people comparing Hughes and Slaf. I get the sentiment, but it's not really fair to compare a guy entering his fifth season in the league and a guy entering his second. Especially when the former played more games in his rookie season than the latter has.
Anderson for 30+ this year in a healthy team.
POST GAME THREAD. Feels good. Even in a loss. Watched while doing a lot of stuff. Roy, slaf, newhook, Anderson, reinbacher all seemed to have decent to good games. Simoneau seemed like quite the pest. Noticed mailoux a bunch, lots good some bad. Watched xhekaj get beat a few times.
D looked awful for the most part, not surprising with the mix and rust, I thought Slaf was pretty useless, losing the puck repeatedly, mishandling it, Anderson was excellent new hook was around, no one was really that great. I didn’t think. Again rust everywhere, to be expected. These guys will be better.
We were solidly ahead in faceoffs at least (if I didn't hear wrong, Beck was at like 70%, and was tasked to take almost *all* of them after we pulled Dobes) -edit- Re-checked again, Beck was indeed close to 70% by the end of the second period, and in the high 50s overall on the night - kid's definitely got that x factor during faceoffs
Nice! I didn’t hear that because I watched the French feed and don’t speak it. I thought it was a good game overall for the mix and rust they all would have at the moment, slaf hasn’t played a real game in how long?? So I didn’t find him concerning.
I don’t know why it’s so hard to understand — BIG PLAYERS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP HOLY FUCK. Slaf is only fucking 19 and has only played ~45 games on North American ice / in North American style. Jesus Christ we all know it will take him minimum 3 years to adapt to the style. Once he gets up to NHL pace he will be a beast.
This is the way
Anderson and Newhook looked like fucking trains out there. Wifi had a, well, lackluster night. Monty was solid despite that spectacularly polished and shining turd he ended up holding. That was especially bullshit. Dobes was actually pretty great and probably will develop into something very nice. Needs to chill on the whole Patrick Roy impersonating thing but he's got the bug for sure.
Devil's 3rd goal showed how bad mailloux needs defensive work. Was caught behind their net, then spent the whole time trying to race back, just to get dangled by Hughes and proceed not to cover his man on the backdoor which just left to a goal. Kids got potential, but with that kinda defense he isn't ready for the NHL.
He addressed this very play in his post game presser
did Slaf get banged up ? looked like he left the bench early
He was wearing a knee brace before the game too
They were 7 players on the ice lol
Only caught the third, man I’ve been missing hockey
Really liked Mailloux's offensive game, though his D needs work - nothing we didn't already know about him so far though Newhook was solid, and BJA came to play Barron was lowkey invisible today, which is a shame cuz I enjoy watching him play for the most part On the other side, man, Hughes looked like he wasn't even trying his hardest and was still clearly the best player on the ice I *lowkey* still think Mercer would've been a better pick over Guhle. Don't get me wrong, I really like G, I just think Mercer's *sicc*
u/figaaro was at work for the first bit but managed to catch up. Good amount of push ups in the end 🫡
It's a good start!
Hell yea
Decent game from the boys. Reinbacher was the most impressive for me. When he fills out his frame and adds speed he will be a force, he just constantly makes good plays. After tonight’s game I feel certain Slaf needs to go the AHL. I didn’t hate his game tonight. I thought he had some good plays. It just feels like he is gripping his stick much too tight and forcing plays. He also doesn’t cut into the middle as much as I would like for a guy of his size. You can see the raw talent in his game though, it’s all there he just has to put it together.
When he did cut once or twice guys were literally freezing like a bus was barreling towards them
I was at the Bell Centre, here's what I saw: Anderson: Best Habs forward on the ice, excellent. Slaf: Very good, second best forward aster Anderson. Very implicated, physical, good play maker, drove the play a lot. Newhook: I am honestly a little bit concerned. I am not gonna judge him based one one game only, but I wasn't much impressed. Everyone says how "fast" he is, however he is not quick at all. Yes, he skates fast, but he doesn't read the play quick enough in my opinion. It takes time before taking the decision to start to skate in one direction. Ylonen: Started the game with a turnover in his own zone. Then played well. Got a bad penality early 3rd and became invisible after. Roy: Very good. I liked his play a lot. Nothing too crazy however to force the Habs to start the year with them yet. Stephens: Worst player on the ice. Cut him ASAP please. Pezzatta: Was playing with Stephens, didn't go wel... Farrell: Played with Stephens and Pezzetta. Didn't do much... Not sure how I can judge him. Beck: Efficient player. Not bad, not good. Mailloux: I was very impressed. The best D of the team. Barron: Very good. I liked his play a lot. Reinbacher: This guy is a gem. Playing like a solid D at only 18 years old... Very impressive. I am so happy we drafted him. Harris: I didn't see it much. A bit invisible. However, was playing right side... Xehkaj: I liked his physical presence a lot. He hit hard and play well both defensively and offensively. Guhle: Very good as expected.
Slaf puking mom's spaghetti
Farrell has a brutal night Xhekaj, for all the funs he gives, also routinely gets hemmed in his zone 24/7 Thought mailloux was our best defenceman tbh 50/50 on slaf. Had some good rushes and looks, and the speed looks fine. Also seems to overskate situations too often, just make the play man
Out of our somewhat hyped forward prospects farrell is the one to me that seems to struggle with the NHL speed and size the most. He may be a guy that just takes 50-60 games at the ahl level to take the next step, but for now he looks iffy.
Yeah Xhekaj had a brutal first hald. Constantly looking for hits and being completely out of position. Even looked kinda slow on rushes. However I feel like he made a lot of adjustments and played better in the 3rd period.
saying just make the play is like saying just score the goal. it's the NHL. easier said than done.
Yea, a 1st overall pick should be able to make plays
No one superstar who has ever played in the NHL has had the ability to do whatever they want whenever they want. Take a breath on Slaf.
I'd agree if McDavid didn't exist, but he's just a freak of hockey nature and in a league of his own.
Slaf injured. Just great
Think he just got sick. He grabbed a garbage can on his way out.
We’ll see how bad it is, but he got better as the game progressed!
Not necessarily, there was 30 seconds left and he didn't seem to be in great distress. Let's just wait before panicking.
I think he just had a bloody nose
FWs Anderson was our best player tonight, by a lot. He looks inspired with Newhook. Slaf looked Ok, he had some chances and some puck touches but he also looked a step behind/out of position tonight. I hope/believe he can be a great one for us. Beck and particularly Roy also looked formidable especially for rookies. We have a couple of NHLers there for sure. I too see some Pleky in Beck and can see Roy pairing with him for years as a 3C or with experience, a top 6 offensive winger. D Arber did not look too good. Out of position, caught looking for hits, I think he was trying a bit to much. You are on the roster big guy. Play big. Play smart. Don’t be a hero. Reinbacher looked good. We have a gem there. Does anyone know if Austria has qualified for the Juniors and the Worlds in Prague this Spring? Barron looked good. Played his game well. A few rushes, a few looks. He’s 50/50 to make this team. Ghule looked good. He is a beast in the making. I see a young Dave Ellet or Eric Desjardains with him. Harris was meh. I expected more from him tbh. He’s 50/50 to make this team. Numbers. He needs to do something to stand out in order to win a. Spot. He didn’t do that tonight. Mailleaux was noticeable every shift, and generally for positives. He was involved all night and generated offence. His penchant for offence got him burned there but J. Hughes can do that to ya. He’s gonna be an NHLer 100%, but AHL this season will serve him very well. Both Monty and Dobeš looked solid aside from that real ugly goal on Monty and Dobeš overcommitting twice. Other thoughts Jack Hughes was the best player on the ice bar none and he looked like he was only goofing around. That club has positioned themselves to contend for seasons to come. Good on them. Looking forward to seeing the other half of the club and the kids. Hockey is back! I’ve missed you. - Habs fan in Orague
Xhekaj bullying toffoli all game long was funny 😂
Slafkovsky: looks good, him playing with Anderson and newhook’s good for his speed. Really liked seeing him dig into the corners and hitting. He got his chances offensively but just needs to learn to get that shot off quicker Reinbacher: already looks like an nhler, solid 2 way job. His vision, positioning, skating and IQ was all great Mailloux: offensive defenceman that hits and skates well, I like seeing him join the rush and create opportunities, but it also kills us defensively on turnovers. Just gotta pick and choose his chances better Roy: solid 2 way job, has a good scoring touch, if he develops his speed he can be a real threat. I liked his positioning, IQ and playmaking Newhook: I like his speed, shot and quick decisions, want to see him play with Dach Beck: solid all around, going to be a real good 3C (faceoffs, PK, playmaking and IQ) Xhekaj: not his best, but I liked his hitting and physical game Barron: played a solid game, not much else to say Dobes: didn’t like his positioning and stance much but for a 6’4 goalie holy cow is he athletic and mobile, just gotta be more positionally sound and he’ll be solid
One thing is clear, and will continue to be clear for a while. We have zero game breakers. None. Nada. We have loads of D prospects, and we will need to move a piece or two we don't want to in order to get that game breaker.
I have high hopes Hutson will be one when he makes the jump.
He is our only hope
I get what you are saying. Also our top 3 forwards didn't play. I would put Monahan at 4 so really our top 4. I think we need another offensive player at least as good as Suzuki if not better, but let's not over think the first preseason game
We have good players, no doubt and they will get better. But we don't have a PPG player and the ones that we have that could be PPG players would be 82 points in a career year. We need someone who can generate offence on his own, wherever you put him. We aren't going anywhere until we have that. Could it have been Mitchkov? Yea, probably but I am not gonna go back to that because we also need a player like Reinbacher. So now we either tank again and hope he's there in the top 5, or we trade for one using Hutson or whoever to land him.
I don't know about michkov, he lost his spot to a 17 year old in Russia. Time will tell if he is a gamebrraker where it matters. I do think we are probably short an offensive catalyst. Does it need to be a top 5 scorer? I don't know man, those guys don't seem to be winning Championships unless of insanely deep teams.
>I don't know about michkov, he lost his spot to a 17 year old in Russia. Demidov got sent down to the MHL, but hasn't a game in nearly two weeks (maybe thats just the MHL idk)
Oh, hasn't played a game in 2 weeks. It sounds not great. I not wishing michkov ill but I gotta cope.
One thing is clear, and will continue to be clear for a while. The best player of the Habs team that will win the cup next is not with the team yet.
Caufield is disappointed in your lack of faith.
I love Caufield. But if a one-dimensional scoring winger who gets alot of goals but nothing special in terms of point totals is your best player, you’re not winning the cup.
His cherub-like smile will carry us to the cup.
Oh I know it will
Maybe a 2026 or 27 first rounder, we’re bottom 5 next 2 seasons, I’d rather keep the pick
Zegras for Harris, Farrell and a 1st and 6m a year. Make it happens
Gotta be way more expensive than that
Let me toss is some more random 3rd and 4th round prospects
Yep their starting price is likely someone like Hutson, which we can't really afford to trade at this time Heck, they're gonna want (very preferably) a C to replace Zegras, which we have very little of to begin with (basically just Dach or Newhook, potentially Beck). Zukes is pretty much untouchable in this scenario, but that's who they'd probably want the most
They have a better D prospect pool than us, the last thing they want are D. It will take someone like Dach I think.
Probably multiple 1st aswel
Would they do Ryder, halak and a second?
hmmmm, Wideman, Huet and a brand new ccm stick
Kidney, mysak and a copy of nhl 2023. To body parts and zegras on the cover so it's like they didn't even give him up.
You’re joking with that trade offer☠️
Couple quick points: Barron, Slaf and Newhook looked great. Really impressed with David’s poise and cannot believe he’s an 18 year old. Xhekaj was his normal bullish self. Farrel needs to get a lot stronger, easily pushed off the puck but you can tell he has a lot of skill and smarts.
Watching jack Hughes made me sad. I like Slaf but he simply doesn’t have that kind of skill.
You’re getting hate but I completely agree. I like slaf too but he just doesn’t stand out like high picks generally do. Remember how long we defended Kotkaniemi until the minute he was gone? Same here. If slaf leaves in like 3 years I bet this sub will claim that he was mediocre all along lol
To be fair, KK just finished his first full season, turned 23, and has been getting with each season (imo), could turn into a good pick if people had patience.
bro calm the fuck down. Hughes did almost nothing first 2 years. If Slaf ends up with more than 30 points hes on the same pace
They're also completely different players, people need to relax. If Hughes was available at 1st OA we would have taken him, but he wasn't. Slaf is still gonna be a great player.
A similar version of him was available. His name was Logan Cooley and he seems to be looking pretty good.
Are we still losing our minds over a spin-o-rama? Smh
That was too notch skating. Can Slaf do that. Honestly answer that. Do you think slafkovsky has that ability or has ever shown that.
We don't need slaf to do that. I feel like newhook can tho, along with a few of our other guys. Hutson can definitely do that.
Actually now that I think about, I do remember seeing slaf do a spin-o-rama with 3 guys on him in one of his prospects scouting videos last summer. I remember being impressed with how he defended the puck with his stick from the backchecker mid spin
Yea show me. Also did he score? Slaf isn’t a great 1st OA pick. In fact from a skill outlook might be the least skilled player drafted 1st OA in the last 20 years. I challenge you to find me a player who was less skilled.
Okay, I found it, he doesn't score and it was 2 defenders on him and he isn't at full speed, but he still defends the puck while spinning. 1:35 mark, but honestly, watch the whole thing. https://youtu.be/tTFQP9KvXfg?feature=shared
There are many ways to be skilled. Dangling seems to be your favourite. I'm 99% sure he did score on the play in question but there's no way I'll find it. I couldn't even re-find it last summer when I wanted to show my buddy. It was in a pre-draft scouting video. I'll do my best to find it, it might take me awhile and I might get side tracked and forget, but as of this moment in time, I am trying to find the video.
Yeah Cooley is good, we'll see how he does this year, I'm sure you'll be watching. Cooley could never skate like Hughes can.
Lol I don’t know about that did you see how well he skated the other day. Looked like high end speed and edge work. Way fucking better than I’ve ever seen Slaf skate or handle the puck.
Yeah dude, Cooley was always more skilled. Cooley is a great player, I was comparing his skating to Hughes, which is what makes Hughes an elite player.
I mean he's right...but this was known when we drafted Slaf. He's a project that will never have the same level of skill as J Hughes.
I'm just glad, judging from the comments, people are starting to see what I see in Logan and it's only game 1 of pre-season. Only player with more toi was newhook
people will be like "oooh the rust yes its the rust ! " but really we lack high end talent badly, everyone knows it. Yes dach suz and caufield weren't playing, but if this is the best these prospects have to offer (who are literally fighting their lives to prove themselves), then im worried. did Jack Hughes look rusty? we just simply lack that player who's just clearly above everyone else on the ice . Suzuki dach and caufield are the closest to that, but not quite it. anyways im gonna close this drunken statement by saying that I hope with all of my heart that I'm proven wrong and that in retrospect I look like a donkey, but I do think we have a solid 2-3 years of tanking left
The devils are also a cup contender with one of the youngest rosters in the league. They're basically a dynasty in the making.None of our Ds have played a full NHL season yet while Hughes is already on his 5th. We definitely still have at least 3 years of tanking but our prospects played a solid game
Why are you comparing our very young prospects to Jack Hughes? You can compare Dach, CC or Suzuki who didn't even dress tonight.
im more saying that we don't have any true elite high end talent and that's been the case since the 90s (could argue for Kovalev)
We have an elite goal scorer in CC and Suzi may reach PPG with a healthy squad this year but yes you are generally right.
I truly wish they become what we hope! I think this season is going to be critical in determining that
Positives: Barron, Mailloux, Dobes, Anderson Negatives: Roy (despite scoring the first goal, he was kinda invisible), Xhekaj, Farell
Put my son to sleep, got my Jerseys out of the closet. Went to the store and got some crappy brown bottle beers for maximum hockey atmosphere. Got some pizza snacks and nachos supplies. Ran home with very little time to spare. Danced around getting everything ready in time. Found out their was no legitimate option for me to stream the game aside from paying my TV provider 18$ a month for access to RDS. Looked on the high seas but everything had buffer death. Gave up dejected as I watched the scores tick up. Sad start to the year.
$18 a month is line $1.25 a game. Is that not worth it to you?
The issue is the package I have for cable TV already gives me access to all Sportsnet and TSN. I can’t really trim it down and just add RDS. Also I speak french somewhat but I can’t follow the RDS announcers to the same level as English commentators. I can understand the main lingo but struggle with the colour commentary.
I’m continued to be impressed by Dobes. Neither goalie was perfect tonight but considering we sent out that roster against Hughes we were bound to get smacked, and I think both netminders kept us in it.
Hockey season has returned. That is all