Following some vindictive reactions following yesterday’s Season Ticket, this evening we have to talk about Juraj Slafkovsky again. In leaving, I never argued that Slaf could become a “bust” or a “flop”, any more than I argued that it was a bad choice by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton at the very first level of the draft in 2022.
When I said yesterday that his selection was not unanimous, you had to be present in the Bell Center to see it on draft night. Murmurs echoed everywhere…
It is true, however, that certain lists placed him in the first level and that Mathias Brunet, who is my friend, chanted that the CH was going to choose Slafkovsky. It is also true that these comments and other predictions followed the famous long trip of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, who left to spy mainly on Slafkovsky for almost a month in Europe in the spring of 2022. Mathias had flair and he is informed.
That said, basically I repeat myself, but Slafkovsky is a selection that defends itself very well, he is not a “flop”. He will have a great career and I like him a lot. If those who spent the evening following me on social networks instead of enjoying a great CH and Patrik Laine match had made the effort to read my text on this subject, they would have known. Obviously, it’s easier to just vent your rage on me by saying unverified nonsense.
Now, I want to get back to the substance of the question, which does not even concern Juraj Slafkovsky. There are two distinct philosophies in the amateur draft: selecting based on an organization’s needs or taking the best player available, regardless of position.
For example, if in 2022 the Canadian had arrived at the draft with the very first pick and a developing center line among the best in the National League, but Connor McDavid had been available at auction, there is no debate , the CH takes McDavid and will exchange one of its good young centers later.
Unfortunately, this was not the case in 2022. Not only was there no McDavid available, but also the CH arrived at this draft with a bare center line.
My point becomes clearer here. If the Canadian does not acquire Kirby Dach in a transaction with Chicago, given the absence of a generational player among the availability to claim, does Montreal set its sights on Logan Cooley to fill its glaring need at center?
The answer to this question is probably yes, and several hockey men consulted tell me that they would have gone in that direction. On the other hand, here I ask you to understand the nuance, what the disbelievers spin doctors on the web do not want to make the effort to understand. What I’m telling you is absolutely nothing against Juraj Slafkovsky, but everything in favor of the Canadian organization and its needs.
Which begs the real question: did Hughes and Gorton misjudge the potential of Kirby Dach? To better think about this question, why did the Chicago Blackhawks resign on a Dach, only 21 years old, in the middle of a rebuild?
Now, if the big men of the CH are going to look for Dach thinking of solving their problem at the center of the second line, then they did well to ask for Slafkovsky. Except that Dach’s bankruptcy, at least to date, makes them look bad, that and the selection of David Reinbacher instead of Matvei Michkov. Imagine the Canadian’s top 6 next fall: Suzuki-Caufield-Demidov as well as Cooley-Laine-Michkov.
Again, nothing against Slafkovsky, I would like to insist again. Everything to do with organizational decisions based on its plan and evaluations by existing staff.
Hoping to have put everything in a more understandable order. You like Juraj, I like Juraj itou. I want to see the fascinating sequel that lies ahead and to see it he must show consistency. For me, the bad luck of the second year cannot turn into the bad luck of the third year.
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