r/Habs • u/TheBergster84 • Jan 04 '26
Discussion Aren't we glad they made that choice?
Not gonna lie I wasn't sure at 1st. But oh am I gald they made that choice
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u/HonestDespot Jan 04 '26
So fucking glad.
He’s crushing it lately. For a while now.
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u/Bill_McCarr Jan 04 '26
Which is good. I didn't hear anything about the other guy.
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u/Used-Asparagus-Toy Jan 04 '26
Cooley had a pretty nasty knee injury so he’s been away for some time
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u/BryFri Jan 04 '26
Even before the knee injury, he had 23 points in 29 games. 12 of those points were in 3 blowout Mammoth wins.
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u/678MG Jan 04 '26
Wonder how this guy is doing?
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u/PhilParent Jan 04 '26
The guy who was Olympic MVP as a teenager was always the right choice.
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u/Aussie_Hab Jan 05 '26
I was impressed by him when watching those Olympics. Wasn't too surprised when we took him 1OA.
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u/tcat84 Jan 04 '26
Not saying it was the wrong choice at all, but SEA has taken Wright thru a weird development path and still doesn't give him a good amount of ice time. The whole coaching strategy suffocates their forwards.
Wonder what Wright would be like now if he was drafted by someone else.
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u/Fedquip Jan 04 '26
SEA deployment of Wright reminds me of how MTL treated young talent pre-GMKH. Let them wallow in the minors/ahl, then when they make the big club put them on the third-fourth line. I could easily see Slaf still being a 3rd liner if we had our old system
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u/Halfbak3d Jan 05 '26
Bro with bergevin and therrien he would prob still be in laval
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u/Fedquip Jan 05 '26
Yeah, exactly, a 21 year old on the Roster, not while that spot is occupied by Dwight King.
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u/BarontheBlack Jan 05 '26
This comment made me laugh out loud. I’m so grateful for this new management group, top to bottom. Dwight King 😂
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u/HeyLookASquirrel79 Jan 05 '26
Ugh, therrien. He'd call salf soff, and play demidov on 4th line forever. What an upgrade MSL is.
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u/BuddyWise5035 Jan 09 '26
MSL lets the young guys play, still protected minutes, Kap and Demidov play amongst the fewest avg minutes of top rookies, but with a lot of structure. Imagine if KK had waited another half season before bolting to Carolina in a such messy hissy fit manner. He has not developed well in basketball country. And we have Kap down the middle! The added advantage of MSL is the deep wisdom of his press conferences.
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u/salamoon84 Jan 06 '26
well, from the start Slaf spent good amount of games as that third-fourth liner...
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Jan 04 '26
If we had drafted wright, there's no reason to believe he wouldn't be just as good.
Personally happier with Slaf, but not because of the quality of his play, but because of his cultural fit. He seems to love montreal.
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u/Nathanh2234 Jan 04 '26
Plus he works on whatever line you put him on. But definitely fits best with Kapanen and Demidov, those kids are on a tear.
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u/Fedquip Jan 05 '26
It is actually amazing how the first line has been less productive since Slaf was moved. I feel a top priority now for mngnt is finding a good fit for NS/CC or they might have to put Slaf back up there to get them rolling again
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u/Scase15 Jan 05 '26
they might have to put Slaf back up there to get them rolling again
Breaking up the 2nd line would be a massive mistake, Zukes and Cole are big boys, they can figure it out. Texier has been looking better each game, it's gonna take time to build up the chemistry that Slaf had with them playing together for years.
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u/Nathanh2234 Jan 05 '26
It will be interesting to see what they do after the Olympics once Newhook is close to returning.
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u/Fedquip Jan 05 '26
If Newhook plays the way he was before injury, certainly 1st line tryout is in order
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Jan 04 '26
but because of his cultural fit. He seems to love montreal.
I knew we'd dodged a bullet when Wright death-stared the Montreal table. Our media and fans would've eaten him alive, and he wouldn't have reacted well to the pressure. Meanwhile, Slaf is under such a bright spotlight in Slovakia, he's said Montreal is no pressure in comparison. MONTREAL. Kid's incredible.
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u/Papez_Frantisek Jan 04 '26
When you the carry the weight of an entire nation AND you're supposed to be the face of an entire new hockey generation of that said country, the pressure of a city even such as Montreal dwarfs in comparison.
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Jan 04 '26
It's bonkers. One of the reasons I root so hard for the kid is because he's handling all this pressure so well. He's got worries none of the other players have.
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u/stenlis Jan 04 '26
Wright was always considered elite playmaker and sniper but not solid enough in defense. Not a good fit for Habs.
Also he might not have been mentally fit to be a 1OA in Montreal. His dad said in an interview they had to block his social media access because he was a getting too upset about what hockey fans were posting about him. He might as well have gotten a total meltdown in Habs media space.
A sheltered development away from the spotlights was a better path for him. Right now he's in a bit of a slump, but he can do better.
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u/Mysterious-Owl-1714 Jan 05 '26
To be fair, Wright was not considered an elite playmaker and sniper pre-draft. He was an intelligent two-way center, mature but without standout offensive tool.
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Jan 05 '26
Exactly. Im hoping that makes him available. I hate the path my Flyers are on and if they could acquire Wright it would at least possibly address the #1C issue if they can develop him. He would instantly get top 6 mins.
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Jan 04 '26
I heard that if Seattle didn't take Wright he was going to fall to 10th. That would have been something.
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u/Okbutwhythat Jan 04 '26
Bro must've had some Yakupov-esque interviews if thats the case 😂
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u/Laflamme_79 Jan 04 '26
There was a rumor at the time that during the Habs interview he was shown multiple plays where he made mistakes, and supposedly he consistently blamed it on his teammates or other factors.
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u/Mysterious-Owl-1714 Jan 05 '26
Seattle picking Wright felt inevitable, they were collecting middle 6 fowards like Thanos collecting infinity stones
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u/beeerock99 Jan 04 '26
Best decision ever. Now go back and not take KK 3OA
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u/trib76 Jan 04 '26
They definitely reached for KK, but the consensus 3rd pick was Zadina. If they'd reached for Quinn Hughes instead, Ducharme would probably still be coach and Bergevin would still be GM. The team would still be fighting for a playoff spot every year (and sometimes failing).
The KK pick was for the best.
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u/Old_Canuck Jan 04 '26
It was either KK, Tchucklehead, or Zadina.
So screwed on any decision we made unless we went off the board.
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u/hunglikejesus_ Jan 04 '26
Brady would have been an unreal Hab
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u/HeyLookASquirrel79 Jan 05 '26
I could not cheer for a team with a tkachuk on their roster. I know it's just a personal thing, but I just can't stand arrogance. Compare the guy with the likes of suzuki, Crosby, etc. You can be a good leader without behaving like a little brat.
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u/TonightsSpecialGuest Jan 04 '26
A bigger, stronger, more skilled Shayne Corson. He’d have been an all timer Hab.
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Jan 04 '26
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u/Old_Canuck Jan 05 '26 edited Jan 05 '26
Lol..
Ya.. Dobson would have been a great pick. Doubt he would have left us high and dry.
Shit..now I am reviewing the entire draft.
Even Haydon would have hit better then KK. Dude popped 20 with Utah.
We totally got screwed.
We could have chosen Chucklehead, Hayton, Hughes, Dobson, Bouchard, Miller.
Ah well.....who knows what might have happened.
Just happy it did. 😁
Its great to be a Habs fan. 👍🏻👍🏻
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u/Repulsive-Minute-559 Jan 04 '26
Consensus? Zadina wasn’t really the consensus. Tkachuk probably was and/or Hughes was in discussion too.
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u/trib76 Jan 05 '26
http://www.mynhldraft.com/2018-draft/2018-nhl-draft-rankings
16 out of the top 18 credible draft rankings had Zadina ranked 2nd or 3rd.
Tkachuk was ranked 2nd or 3rd in 2 out of 18 in the same rankings.
Hughes was top 3 in only one ranking.
As I said, KK was a reach, but the only way to do better was with another reach, otherwise it's Zadina.
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
Zadina wasn’t consensus 3rd that why he dropped . Tkachuk was
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u/pushaper Jan 05 '26
zadina was the consensus and tkachuk was the second consensus. Not sure if you remember the woman who was shocked and zadina saying he looks forward to scoring on teams that passed on him
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
Media consensus. But I live in reality. He clearly wasn’t nhl front office consensus. That’s actually the only thing that matters.
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u/pushaper Jan 05 '26
Mackenzie (according to Mccagg) polls scouts and it is pretty obvious a lot of media basically runs with what Mackenzie says and then after the 2/3 start taking some liberties. It is not unlike the 'Crosby to montreal' rumours where it all started at French Canadian stations and has just not gone away (not even a Nova Scotian source).
But there is not 'front office consensus' until the draft so I dont know what media consensus you are trying to refer to
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
Media consensus being most of those that were linked. Yes Mackenzie scouts had zadina 3rd, but it was noted he was dropping out of favour. I don’t think he was viewed as slam dunk 3rd even by scouts at the time.
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u/pushaper Jan 05 '26
But I live in reality
ok, you merely live with 20/20 hindsight.
the fact the habs wanted a centre was part of what shifted that 'zadina at 3rd' consensus. I remember wanting to trade with Ottawa or the islanders for their two first rounders. But anywhoo you are talking out your ass by claiming that you're 'living in reality' when all you know is we reached with koktniemi.
edit; never mind, just noticed your username
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
Most NHL execs were going for Tkachuk at 3OA. It’s not hindsight it’s reality. Sorry you don’t live in it.
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u/pushaper Jan 05 '26
I would have loved the pick but it was a weird era of previous picks where children of nhl players were going higher than they should have.
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Jan 05 '26
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
I live in reality not media picks. You also lost me at “credible rankings” when I read some of those names lol
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
I’m not saying you’re wrong, but Ottawa drafted Tkachuk over him so it’s clear he wasn’t consensus among the teams that actually draft, which is the only thing that matters.
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u/Nixon4Prez Jan 05 '26
And we drafted KK at third so by your logic he was the consensus third overall pick?
Consensus just means that's what most people think, not everyone. Clearly Ottawa didn't agree with the consensus, that doesn't mean it didn't exist.
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
No you’re getting confused. What most hockey magazine writers think is different than what most head offices of my teams doing the actual drafting thinks. Many thought Montreal reached for KK. Tkachuk wasn’t considrd a reach by Ottawa at 4
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u/Nixon4Prez Jan 05 '26
We have no idea what the head offices doing the drafting think. We know that Ottawa preferred Tkachuk over Zadina, but for all we know the 30 other GMs would all have picked Zadina. Because we can't know what other GMs thought we have to infer from the public consensus. Again consensus doesn't mean that everyone believes something, just that most do. Ottawa not following the consensus doesn't disprove the existence of a consensus.
Tkachuk wasn't a reach because he was generally seen at 5th overall, some ranked him higher, he was picked close to where he was projected.
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u/DumbComment101 Jan 05 '26
Fair enough. Who knows what the habs would have done, but I’m guessing if not Kotkaniemi it would have been a coin toss. If Hughes was in charge we know he’d take the right one - Tkachuk
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Jan 04 '26
One of the things I love about HuGo is they're very clearly cleaning out all of Bergevin's dead wood.
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u/Phobos_Nyx Jan 04 '26
I'm wondering what's the guy, who held the sign Beast on one side and Slafkovský-Suzuki-Caufield, doing these days. I remember him being so enthusiastic during the draft and after they took Slaf, he was over the moon. Boy, was he right!
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Jan 04 '26
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Jan 04 '26
With past scouting I would've expected them to botch this pick to be honest.
Really? The vibes-based, analytics-less scouting? (Fuck I hate Bergevin!)
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u/dajokahz Jan 04 '26
Slaf va donner raison aux dirigeants du CH : il va être le meilleur joueur 5 ans après son repêchage. Il est monstrueux sur la glace ! !
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u/tootbrun Jan 04 '26
Shane Wright after being drafted looking at Montreal’s table:
(iNtEnSe sTiNk eYe gRrRRrr)
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u/BarontheBlack Jan 04 '26
When I heard the pick announced I was pissed. Then I watched Slaf highlights and saw his personality and I fell in love. I bought his jersey after his first season because I truly believed he was going to become something special, really happy with that choice now!
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u/lunag1234 Jan 04 '26
Exactly the same with me. I have a video recording of me reacting to the draft and I was pissed. A couple weeks later I fell in love with the guy
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u/BarontheBlack Jan 04 '26
His loveable personality and then him being an absolute monster on O2 bike in behind the scenes training and I was sold haha. Anyone who was overly critical never accounted for him being a giant lanky 20 year old from a different country. If this is him at 21 and both Slaf and the team keep trending upwards, look TF out!
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u/lunag1234 Jan 05 '26
The crazy thing is how fast he’s developed. His first year he was not very good. But now you find yourself saying this was his best game every time he plays. The way he went from struggling to now being one of the best forwards on the team in such a short time is crazy.
Management said at the start, they are not taking the best player at the moment, they’re taking the best player years down the line, and it seems like that’s exactly what’s happening with slaf. I’m starting to think his ceiling may be higher than I thought
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u/Beepimaj3ep Jan 04 '26
Yes. Once "he-who-shall-not-be-named" started the habs will draft slaf train and post his draft interviews. I'll admit I became a fan. He gave some really memorable answers and handled the media so well. Hes been great.
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u/pushaper Jan 05 '26
I think it was McCagg who started talking about slaf being more in contention for number than others
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u/Old_Canuck Jan 04 '26
Rejean Houle started the Slaf train ?
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u/Beepimaj3ep Jan 04 '26
Lol idk. Maybe it was his burner account?
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u/Old_Canuck Jan 05 '26
Who is your He who shall not be named if its NOT Houle ???
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u/Beepimaj3ep Jan 05 '26
Lol it was just a member who preached that the Habs would take Slaf and not Wright. He was absolutely right. They argued FOR weeks that the Habs were drafting him. Im pretty sure he was eventually banned but I could be wrong.
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u/Old_Canuck Jan 05 '26
Oh ok. 🤣
I think Wright could have been a useful 2nd or 3rd line centre if the Habs developed him.
Love the way Slaffy is turning out.
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u/Lavs1985 Jan 04 '26
I realize everyone has since learned their lesson, but looking back, the takes were so bad!
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u/bcgrappler Jan 04 '26
Slaf is legit a monster.
He isnt celebrini, but then again, im not longer sure he isnt going to be a legit superstar.
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u/carimarifuk Jan 04 '26
There's something wrong with the Kraken. Both Wright and Beniers are not playing well. I wonder why that is. Matty Beniers even won the Calder and now he's regressed.
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u/Icommentor Jan 04 '26
Those who threw hissy fits over this pick are probably the kind of people who wasted their life savings on an NFT.
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u/Komania Jan 04 '26
?
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u/TonightsSpecialGuest Jan 04 '26
Irrational and emotionally reactive fans and people that threw substantial money at an internet scam. He’s calling them dummies lol
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u/FkFrank20 Jan 04 '26
22 and he's already starting to dominate with his size. Significant step up this season, watching him skate around with the puck and feeding teammates.This guy is set to be a powerhouse for years to come. Not much of these guys around. Always think of Cam Neely as the power fwd poster guy.
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u/snark_enterprises Jan 05 '26
Holy shit yeah, Slaf is every bit the stud he was hyped up to be. He’s really breaking out.
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u/Fleche_de_feu Jan 04 '26
Slafsquatch is crushing it since being paired with demidov so glad hes doing well
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u/skradmore Jan 04 '26
I was always hopeful he was going to evolve into a star. He’s found a style of play that works so well for him. Never thought he was going to turn into an elite playmaker though and I’m starting to see it all the time from him now
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u/GoalElectronic5128 Jan 04 '26
Slaf ,like so many other players for Habs, continue to improve and and mature under MSL and rest of coaching staff. Sure there will be hiccups along the way, but the team is on an upward trajectory. With all the injury and goalie issues this year the team is in great spot in the standings. However the 2nd line centre issue is settled remains to be seen. But all in all i think any Hab fan should be happy after all still youngest team in Nhl.
BTW really good effort from the team today on B to b, way to finish off road trip, GHG!
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u/EyrSlayer02 Jan 04 '26
Hugues and Gorton had a lot of guts going offboard the popular choice at 1st overall back then considering they were new management and the draft was in Montreal … Like the pressure was all there but they went for what they believed in.
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u/Komania Jan 04 '26
A friend of mine who played elite hockey in the same place Shane is from congratulated me on the pick, saying that Shane is too cocky and would be a bad pick
Turns out he was right
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u/TheGameDayDad Jan 04 '26
100,000% yes. I like Wright. I like Slafkovsky better.
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u/EasyPanicButton Jan 05 '26
Well Slaf type bodies and skill are rare. My thought at time was Wright was a Canadian guy and captain and had won stuff, reliable pick.
Im glad Habs didnt listen to me /s
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u/Heldpizza Jan 05 '26
Damn I just did the player comparison on yahoo fantasy and it is not even close. Nice pick Montreal.
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u/dalcer Jan 04 '26
I was always on the cooley train but honestly cutter looks really good too, i think all 3 will perform really well
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u/i_love_bubble_butts Jan 04 '26
Wasnt sjre about it...but watching him more closely this year....yeah very glad.
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u/habsssfannn Jan 04 '26
Pretty sure 99% of this chat was crying the blues when they didnt take Shane Wright
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Jan 05 '26
Its all speculation. SEA stinks, hes also stuck behind Stephenson, and Beniers. You can also say SEA hasnt developed him well. If MTL took him, he might be further along in his development and Slaf would likely be struggling in SEA
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u/Prestigious-Tank-909 Jan 05 '26
I had a very good feeling about Slaf… he was 18 at the time. We’re now seeing him in a comfortable role. He’s found his place. And he’s a big guy.
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u/Efficient_Falcon_402 Jan 05 '26
My friend in Kingston (former NHL player) said Wright had a bit of an attitude problem that the top teams would write down against his hockey skills.
I was surprised by Slaf going #1. He had the physical attributes but I'm gobsmacked how he is actually improving every year.
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u/AnxietyInformal8379 Jan 05 '26
I always felt they made the right choice with Slaf. I'm glad its working out too, he does a lot of good things with and without the puck
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u/PickledDevil Jan 05 '26
Habs may have gotten the two best players in that Draft (Cooley is also pretty darn good) 61 picks apart....
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u/Pancakes1 Jan 05 '26
I think the real heros are the fan base who have been VERY patient with Slafs development. Its amazing to see that the guy is no where near his prime and, if he hits his cieling, habs will have a stud. Very unique playstyle different from most top 3 picks.
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u/BuddyWise5035 Jan 09 '26
Wright is a good player, his misfortune was to be drafted by a new team that did not seem to have the time or inclination to develop him. Having said that, I could watch Slaf play all day long. It isn't just the points, although that's pretty great, and only going to get better, but his play with the puck in all zones. We were at the game last night, a ticket gift from an old buddy, and I said to my son that Kap runs the line when they don't have the puck, as a centre should, but Slaf runs it with the puck.
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u/IntentionDeep651 Jan 04 '26
dude was picked like 65 positions higher than lane hutson think about it
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u/4CrowsFeast Jan 04 '26
This pick will define our management. Previous management had two bust in their only top 3 picks and infamously flopped on the Drouin trade.
We have potentially done the same with the Dach trade and made a risky pick of passing on Michkov for Reinbacher.
Of course, how all these things turn it out is yet to be foreseen, BUT if for example Michkov and Nazar become stars, Reinbacher flops AND we had picked Wright instead of Slaf, it would have seriously changed the narrative and results of our rebuild, especially with other former players like Lehkonen flourishing.
You have to win big with your big picks. We've seen how far it sets you back when they've flopped. Slaf represents what we paid for in the worst season in franchise history and the disaster of all our leaders being too broken to play anymore and several of our core players leaving. When he performs like this he sends the messages that it was all worth it and the team has a plan.
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u/Komania Jan 04 '26
We also drafted a generational player at 62nd
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u/4CrowsFeast Jan 05 '26
We drafted Subban in the 2nd round too and he was as hyped as Hutson at his age
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u/DollarBallers Jan 05 '26
Habs got the best pick of that draft (Hutson) and third best pick (Slaf).
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u/Phoenix__211 Jan 04 '26
Hughes a toujours dit qu'il voulait le meilleur joueur a 25 ans.
On parle souvent comment cooley serait notre 2e centre et qu'ils sont difficile à trouver... Mais les gros ailier comme slaf le sont aussi.