– They start off by talking about Slafkovsky. Denis thinks he had a solid training camp and pre-season. He started off slowly, but continued to improve as the pre-season went on. He’s not really surprised that Slaf made the team, and thinks it is the right decision.
– McKenna asks about the pressure on Slafkovsky, and how long of a leash he will be given in Montreal. Denis thinks that he will be given room to make mistakes, but also notes that it is important to have expectations from a rookie player. A young player can make mistakes, but the coaching staff needs to hold the player accountable like they would anyone else. That is how a young player grows. He cites Ghule as an example of a young player that made some mistakes in pre-season, but corrected them and earned his spot on the team.
– Co-host Starr asks if coaches subscribe to the « sink or swim » style of coaching when it comes to rookies, meaning that rookies are expected to be able to keep up with he competition and won’t be coddled. Denis thinks that this used to be the way of thinking for most teams, but in the modern NHL there is more of a focus on player development.
– Denis also mentions that just because a rookie made the team, doesn’t mean they will stay the whole season. He says that players like Barron and Leskinen could sub in for some of our rookie D men if they faulter. He also mentions that when Armia comes back from injury, someone is going to need to move off the roster. As is, the only player who could be sent down without clearing waivers besides Caufield is Slafkovsky.
– Denis talks a bit about how it is important to have stability when it comes to developing young players. He cites Primeau as an example of a player that has been bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL a lot, and Denis thinks that this negatively effected his development. Player needs that stability and consistency to develop. This is where you need to be careful with someone like Slafkovsky.
– McKenna asks what the living condition for Slafkovsky is right now. Denis isn’t sure, but thinks it will be figured out shortly. They talk about how it would be best to have him live with a veteran player who can be a good influence on him. It can be difficult to work out though because of how many new players we have. Someone like Matheson would be a good person to have a rookie live with, but he doesn’t even have a house in Montreal yet. There are also 4 rookies on the team, so it could be difficult to find a spot for them all.
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**Summary**
– They start off by talking about Slafkovsky. Denis thinks he had a solid training camp and pre-season. He started off slowly, but continued to improve as the pre-season went on. He’s not really surprised that Slaf made the team, and thinks it is the right decision.
– McKenna asks about the pressure on Slafkovsky, and how long of a leash he will be given in Montreal. Denis thinks that he will be given room to make mistakes, but also notes that it is important to have expectations from a rookie player. A young player can make mistakes, but the coaching staff needs to hold the player accountable like they would anyone else. That is how a young player grows. He cites Ghule as an example of a young player that made some mistakes in pre-season, but corrected them and earned his spot on the team.
– Co-host Starr asks if coaches subscribe to the « sink or swim » style of coaching when it comes to rookies, meaning that rookies are expected to be able to keep up with he competition and won’t be coddled. Denis thinks that this used to be the way of thinking for most teams, but in the modern NHL there is more of a focus on player development.
– Denis also mentions that just because a rookie made the team, doesn’t mean they will stay the whole season. He says that players like Barron and Leskinen could sub in for some of our rookie D men if they faulter. He also mentions that when Armia comes back from injury, someone is going to need to move off the roster. As is, the only player who could be sent down without clearing waivers besides Caufield is Slafkovsky.
– Denis talks a bit about how it is important to have stability when it comes to developing young players. He cites Primeau as an example of a player that has been bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL a lot, and Denis thinks that this negatively effected his development. Player needs that stability and consistency to develop. This is where you need to be careful with someone like Slafkovsky.
– McKenna asks what the living condition for Slafkovsky is right now. Denis isn’t sure, but thinks it will be figured out shortly. They talk about how it would be best to have him live with a veteran player who can be a good influence on him. It can be difficult to work out though because of how many new players we have. Someone like Matheson would be a good person to have a rookie live with, but he doesn’t even have a house in Montreal yet. There are also 4 rookies on the team, so it could be difficult to find a spot for them all.