Montreal Canadiens: Juraj Slafkovsky cracks the opening night roster

On the eve of the 2022-23 regular season, the Montreal Canadiens have the group of players they will head into battle with. While it’s going to change over time, they have their opening night roster.

Perhaps the biggest news from the opening night roster announcement was that forward Juraj Slafkovsky made the Montreal Canadiens roster. Slafkovsky was not a sure bet to make the roster, but a strong showing in the Prospects Challenge and training camps made the decision easier.

The Canadiens coaching staff felt that Slafkovsky impressed them enough to earn a look at the NHL level. For the Habs, this has to be exciting to see what Slafkovsky can do early in his NHL career, as he is set to make his debut on Wednesday.

Montreal Canadiens prospect Juraj Slafkovsky makes the opening night roster.

After selecting Slafkovsky with the first overall pick, there was a bit of shock around the league. The thought was Shane Wright would go round one, pick one, but the Habs had other ideas when they shocked the masses.

Now, after an exciting couple of weeks, Slafkovsky has given the Habs fans plenty to like and plenty to dream about as he makes the roster. By dream, I mean that there’s a lot to like and project on with Slafkovsky as he continues to develop and adjust to the pace of the NHL.

For Slafkovsky, the ball is going to be in his court. On a rebuilding team, the offense will be tough to come by, and expecting Slafkovsky to come out and end up on the scoresheet night in and night out is a lofty expectation.

But Slafkovsky’s got the upper hand for his destiny. The hard part was cracking the roster; now, he has to continue to perform at a level that allows him to stay with the club. The Detroit Red Wings operated with a similar method last season, which worked out quite well.

Raymond was not a sure bet to make the roster out of camp; he came in, made the Red Wings, and spent the whole season in Detroit without getting demoted. He earned his playing time, found the scoring, and continued to prove he belonged.

For Slafkovsky and the Habs, he essentially has the chance to play his way through the season. Slafkovsky has the opportunity to continue to prove he belongs with the NHL club during the 2022-23 season.

It will be interesting to see how things work out for Slafkovsky, but for the time being, Habs fans can be excited that the top prospect made the roster and is headed toward his debut as the Canadiens start their season.