The Montreal Canadiens have started off their 2022-23 season with two surprisingly good games against really good teams and two lacklustre, awful efforts against weaker competition.
Knowing that the team was unlikely to compete this season, you would have forgiven the Canadiens if they were on the losing end against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsbugh Penguins.
You would have guessed they would look better against the Detroit Red Wings and even the Washington Capitals who are missing Nicklas Backstrom. But the complete opposite happened when they beat the Leafs and Pens and were completely outplayed by the Wings and Caps.
Canadiens still have decision to make on Juraj Slafkovsky
While the team is hard to figure out, another thing they have to decide on is the immediate future of Juraj Slafkovsky. The first overall pick from last July’s draft is with the Canadiens right now, but that may just be for the short term.
The big Slovakian winger has looked good in bursts during training camp and his first few NHL games, but also struggled at times which can be expected from a teenaged NHLer.
According to TSN Insider Darren Dreger, the team already knows what their plan is, but they are just biding some time before eventually pulling off their plan. Dreger reported that plan includes sending Slafkovsky down to the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket “eventually.”
How soon that will be is yet to be determined but it is all part of the process according to Dreger. The Canadiens are keeping the 18 year old with the NHL team for now to analyze his game and instill NHL qualities before sending him down.
Dreger closed out the segment on Slafkovsky by saying flat out that the Canadiens first overall pick “will get sent down eventually.”
Many first overall picks stick in the NHL right away, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with Slafkovsky being sent down. It will help him gain more offensive confidence as he uses his large frame to drive the net and handle the puck more often at the pro level.
Drafting Slafkovsky was all about the long term potential. The Canadiens don’t expect to win this season anyway so why chase it with Slafkovsky in the lineup? Send him to the minors and let him develop slowly.
When it comes to developing NHL talent, slow and steady wins the race. Sending Slafkovsky down is all part of the plan and is the right decision.
Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!