Montreal Canadiens: Decision Time For Juraj Slafkovsky

The Montreal Canadiens had a difficult decision to make when they won the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Take Shane Wright, who was ranked first by just about everyone? Or select Juraj Slafkovsky who shot up the draft borads in the final weeks after a strong showing at the World Championships?

We all know they took Slafkovsky, but that wasn’t the end of their tough decisions that needed to be made. They had to choose whether the 18 year old hulking winger was NHL ready or not on opening night and ultimately decided he was ready to go.

Now, having played nine NHL games so far this season, the team needs to make yet another big decision when it comes to the Slovakian forward. Before taking on the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, the Canadiens will have to take a little something extra into consideration before deciding to dress Slafkovksy.

As a teenager, Slafkovsky’s entry-level contract is eligible to “slide” ahead two years. While he is obviously under contract this season, his contract would not start until next season if he plays less than ten NHL games. The same holds true for the 2023-24 season.

While this is a great tool for a player like Owen Beck who is just 18 and playing in the OHL, it may not come in to play for Slafkovsky.

The first overall pick has been playing well for the Canadiens and has shown during his nine game audition that he is not overwhelmed while playing in the NHL. He scored his third goal of the season in the Canadiens Saturday night loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and seems to be getting better as he plays.

To send him down now would not make a lot of sense when it comes to his play on the ice. Contractually, it would be beneficial to have that entry-level contract move ahead one year, but that will only happen if he plays the entire rest of this season in the AHL and does not suit up for another NHL game until next season.

That seems absurd right now thanks to his strong play. So, the Canadiens do have a decision to make before Slafkovsky plays on Tuesday night, but this decision will be much easier than a few others the team has made in regards to Slafkovsky.

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