Montreal Canadiens: Habs Faithful Needs To Be More Patient With Slafkovsky
For any first overall to live up to fans’ expectations, they need to work out immediately, which isn’t always a great way to assess whether a selection is a bust or not. The Montreal Canadiens’ first overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft is a perfect example of fans having such high expectations, that if there’s a misstep or some extra development time is needed, the player is viewed as the wrong selection.
The near consensus was that Juraj Slafkovsky and Shane Wright were the two likeliest options for the first selection, and, obviously, Wright slipped. But with Logan Cooley scoring a beautiful preseason goal during the Arizona Coyotes-Los Angeles Kings game in Australia, fans are convinced that the Canadiens missed big by not taking Cooley.
Here’s the thing: generally, players that have a larger stature take a little more time, and Slafkovsky’s play in the Olympics and World Championships was no flash in the pan. All of the things that stood out to scouts weren’t just limited to the Canadiens’ scouting team; league-wide, Slafkovsky was viewed as one of the draft’s best talents. There was certainly an adjustment period, but the flashes of what he can develop into were extremely promising and shouldn’t be ignored, especially since he didn’t play an entire season.
Additionally, it should be taken into consideration that while he was off and able to have a full offseason to train and recover, it doesn’t equate to the actual pace of playing. It’s normal that he needs to adapt to the speed, timing and positioning, and it won’t happen during a couple of training camp scrimmages. He needs to get some reps in and find his groove, and when he does, I don’t see why he won’t be an impactful player.
To Be Considered
This is by no means meant as a comparison, but players who are ahead of the growth curve often take a little more time to grow into their bodies and adjust to their heights. The St. Louis Blues are all too familiar with this, as they traded away Tage Thompson, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, a 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick in exchange for Ryan O’Reilly. As we know, the trade worked masterfully for Blues GM Doug Armstrong, as they would win the Stanley Cup in 2019, with O’Reilly captaining the team.
But the trade, looking back on it now, could leave Armstrong feeling a little sick to his stomach, especially with O’Reilly now departed for Nashville to play with the Predators. Thompson, however, while it happened a little slower than the Blues had hoped when they drafted him, has developed into an elite, point-producing number-one centre for the Sabres. Drafted 26th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, Thompson didn’t really hit his stride until the 2021-22 season, his fourth with the Sabres, so there were skeptics, just like Slafkovsky has been dealing with.
Yes, Slafkovsky was selected first overall, and Montreal is the mecca of the hockey world, at least in Canada anyway, but it doesn’t happen overnight for a player. Thompson exploded during his fourth campaign in Buffalo, for 68 points (38 goals and 30 assists) in 78 games, showing a glimpse of what he would become. If there were any sore spots from having their star, Jack Eichel, leave for greener pastures, Thompson’s fifth season put some icy hot on those, with his 94-point season in 2022-23, scoring 47 goals and 47 assists.
Another player who needed a little extra time to get acclimated to the NHL and learn how to use his large frame is Roope Hintz, who was drafted in 2015 and didn’t reach point-per-game numbers until his third season with the Stars. Now, before it’s stated that he wasn’t a first-round pick, yes, you are right, but he was a second-round selection, and he didn’t put up great numbers until 2020-21 when he scored 43 points (15 goals and 28 assists) in 41 games. Once he grew into his 6’3″, 216 lb frame, the offence followed close behind.
Hintz’s ’21-’22 and ’22-’23 seasons were much better, and he posted 72 points (37 goals and 35 assists) in 80 games, missing out on ppg totals by eight points. Then, last season, the Finnish centre scored 75 points (37 goals and 38 assists) in 72 games, showing that the Stars’ patience with him proved to be a smart move. These are just a couple of examples, and I won’t put any expectations on Slafkovsky, but to call him a bust after an injury limited to just 39 games in his rookie year seems a little harsh and unwarranted.
I don’t think he was happy with his four goals and six assists, and his off-season work proved that he wants to use last year as a stepping stone and learning year. Heading into this season, if after the preseason, he doesn’t look comfortable in Montreal, then sending him down to Laval to play big minutes in all situations for the Laval Rocket wouldn’t be an awful thing. Development is the mantra for the Canadiens, and it takes time to bring players along the right way, something that Slafkovsky deserves.
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