Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes confidently strutted onto the stage at the 2022 NHL Draft, and selected team Olympic MVP Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall selection of the draft.
This marked the beginning of the Slafkovsky era in La Belle Provence. If the sky-high expectations he set for himself were to be met, the 6’3” winger would need to hit the ground running. The pressure cooker that is Montreal hockey media would have something to say regardless of whether he plays like a stud or takes a slower approach to development.
Year one showed spurts, sporadic flashes of what Slafkovsky could become for the Canadiens, but he didn’t scratch the surface. He was immediately on the radar for hockey media, and while many expected more of him, I don’t believe he played poorly. He didn’t have a fantastic year, but he was learning how to use his size to his advantage which will take time.
He suffered an injury when he was starting to find his way, which put an end to his rookie year. Limited to just 39 games, the Slovak managed to score four goals and six assists for 10 points. The most memorable moment of his rookie campaign has to be his first NHL goal against the Arizona Coyotes.
The sequence showed his hockey IQ, and ability to drive the net. His poise to prevent the opposition from exiting their zone was also impressive. But the filthy shot drew the attention of the crowd, and a frustrated Josh Brown, who Slafkovsky chirped in an animated way after potting the tally.
20 days until the Habs season opener.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 21, 2023
Here’s Juraj Slafkovsky’s first career NHL goal along with the hilarious celly. pic.twitter.com/0IXQ7IE86J
As I said he showed sporadic flashes, and the shot and vision in the offensive zone were fully displayed. His puck skills served him well as he was able to get the puck in a great position to use his shot. The pure velocity of his shot did the rest of the work, as he unleashed a wicked shot.
With Slafkovsky on injured reserve taking an early offseason, he had plenty of room to train and recover. All in preparation for an even better sophomore season in 2023-24.
Slafkovsky Has Covered His Ears To The Sophomore Blues
Many will argue or debate about whether or not Slafkovsky is playing better this year than last. After Kirby Dach went down with injury the lineup has been put through a blender by Marty St. Louis, which discourages chemistry. This, ultimately caused Slafkovsky to stumble after Dach went down with injury, as he was unable to reach the same level of play.
Nick Suzuki finds Juraj Slafkovsky with a great pass, and Slafkovsky makes no mistake.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 19, 2023
His second goal of the year. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/h9tq9BR6NW
However, Canadiens coach St. Louis has kept Slafkovsky on a line with Cole Caufield and Christian Dvorak for the last few games, and the consistency has proven beneficial for Slafkovsky. He has found some familiarity with his two linemates. And not only that, but the chemistry that has developed between him, and Caufield has shown an elevation in his level of play.
#Habs Juraj Slafkovský on playing with Cole Caufield: "it’s so much fun! He’s a great guy first of all and a great player; just really easy to play with him. I enjoy every second on the ice – not just with him but everyone on this team."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) November 15, 2023
Slafkovsky has four points less than he scored throughout his entire rookie season, and he has played 19 fewer games. Production is one way to assess how well he has played, and in his last 10 games, the Kosice, Slovakia native has scored five of his six points. Even more impressive is that four points came in his last five games.
I have even questioned why Sean Monahan doesn’t slot into the top six, and Dvorak slides in between Tanner Pearson and Josh Anderson. But the statistics don’t lie, as such, Dvorak has also played his best hockey since joining the Canadiens of late, and having Caufield starting to click, the line has looked like a well-oiled machine. That’s not to discredit Slafkovsky, and he would be the first to throw flowers to his linemates, but he has played quite well recently.
Aside from Josh Anderson, who has struggled and Kirby Dach, there isn’t much size in the top six. Slafkovsky provides just that, and he has the skills, strength and quick skating to impact the game on both sides of the puck. He is certainly still young, at just 19 years old, and he is the case of a bigger player taking a little longer to find their way, but he is driving the train, and keeping steadily along the tracks.
Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!