The Montreal Canadiens have lost six of their past seven games, and the struggles of Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield have been one of the biggest reasons for the team's demise. The trio combined for six points over the last five games, with Caufield leading the way with three points, Suzuki with two, and Slafkovsky with one.
One of Caufield and Suzuki's points came on the power play, leaving them with four points combined at even strength. We argued for putting this trio back together early in the year when the team struggled, but last season's success is a distant memory. Slafkovsky had a breakout last season, but his struggles this season have fans in bewilderment.
The interesting thing is that Slafkovsky is on pace to finish five points shy of his total from last season. A couple of good weeks would put him on pace to eclipse last season's total, but the entire vibe around Slafkovsky's season is different. He is invisible on more nights than the Canadiens would like, and you'd love to see a progression in his game.
The Canadiens didn't want to see Slafkovsky become a 50-point player when they selected him as the first overall pick. They argue that he is still only 20 and has plenty of time to improve. However, he has two years on the top line now, and you'd expect to see some progression soon.
The worry is that Slafkovsky's game is going backward, and with the amount of depth in the Canadiens' pipeline, players will start passing him by. If the Canadiens move to acquire Dylan Cozens or Trevor Zegras, that's one spot gone in the top six. Then, Ivan Demidov will come to North America next season, and you know there will be pressure to have him get as much ice time as possible.
🤯 Unbelievable! Ivan Demidov! pic.twitter.com/ZI9kAEQawD
— KHL (@khl_eng) January 21, 2025
The Canadiens can't keep rolling out this top line if they continue to struggle. They owe it to Slafkovsky's development to mix things around and try to find him some linemates. Is the answer to acquire Cozens, put Slafkovsky on his left side, and put Demidov on their right side for the 2025-26 season? Allowing Kirby Dach to play on Suzuki's wing with Caufield could be a great idea. The trio played well earlier in the year when Slafkovsky moved down the lineup.
So, where does the first line and Slafkovsky go from here? Is it a poor stretch that will fix itself over time or is it time to start worrying? I tend to believe these kinds of things work itself out, especially for a 20-year-old power forward who is still growing into his body. However, in a market like Montreal, those questions must be answered sooner rather than later.