Anybody who watches the Montreal Canadiens play knows that Juraj Slafkovsky is a difference-maker when he wants to be.
His Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators have a player, their captain Brady Tkachuk who is of similar stature as Slafkovsky. The two players, considered power forwards, play completely different styles. Tkachuk's play speaks for itself, and teams gameplan for him, Slafkovsky on the other hand, really depends on how he appears to be feeling.
Tkachuk's play stays the same way, regardless of the time on the clock and the importance of the game. He is in your face and doesn't let up, often creating scrums after every whistle. I don't necessarily want Slafkovsky fighting every game, but the intensity would be welcomed.
Offensively, while Tkachuk has dominated the scoresheet compared to Slafkovsky, I do think that No. 20 has better puck skills. I think Tkachuk just does the simple things so well, and overwhelms with speed, reach and strength consistently. He certainly has puck skills, but he plays more of a power game, and he shoots the puck often.
According to Anthony Martineau, a reporter for TVA Sports, Brady Tkachuk has an admirer on the Habs. Slafkovsky recently gave Tkachuk a big compliment, saying the way Brady Tkachuk plays is the way to have success in the National Hockey League. He further stated that he wants to become a player like Tkachuk for the Canadiens.
«Tu dois jouer comme Brady Tkachuk si tu veux avoir du succès dans cette ligue.»
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) February 18, 2025
Juraj Slafkovsky m’a confié avoir eu une bonne discussion avec Adam Nicholas où on lui a montré des extraits de l’Américain.
«C’est vraiment le type de joueur que je veux devenir», m’a dit Juraj. https://t.co/rHG7Q55RzD
As a diehard Habs fan, you have to hate Tkachuk, he is a pain in the neck to play against, and I can't imagine a seven-game playoff series against him would be any fun. Tkachuk is the type of player who leads by example and will run through a wall for his team. He has scored 30-plus goals in three of his six seasons, and in this, his seventh season, he is on pace to do it again.
Tkachuk is the model of consistency and he finds ways to contribute when the offence goes cold. Slafkovsky can turn it on, be dominant with his checking, and be quick on loose pucks. But then sometimes he plays as if he is Cole Caufield's size.
Playing with a dog mentality isn't something that every player in the league can do naturally, for some it takes steady commitment. Tkachuk is an absolute menace, and the American squad at the 4 Nations might not have given him the captaincy, but we know what we saw. Auston Matthews was a ghost, and Tkachuk was quite the opposite - doing everything in his power to will his team to a gold medal.
Slafkovsky hasn't shown that he can do what Tkachuk does, and that isn't a surprise, Brady is special because of what he does. If Slafkovsky played with half the physicality that Brady does, he would elevate the top line to a whole other level. Skilled, smaller players need a guy like Tkachuk to create space, which he does for Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux.
Caufield and Nick Suzuki can do a lot with a little bit of open ice, and when Slafkovsky opens those lanes, the first line looks dominant.
Can Slafkovsky be a dog?
Slafkovsky plays too nice and soft for a guy who is six-foot-three and 238 pounds. He could have all the skills on the table, but the will is needed to execute. Tkachuk has the dog mentality and does whatever it takes to win. He hates to lose.
He takes it upon himself to be the catalyst for his team to win games. Slafkovsky hasn't shown that he will give all it takes to make a difference for the Canadiens. Tkachuk since he arrived in Ottawa, has done absolutely everything to help the teams win.
There's a fire and passion in Tkachuk that few players have - and the ones that do are often pillars for their organization. Take Florida, for example, Matthew Tkachuk is the same kind of player, who will beyond the last whistle. These players are key pieces on championship-winning teams, and while Brady failed with Team USA, the Senators will go where he steers the ship.
Ottawa hasn't made the climb over the hump, but I suspect Tkachuk's prints will be all over any playoff run. Montreal drafted Slafkovsky to eventually develop into the pillar the Canadiens needed upfront. The team's success will benefit significantly from a confident Slafkovsky, especially when the long and treacherous playoff battles are upon us.