It’s small steps this season for the Montreal Canadiens, and if there’s one step they’ve taken forward, it’s that they’re not dead last in the Atlantic here at midseason. Yeah, they’re still sixth in the division, mainly because the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres enjoy frustrating their fans so much. But still, the Habs will take any positive they can get.
And they’ve seen a few, with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield taking another step, while Jake Evans may be a sneaky good part of this team’s core. Oh, and can we be any more impressed with Lane Hutson?
Hutson is one of the bigger surprises so far this season, having caught on quick. But, there’s still one rather unpleasant surprise, and that’s Juraj Slafkovsky. No, he hasn’t been bad, with 20 points and four goals in 33 games, but he should be one of the team’s top-three points producers.
This is a former No. 1 overall pick who looks like he’ll be a good player for the Habs. But given his draft status, anything below elite-level hockey is and should be a deal-breaker. That said, Few in the NHL this season need a red-hot second half of the season more than Slafkovsky.
Juraj Slafkovsky needs to give the Montreal Canadiens more
Right now, Slafkovsky is on pace to end the season with between 47 and 48 points and between nine and 10 goals. If you look at his numbers from last season, he’s taking a step back from the 50-point, 20-goal campaign that earned him the right to be a Canadien long term.
Slafkovsky’s advanced metrics at even strength also aren’t the most encouraging, as he’s been under 50 percent in Corsi For throughout his career. He’s also been on the ice for just 20 goals this season, while opponents have scored 28 times. The latter number has led to what is so far a career-low on-ice save percentage of just 87.4.
If there’s a positive out there, it’s that, despite being on the ice for just 20 goals at even strength, Slafkovsky’s on-ice shooting percentage is 10.3 percent. That’s over a half-percentage improvement over last season so far.
But, to show Habs fans everywhere that he deserves to be in Quebec long-term as his contract will show us, we need more productivity from the player, himself. Slafkovsky eventually went on a hot streak during the second half of 2023-24, so if he has another one in him, the fan base will appreciate it.