If the Montreal Canadiens wish to take another step forward, the play of Juraj Slafkovsky is going to be a big factor.
Now, it is only day one of training camp, which marked the first intersquad game, but Slafkovsky stood out as the best player. Eric Engels of Sportsnet said it during his live viewings. Arpon Basu, who does Canadiens coverage for The Athletic, echoed Engels sentiment, sort of - he said that Slafkovsky looks fantastic.
Slafkovsky has tons of fans pulling for him, with hopes that he will have an offensive explosion this season. After having a season that should skyrocket his confidence, the fact that he has showed up at camp full of vigor, is very promising. A strong offseason has paid off, if early indicators are telling of anything.
No question as to who was the best player on the ice was during this first scrimmage: Juraj Slafkovsky.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) September 19, 2024
The top line was the big story all of last season, and all signs point to that being the same narrative this year. Expectations are unsurprisingly high, but with the second line hopefully able to support and complement the top trio, hopes for this season should be high. But a huge factor for the team's success will be the play of Slafkovsky.
Confident, positive Slafkovsky on the right track
If showing out on the first day of training camp is telling of anything, it's that Slafkovsky has plenty of wind in his sails. He is in midseason form and ready to set sail on a huge third season. That has got to be music to the ears of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, who reaped the benefits of his resurgent season in 2022-23.
The captain and the newly-minted number 13 had plenty of chemistry together, but adding in a behemoth power forward elevated the duo into a formidable trio. That is bound to happen when you have a player who wins foot races and is strong enough to win 50/50 puck battles. Slafkovsky is having fun out there, and the way he has learned to dominate with his strength has been a revelation for the Habs offence.
With a head full of steam, Slafkovsky could spark the engine that drives the Habs to a playoff spot. It's very early into the NHL season preparations, but you have to start somewhere. A positive start is much more enocouraging than a slow one.