It's not as though the Montreal Canadiens needed more reason to be excited about Juraj Slafkovsky, but he appears to be looking leaner.
Video from the Canadiens' social media team via X (Formerly Twitter) shows a lighter Slafkovsky. Considering that he was strong and fast last year, the prospect of him improving athletically over the summer is excitement-inducing. Slafkovsky has just begun finding his game, merely a season into developing into what all Habs fans hoped for when he was drafted.
Seems like Slaf lost a lot of weight
— Talk_canadiens (@talk_canadiens) September 6, 2024
He look soo athletic and that’s very scary for the league https://t.co/eQxbdJyCd1
His footspeed wasn't exactly a strength of his game, but his weight allowed him to handle the battles that come with the NHL game. Now, if he is lighter on his feet, I fully expect that he is going to catch many defenders off-guard with quicker feet. His hands will only improve as his confidence grows, so if expectations were already high, Slafkovsky being more nimble is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Lean, mean Slaf machine loading..
Something that intrigued fans was the way Slafkovsky flipped a switch and suddenly his hockey IQ was off the charts. His puck skills and skating just clicked and began to look so in sync together, like he was always thinking a few steps ahead. With a lighter stride, Slafkovsky could be poised to make the opposition look pretty silly and put those one-on-one puck skills to good use.
More rush chances could also play into Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield's hands, both of which have a killer instinct with the puck on their stick. Caufield has become famous for his quick and accurate release, while Suzuki has a great shot, but has used it with more frequency. It's likely the line will remain intact since it was one of the brightest spots for the 2023-2024 Habs, but if not, Slafkovsky will be just fine wherever he is slotted.
There have been suggestions of stacking a line with size - Slafkovsky with Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine, which could be a fun experiment. But I think balancing out the size would be a more ideal option. Regardless, though, I think Slafkovsky is poised for a big year and the Canadiens just might surprise some people.