Juraj Slafkovsky
If there is one player Kent Hughes will look to extend before anyone else, it’s the former first-overall pick. Juraj Slafkovsky is right up there with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. If you want to talk about older players, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, all of whom are sticking around for quite some time.
But you can put Slafkovsky in the same realm as Suzuki and Caufield, both of whom have been stellar when healthy and will be Canadiens until at least 2030. Slafkovsky did struggle in 2022-23 and perhaps some Habs fans would be hesitant for Hughes to ink him long-term following just one good season.
However, factoring in Slafkovsky’s improvement would be wise here, as he broke into the top-six, played in all 82 contests, and more than served the Habs well on the man advantage, totaling 50 points and 14 power play points.
If Slafkovsky didn’t improve by such a large margin, it would be wise for Hughes to either wait another season before inking him to a long-term deal or, if it wasn’t there, sign him to a bridge contract.
But Slafkovsky more than showed us this season he’s only getting better. He’s another franchise player whom Hughes won’t hesitate to lock up long-term in the offseason, or at the latest, during the 2024-25 season.