Year four could finally be Juraj Slafkovsky’s breakout season for the Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky is entering the first year of his eight-year $60.80 million contract that he signed last offseason. The Montreal Canadiens will need Slafkovsky to take the next step in his progression if they want to achieve their goals as one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference. Slafkovsky's production took a big step forward in the 2023-24 season, when he scored 20 goals and 50 points in 82 games. However, last season, everyone expected the former first overall pick to improve upon his numbers from his sophomore season, but it was more of the same, ending the year with 51 points. Now heading into year four, Slafkovsky will have increased pressure and expectations, partially due to his new pay raise.

Growing pains in year three

Slafkovsky established himself in his second season as the man to complement Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the Canadiens' first line. He registered his first 20-goal season and began utilizing his size to his advantage, finishing third on the team in hits with 152. Entering his third season, expectations were that Slafkovsky would build upon his strong sophomore season, and to start off, it looked like that would be the case. He had eight points in his first 10 games, but only one of those was a goal. The points began to dry up after that, registering just 15 points in his next 30 games, with just four goals nearing the halfway point of the season. However, Slafkovsky would rediscover his scoring touch in the second half of the season.

Over his final 39 games of the season, Slafkovsky recorded 14 goals and 28 points, looking more like the player he was in his previous season. Even with the slump he faced early in the season, Slafkovsky was still able to set a new career high in points with 51, while playing in three fewer games. The big Slovakian winger was able to show more of his physicality, leading the Canadiens in hits with 194. Progression is not always linear, but you can take positives in the fact that Slafkovsky was able to regroup and refind his footing, not letting a slow start ruin his season.

Offensive explosion in year four?

Now, with the added pressure of his contract extension kicking in, Slafkovsky will need to be more like the guy we saw in the second half of the season. He will once again be playing alongside Suzuki and Caufield on the team’s first line and will likely start the year off on the team’s top power play unit. For Slafkovsky, it is not about having more opportunities to showcase his talents, but instead, it is about him putting all the pieces together for an entire season. He has the talent, the size, the skill, and the physicality to be an excellent power forward, but he just needs to be able to show it consistently.

Slafkovsky will look to continue the momentum he had at the end of last year, when he was producing at a 30-goal, 60-point pace. That is exactly the type of numbers we should expect from a player entering his fourth NHL season. Somewhere in the low to mid-30s in goals and mid-60s in points. If Slafkovsky can produce at that pace, he would give the Canadiens one of the best lines in the NHL. Suzuki and Caufield both hit the 30-goal mark last season, and if Slafkovsky can be added to that list, it could make them one of the most complete lines in the league, giving them a combination of speed, skill, and physicality. If Slafkovsky can take the next step in his progression, it would move the Canadiens one step closer to becoming legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.