When Martin St-Louis decided to put Juraj Slafkovsky on a line with Iven Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, he uncovered a new version of the Slovak power forward, and it's not just a new version; it's a better one as well.
In Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens’ forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored two goals, the first of which was the 150th point of his young career. It’s easy to forget that the fourth-year player is still only 21. Thanks to having already played 249 NHL games, the big Slovak leads all players in his draft year in points with a 0.61 point-per-game average. Logan Cooley comes in second place with 132 points in 186 games for a 0.71 PPG, followed by Lane Hutson, who has 118 points in just 133 games for a 0.89 PPG.
While Slafkovsky is not a pure goalscorer or playmaker, he is turning into an impressive power forward. Since joining Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen on the second line, he has even found more of a scoring touch. So far this season, the winger has 40 points in 49 games, on pace for 65 points, which would be a 14-point increase from his final tally in 2024-25.
In the 22 games he has played on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the Slovak has racked up 11 points, for a 0.50 PPG. Which means that in the 27 games he has played with Kapanen and Demidov, he has picked up 29 points for a 1.07 PPG. Of course, some of his points (15) came on the power play; eight of those came in the 22 games he spent with Caufield and Suzuki, meaning that his output at even strength, with them, was just three points. Meanwhile, playing at even strength with Demidov and Kapanen, he picked up 22 even-strength points in 27 games.
Whichever way you look at it, giving Slafkovsky more responsibility and making him the leader of a line rather than a complementary piece has unlocked a much more productive player, one who may have an offensive ceiling the Canadiens didn’t even expect.
If Martin St-Louis can find the perfect complement for Suzuki and Caufield elsewhere, it will be interesting to see what kind of season Slafkovsky could have if he spent the whole year with the two sophomores next season.
It’s also worth remembering that while some of the Canadiens’ best players will be getting some rest when the league shuts down for the Olympics, Slafkovsky will be heading to Milano-Cortina to play in the best-on-best tournament. He will no doubt be called upon to play a significant role for his country, and that experience should help him progress even further. The 2025-26 season promises to be a turning point in Slafkovsky’s young career.
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