Montreal Canadiens former first-overall pick at the 2022 draft, Juraj Slafkovsky, had a breakout season last year. For the first time in his young career, he broke the 70-point and 30-goal barriers. The big Slovak winger scored 30 goals and logged 43 assists for a total of 73 points, but beyond the points, he also finally realized what his identity needed to be on the ice.
Thanks to a couple of spells playing on a line with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, Slafkovsky realized that he could be a play driver in his own right and that he wasn’t just a complementary piece for linemates Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The forward really started using his pace when chasing the puck and laying big hits in puck retrieval, and he learned to make his way to the busy areas in front of the net to create havoc. With his 6-foot-3 and 225-pound frame, he can be a real nuisance for the goaltender, obstructing his view and putting pressure on the defence, but also being ready to jump on any rebound. Once he sets up camp somewhere, he’s hard to displace, and that’s how he was able to beef up his points total.
The playoffs were a good reminder for the 22-year-old that intensity ramps up when teams are competing for the Stanley Cup, and he needs to be aware of that on the ice. He was rocked by a Max Crozier hit in Game 4 of the Canadiens’ first-round duel with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He needs to remember to keep his head up and not watch himself play, so to speak. His fight with Brandon Hagel also hurt the team; he was challenged by the Bolts winger and answered the bell, but ended up on the receiving end of a haymaker that sent him down to the ice. That’s not the kind of impact he should be having.
The main point of improvement has to be consistency, however. Once again, last season, he had a slow start and took some time to reach his cruising speed. Expect a big start from the power forward as he’ll be keen to bounce back from underwhelming playoffs.
As things stand and unless the Canadiens do manage to find some outside help before the start of the season, he should still be riding shotgun with Suzuki and Caufield. Look for him to play a bigger role now that he has seen what kind of impact he can have if he plays the game the right way and focuses on his strengths rather than trying to emulate what the likes of Caufield or Demidov can do. Look for new career highs in both points and goals for the big winger.
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