An unexpected decision made by Canadiens concerning Juraj Slafkovsky?
The situation with Juraj Slafkovsky and the Montreal Canadiens will be closely watched during training camp and preseason games.
The overall first choice in the 2022 draft must find his rhythm and adapt to North American hockey, something he struggled to do last year. However, it should be noted that the 19-year-old Slovak only played 39 games.
The young man will need to play many games, but especially play many minutes to get used to professional-level play.
With the view to assess what would be best for his development, some observers believe that the best option would be to send him to the AHL. In the same vein, others think that sending him to represent his country at the World Junior Championship next December would be excellent for him.
After refusing to lend him to Slovakia last year, a decision that was highly criticized given that he was going through a tough time at that period of the season in the NHL, will the Canadiens cause a surprise this year?
I am not against either proposal; on the contrary, I agree with them.
The best game plan, in my eyes, would be to have him play repeatedly, as much as possible, during the first two months of the schedule, something that can only be done in Laval. Slafkovsky may be forced to play about a dozen minutes per game if he stays in Montreal, and that's not optimal for his development.
I can very well see him joining the ranks of the Rocket for the first months of the season, being sent to the World Junior Championship in December, and then joining the ranks of the Tricolore with great confidence during January.
Kent Hughes and the Canadiens made a mistake in depriving their top prospect of playing important games like those of the WJC last year. They could remedy the situation by taking advantage of the fact that the club will likely not be fighting for the playoffs, to boost his confidence by playing against kids his age.
In your opinion, should Slafkovsky represent his country in the World Junior Championship?
Credit : DLC
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, should Slafkovsky represent his country in the World Junior Championship? | ||
| Yes | 127 | 80.9 % |
| No | 30 | 19.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
