Juraj Slafkovsky With the Laval Rocket? Martin St-Louis Has Released a Statement That Changes Everything
Given that Juraj Slafkovsky was the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, some fans had very high expectations for the Slovak forward last season. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old struggled to establish himself as a top forward, collecting only four goals and six assists (10 points) in his first 39 games in the league.
Playing primarily on the team's third and fourth lines, Slafkovsky averaged only 12 minutes and 13 seconds of ice time per game, ranking him 30th among the 36 players who played at least one game with the Habs. Clearly, the forward needs to play more if he wants to continue his development and reach his full potential.
Some experts have even suggested that a stint with the Laval Rocket could be highly beneficial for him, where he would surely play on the top line and on the power play. However, at his press conference at the Canadiens' traditional golf tournament, Martin St-Louis made a telling statement. Indeed, when asked about the possibility of seeing Slafkovsky in the AHL, the head coach replied that it would be very surprising if he doesn't start the season with the Montreal Canadiens.
So, we can rule out the possibility of the Habs' number 20 starting the year with the farm team. He will indeed be in Martin St-Louis's lineup for the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11. One thing's for sure, we sincerely hope that Slafkovsky gets the chance to play alongside talented forwards to make a more significant offensive contribution in 2023-2024.
However, it will be essential to be patient with the young man. After all, he was the only player selected in 2022 to play more than eight games in the NHL last season.
| POLL | ||
How many points will Juraj Slafkovsky have this season? | ||
| Less than 25 | 7 | 11.5 % |
| Between 25 and 35 | 23 | 37.7 % |
| Between 35 and 45 | 15 | 24.6 % |
| More than 45 | 16 | 26.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
