Friday Habs Headlines: Juraj Slafkovsky steals the show

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• After months of speculation, the suspense is finally over, and the answer is Juraj Slafkovsky. [RDS | Montreal Gazette | La Presse]
• ‘It was an unbelievable moment for me’, says Slafkovsky. [Montreal Canadiens]
• While many outside Montreal’s Bell Centre were pleased with the team’s selection of Slafkovsky, there was equal disappointment over the Habs passing on Shane Wright. [Montreal Gazette]
• “[In Kirby Dach], the Canadiens got the player with the highest upside here, and the draft capital needed to acquire him wasn’t all that steep.” [The Athletic]
• “The Canadiens dealt from a position of strength to acquire a “maybe.” [...] Right now, it’s a smart gamble, nothing more.” [ESPN]
• Slafkovsky and Dach are a testament to the audacity of the new Canadiens braintrust. [RDS]

Around the league and elsewhere

• It was a historic night for Slovakian hockey.

• The Alex DeBrincat trade is a home run for the Ottawa Senators — and a swing and a miss for the Chicago Blackhawks. [ESPN]
• The Blackhawks will regret this DeBrincat move, says Mark Lazerus. [The Athletic]
• “We’re in the next phase now.” The Senators feel that their rebuild is over with DeBrincat’s acquisition. [Sportsnet]
• Why did Shane Wright drop? [The Athletic]
• Wright will try to use the slip as motivation. [La Presse]
• Gary Bettman says that the NHL expects ‘full co-operation’ from its players in the league’s investigation of the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. [Daily Faceoff]
• The Los Angeles Kings have hired former star goaltender Manon Rhéaume as a hockey operations adviser with a focus on prospect development. [CBC]
• The Colorado Avalanche have acquired netminder Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers in exchange for three draft picks. [The Hockey News]
• The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed 35-year-old Kris Letang to a six year contract. [The Hockey News]