2024 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #1 Juraj Slafkovský

Introduction

The absence of a clear-cut first-overall talent at the 2022 NHL Draft presented a conundrum for the Montreal Canadiens. As draft day neared, there were as many as four names being circulated as the potential choice, all of whom had their respective merits. There just wasn’t anyone who stood out as an absolute must-pick player, so it was anyone’s guess who they’d name all the way up until they stepped to the podium.

In the end, they went with hulking Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovský, and for a while, there was some real concern over whether or not that was the right choice.

His rookie season was underwhelming, exacerbating the concern that immediately followed his selection. He managed a paltry 10 points through 39 games, and the debate about whether or not he should be sent down to Laval was the topic du jour. That never came to pass, as his season was cut short by a lower-body injury, but it remained a hot topic well through the off-season.

A slow start in his second year did little to stop the AHL debate, but the Habs kept him up, and they were rewarded handsomely for their patience. He put together a stunning second half, finishing with 50 points through 82 games, and hovering around a point-per-game pace in his final 30 matches. A major catalyst was him being placed on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and everything seemed to fall into place from there.

The Laval debate was over, the concern dating back to his selection all but gone, and it felt like he had truly arrived. Fans were excited, and he obviously got the organization excited as well, as they handed him an eight-year contract extension this summer that will keep him a Hab through the 2032-33 season.

Voting

The panel was split in half for Slafkovský, with six first-place votes, and six for second-place. Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield each took some of the first-place votes, but also both drew some third- or fourth-place votes to drag down their averages, allowing Slafkovský to take the top spot on our list for the first time.

While he drew a small number of votes at three or later in the EOTP community vote, the vast majority had him at first or second. The division there was more favourable for the top spot than it was with our panel, however, with over half of respondents granting him the top spot.

Top 25 Under 25 History

Debuting immediately in the top three after being drafted, Slafkovský fell to fifth place last year after his disappointing rookie season. He obviously did more than enough in 2023-24 to make up for that, and will likely spend the rest of his eligible years in the battle for first place.

History of #1

Strengths

Slafkovský is a physical specimen, and a lot of the concern around his game in his rookie season was due to him not seeming to know how to use his size. He figured that out as a sophomore, and as the year went on he began turning himself into a legitimate NHL power forward. He’s very hard to separate from the puck, very strong in board battles, and can get to the front of the net without much of a challenge. He’s a bigger man, and now he’s playing a bigger man’s game.

He seems to be just scratching the surface of what he can accomplish with his shot as well. It’s a heavy shot, not quite on the velocity level of linemate Caufield, but he can beat goaltenders clean when his teammates decide to tee him up for a one-timer. It became a pain point for many fans to see how often Mike Matheson would look Slafkovský off during power plays, and the hope is that this season they’ll draw up some more plays that end with him shooting. This could have an ancillary benefit of opening more things up for Caufield, as teams will have to respect Slafkovský more.

His playmaking feels like an underrated aspect of his game, rapidly improving as he’s making quicker and better decisions with the puck. In his rookie season, and the early goings of his sophomore season, it felt like he was constantly trying to force passes. As the year went on, his shooting confidence increased, and he’d keep more looks for himself. Opposing defenders are thus forced to be more respectful of his shot and net-drive, which is leaving some opportunities for him to set up his linemates. As he continues to explore this newfound versatility, we could see his point totals explode before long.

Weaknesses

As it stands, the top line is still very reliant on Nick Suzuki to carry the load defensively. Slafkovský’s positioning when the other team has possession leaves something to be desired, and often puts him at a disadvantage. He did appear improved over his rookie season in his own end, which is a great sign, but he needs to keep focusing on that aspect of his game. In the offensive zone, things really came together for him last year, and being more of a catalyst in defending will set him up for more time doing what he does best.

He also needs to focus on discipline. He found himself in minor-penalty trouble a bit too much last season, particularly with stick infractions. When he gets a bit frustrated in puck pursuit, he has a tendency to just hook his opponents and find himself in the box. This goes back to defensive positioning as well, If he can get better body-positioning to begin with, he will be able to use his size and strength to win the puck instead of needing to use his stick.

Projection

The eight-year contract extension is a sign of confidence from the organization, and they clearly feel they have a long-term winger for their top six. He looked great in a very small sample with Kirby Dach on the second line, then looked great in a larger sample on the top line, so while his position on Suzuki’s wing feels relatively secure, the team has options as to how they want to configure their top six as they approach the end of their rebuild.

For this upcoming season, it’s tough to envision a scenario where he’s not skating with Suzuki and Caufield. After that, it’s anyone’s guess once Ivan Demidov comes to town. In all likelihood, Martin St-Louis will experiment with some different combinations to see how to get the most out of each of his players, and how he can maximize chemistry. At any rate, the lowest Slafkovský should be in the lineup for the foreseeable future would be the second line.

What he can accomplish as a bona fide top-six winger is fun to think about, regardless of who he lines up with. Assuming he’s back on the top line, I think a target for 2024-25 in the 60- to 70-point range is reasonable given what he put up last year. Toward the end, he looked like a player capable of eventually surpassing the point-per-game mark over a full season. If he stays on his current trajectory, it would be foolish to bet against him doing that — and doing so multiple times — over the course of his new contract.

For all the hand-wringing in the early goings of his NHL career, it was easy to forget just how young he was when he entered the league. He won’t even turn 21 until March of 2025, so he is very much still under development. He hasn’t found his ceiling yet, but he sure seems intent on finding it sooner rather than later.

TSN’s Star Kenzie Lalonde joins the podcast to take a look at Juraj Slafkovský’s development and upcoming season:

1:00 – Getting to know Kenzie Lalonde
4:00 – Slafkofský what made it all fall together this past season?
8:30 – Building up core, and lowering the centre of gravity.
10:30 – The Martin St-Louis influence on development.
14:30 – A healthy Kirby Dach and moving players around on the top lines.
16:00 – The New Power Play
17:30 – What is a successful seaon for Slafkovský, points or developing his game?
20:00 – The Caufeild-Suzuki-Slafkovský line.
21:00 – PWHL Montreal and the upcoming season.