What's the best path forward for Juraj Slafkovsky's development?

I like what St. Louis has done with the Canadiens. He didn’t penalize Cole Caufield for mistakes like Dominique Ducharme did. St. Louis understood the struggles of a smaller player trying to fit in. He understood it was going to take some time. But when it comes to Slafkovsky, I’m a little confused by St. Louis’ disinterest in pairing the big Slovak winger with Caufield and Nick Suzuki more often.

The trio finally lined up together for Montreal’s last two games, and Slafkovsky had his best game of the season on Nov. 4 against St. Louis with a goal and four shots. The game against Tampa Bay was a write-off, but otherwise, it’s not entirely shocking that the team’s star young forward is thriving with their top two players.

I wish Slafkovsky’s development was so much different. I didn’t think he was the best player available in 2022. His two weeks at the Olympics truly helped cement Montreal’s viewpoint. I watched every game of that tournament. I saw the power-play goals. His shot was downright impressive for his age. I also saw his lack of commitment to a solid defensive game and his inability to throw a hit.

Last year, I wanted Slafkovsky to play a crucial role on Slovakia’s world junior team. I get the idea of not sending a kid back to junior after starting the year playing against pro. But I still think it would have done so much for his confidence. Turns out, the Slovaks were pretty dang good, and nearly knocked off Connor McDavid and Canada in the quarterfinal. Imagine if Slafkovsky was there.

And since he didn’t come from a CHL team, sending him to the Laval Rocket was always an option last year. They wouldn’t send him down early, and he started to see his ice time increase before the injury. Had he stayed healthy, I think he would have spent time in the AHL.

But now? I can’t see it happening. The Canadiens are keeping him around to stay close to St. Louis. Somewhat like with teams electing to keep prospects up for a nine-game stint instead of sending them back to major junior, the Canadiens see more value in Slafkovsky working closely with St. Louis than getting more ice time with Laval. Even when he was getting outplayed, we saw Slafkovsky match up against the likes of Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes. It felt like St. Louis was testing his defensive capabilities and seeing how he can handle elite competition. It can be a punishing ask, but it seems like MSL is more focused on the long-term with Slafkovsky. That’s all anecdotal, but it really seems like St. Louis is working closely with Slafkovsky.

I still think ice time and confidence is king for teenagers, but at least he’ll get that if he sticks around on the top line.

Slafkovsky saw his ice time jump from 14:17 last Thursday to 18:06 on the first line. For a young player, that boost in ice time can mean a lot mentally. Junior-aged players haven’t had to endure much adversity, and when the spotlight’s on you and everything’s going wrong, it can have profound effects. So when Slafkovsky was playing some of the worst hockey of his career, St. Louis gave him the best support system he’s ever had instead of giving up on him or having him sent down to the minors.

Still, I’d rather see Slafkovsky playing in Laval than getting sheltered minutes on the third line. But that’s just me. I want him as confident as possible. With such a short NHL CV to work with, he can’t look back to the past to see how he got himself out of a rut like a veteran.

It’s up to Slafkovsky to pick up the slack. He needs to start producing. He needs to keep earning that ice time. But in terms of writing him off, be patient. Everyone would like to see more than just the 12 points he has mustered in 51 career games. It’s difficult to make excuses for him when we’ve already seen some early success from fellow 2022 picks Logan Cooley, Pavel Mintyukov and Matthew Poitras this year. But with two career points in eight games, it’s not like Wright has blown people away, right?

So, be patient. The Habs’ brass certainly will.