Since being drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, fans have been waiting for Juraj Slafkovsky to hit his stride.
But with one point over eight games and no goals since last December for the Slovakian winger, they’re still waiting.
With the question of how to handle his development on many folks’ minds, former Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque proposed an answer during on his BPM Sports radio show on Monday.
“Are we going to use his age to explain why he has just one point, no goals, and is invisible on the ice?” Laraque rhetorically asked in French. “The problem with that is if we keep him and continue to play him like this, his development will be affected.”
“What would you do with him?” fellow BPM Sports host Stephane Gonzalez asked the former Habs forward.
“To the minors!” Laraque answered without hesitation, pointing to the example of Joel Armia, who saw an improvement after being sent down to the Laval Rocket for a few games this season.
“He’s 19 years old. It’s not bad if he plays a couple of matches there to gain confidence,” he added.
.@GeorgesLaraque est catégorique: Juraj Slafkvosky DOIT être envoyé à Laval. Êtes-vous du même avis?
Ne manquez pas son débat complet avec @stephgonzz sur le sujet.🔥https://t.co/KSg79kV9uE pic.twitter.com/c4KYgGKDx3
— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) October 30, 2023
Last season, Slafkovsky netted four goals and 10 points over 39 games with the Canadiens. There were debates about sending him down to the AHL then as well, but an injury abruptly ended his season on January 15.
While the 6-foot-3 forward has only appeared on the scoresheet once this season, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis recently told reporters he is “happy” with Slafkovsky’s development.
“Personally, I’m happy with Slaf because he’s touching the puck a lot,” St. Louis said in Las Vegas on Sunday. “Compared to last year, it’s a big difference. So his evolution, already in 12 months, I find it very encouraging, and I’m very eager to see him in 12 months because he’s only 19.”