While his slow start had some Montreal Canadiens fans worried, Juraj Slafkovsky has taken some big strides this year.
With 14 goals and 34 points on the season so far, the Canadiens’ top pick in the 2022 Draft appears to have all the makings of a top-six forward at only 19 years of age. However, he is not necessarily satisfied.
“I’m seeing good progress when I compare to my rookie season. But no, I’m still not happy with my production,” Slafkovsky wrote in a Thursday blog post for NHL.com (translated to French by Jean-François Chaumont). “That’s 14 goals in 65 games, it’s not enough in this league.”
In his latest update as a “special contributor,” the Slovakian winger also shares that he was still finding his game in the early months of the season.
“At the start of the year, I was still looking for myself on the ice. I don’t want to go through this again next year,” he wrote. “I would like to resume at the same level or even better from the start of the season.”
If that’s the case, Slafkovsky, who, last month, set a Canadiens franchise record for longest point streak by a teenager (eight games), could be ready to raise the bar again come next season.
“I trust myself, I can create plays and I am developing a greater bond with Nick [Suzuki] and Cole [Caufield]. I am happy with my progress even if it can always be better.”
In the meantime, though, Slafkovsky, whose rookie season was cut short by injury, is mainly focused on getting through his first full NHL campaign.
“On a more personal level, I now skip some workouts. I have to juggle with small injuries, but that doesn’t stop me from playing,” he explains. “I played 65 of our 65 games. I want to know the reality of a full 82-game season.”
Click here to read Slafkosvky’s full blog post.