Hall-of-Famer says Canadiens' Slafkovsky is ready for the NHL
Juraj Slafkovsky is ready for prime time, according to one Hall-of-Famer.
Marian Hossa, a 2020 inductee, thinks that Slafkovsky, the first ever Slovak player taken No. 1 in the NHL Draft, is ready to step into the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup next season.
“First overall picks usually play in the NHL right away. I would be surprised if this was not the case with Juraj,” Hossa said, according to a translation of an interview with Slovak reporter Tomas Prokop of sport.sk. “I think they will be patient with him, but it would be concerning if he didn’t crack the roster right away. In my opinion, he is ready to start the season with the best players in the world. Throughout the season, he will learn and improve. I don’t see a problem in his game. In my opinion, he will catch on immediately.”
Juraj Slafkovský vždy odpovie na otázku, kto je jeho vzor, jednoznačne – Marián Hossa. Tak som trochu s Hossom rozobral, čo vraví na draftovú jednotku. @DennikSport https://t.co/Frl8uzMU6b 1/2
— Tomáš Prokop (@Lewysko) August 13, 2022
Hossa would know.
He is, after all, the highest-scoring Slovakian-born skater in NHL history after logging 525 goals over parts of 19 seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks. The now 43-year-old also won the Stanley Cup three times, and participated in four NHL All-Star Games (2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012).
And Slafkovsky certainly has the resume, to this point, to back Hossa’s hunch.
The 18-year-old helped Slovakia to silver at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last August, and suited up for his country in an abbreviated World Junior Championship last December that was halted over concerns for the COVID-19 pandemic.
He then suited up Slovakia at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February, leading the tournament with seven goals in seven games to route to helping his country net a bronze medal. For his efforts, Slafkovsky was named most valuable player at the Games and to the tournament’s all-star team
As an encore, he also played for Slovakia at the 2022 World Championship, pacing all under-20 scorers with nine points (three goals, six assists) in eight games.
Juraj Slafkovsky is the youngest winner of the @HockeySlovakia Player of the Year award in history. 🏒🇸🇰 #GoHabsGo #nhl #2022NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/rPu3iRiCnK
— Tomáš Prokop (@Lewysko) August 11, 2022
Slafkovsky was named Hockey Slovakia Player of the Year in a ceremony in Bratlisalva last Thursday. Slafkovksy, the youngest ever to win to the main award, was also named Best Forward (Jozef Golonka Award) and Best Player Under 20 (Pavol Demitra Award).
“The fact that he was the MVP of the Olympic tournament in Beijing and the most productive player on our team at the World Championships makes him the right choice for Hockey Player of the Year as well.”
Follow Channels and Categories