Kent Hughes revealed the real plan of the Canadiens with Juraj Slafkovsky and it explains a lot

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MarcO
January 19, 2023 (10:23)

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At yesterday's important press conference, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes agreed to reveal what the organization's plan was with the team's young first overall pick, Juraj Slafkovsky.

One of the hot debates of the last few weeks, in the Tricolore's entourage, was whether or not it would be better to send the big Slovak with the Rocket, for the sake of his development.

When asked if they were planning to send him to Laval in the American Hockey League, the GM answered the question honestly, and that explains a lot:

"Honestly, we had discussions every week or two about whether we should, for Juraj Slafkovsky's development, send him to the American Hockey League, but in the end, we didn't feel that was the best solution for him.

What we're trying to do is help him understand how he can be most successful here in North America, and that's not necessarily natural for him, so we think his development will be in stages." - Kent Hughes

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Hughes then added this to clarify a detail about what a great person the young man is:

"Juraj has shown us an enthusiasm, a confidence - not an arrogance, but a confidence in himself - and a willingness to learn." - Kent Hughes

Here is a video clip of his explanation:

Now that we know that his season is over, following a right knee injury that will not require surgery but will take at least three months to heal, we can conclude that it was a rocky first season for Slaf. He finished the season with four goals and 10 points in 39 games.

Credit: HabsetLNH.com

Previously on HockeyLatest

Canadiens prospect Owen Beck is not short on character and he lets Kent Hughes know it

DJ Smith under fire after scratching a former Stanley Cup winner on his special night

Very interesting statement by Kent Hughes on the CH's "tanking" plans to get the best possible draft pick

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19 JANVIER \| 75 ANSWERS Kent Hughes revealed the real plan of the Canadiens with Juraj Slafkovsky and it explains a lot If he hadn't been injured, would you have liked to see the Habs send Juraj Slafkovsky to Laval for the sake of his development?
Yes	52	69.3 %
No	23	30.7 %
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