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The Habs want to turn Juraj Slafkovsky into a real monster and that could make fans drool!

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MarcO
April 11, 2023  (6:28 PM)
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To begin with, it must be said that the first season of the first overall pick in 2022, Juraj Slafkovsky, was quite difficult, as he still has to adapt to the North American style of play, and he had to deal with a serious injury in the middle of the season.

He was finally back on skates yesterday, having missed the last three months of the schedule.

The 19 year old Slovakian has some very interesting assets to make his mark in the NHL, an imposing physique, an interesting skating stroke for his size, and an excellent shot. His vision is also intriguing, as he can regularly create plays in the offensive zone.

The Montreal Canadiens want to turn Slafkovsky into a real monster on the ice.

According to information reported by The Athletic reporters Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin, Tricolore Hockey Development Director Adam Nicholas is sending him specific videos about a specific NHL player, so that he can analyze and extract as much detail from that player as possible to assimilate into his own game.

The player Nicholas wants Slafkovsky to model himself after is none other than Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk.

The Habs had a plan with him to gradually build new concepts into his game. It was a plan developed over more than a season that was short-circuited, however, by the left knee injury he suffered on January 15.

That said, instead of sitting around waiting for the day he could jump on the ice - which he did on Monday - Slafkovsk� spent some time analyzing videos of Matthew Tkachuk that Habs Director of Hockey Development Adam Nicholas sent him. The Florida Panthers' star winger is one of the NHL's most successful players in combining the physical component of the game with offensive skills, and Nicholas invited him to watch what Tkachuk was doing right."

- Marc-Antoine Godin

Wow!

Also a physically imposing player, Tkachuk uses his advantageous size to play a rugged style of play that allows him to have an impact during a game, as well as benefit from his offensive skills to score goals and produce points.

The Panthers' pest made an impact fairly early on in the NHL, but he went straight to a second level last year, racking up over 100 points, including 40 goals, with the Calgary Flames.

He did it again this year, breaking his most recent career mark with Florida, when he posted 40 goals and 108 points with one game left to play.

If Slafkovsky can mold his game to that of the 25-year-old American, there is no doubt that the Canadiens will be in the car for many years to come. It's possible that it could take three, four, five or more years of development before he reaches that level.

However, at 6-foot-3 and over 230 pounds, if he can harness the advantage of his physicality in his on-ice game, he could become a true monster in the NHL, much like Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres as well.

Credit: HabsolumentFan

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The Habs want to turn Juraj Slafkovsky into a real monster and that could make fans drool!

What level of production do you think Juraj Slafkovsky will achieve at his full potential?

70 points et moins7347.4 %
70 - 80 points5334.4 %
80 - 90 points1912.3 %
90 - 100 points95.8 %
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