Juraj Slafkovský “starting to look massive”

In 2023-24, Juraj Slafkovský finally showed why the Habs drafted him first overall in 2022. The Slovakian really came into his own in the second half of the season, looking like a dominant player on the ice.

This earned him a nice eight-year contract this summer.

That said, Slaf is also known for his imposing size. Last year, the 6’3″ forward weighed in at 230 lbs… and you could see on the ice just what a colossus he was.

But it looks like he’s still gaining mass. In today’s edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman chatted a bit about the Habs forward… and noted just how imposing Slafkovský is:

Juraj Slafkovský is starting to look massive. – Elliotte Friedman

Trying to go dark this week (“no chance,” says the boss), but here’s a written 32 from the NHL/NHLPA European media tour.

Enjoy the last week of summer, everyone. https://t.co/kZOYGX4VBh

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 25, 2024

Of course, we still don’t know what his measurements will look like this season, so it’s hard to say whether Slaf is heavier than last year. That said, if Friedman notices that the kid is getting more and more massive (and notes that Slaf wants to keep adding to his arms and shoulders), it’s safe to assume that he’s at least gained muscle mass.

He trains with Erik Cernak, who had exactly the same measurements as Slafkovský in 2023-24. He’s not small either, and the two guys push each other.

What we also learn from Friedman’s article is that last year, Slaf ‘s Montreal teammates taunted him for quite a while about… his Louis Vuitton bags.

The Slovakian claims to own two Louis Vuitton bags, and that got a rise out of his teammates, who were convinced that this was the only brand of bag Slaf bought. They wanted to help him reach the 20-goal plateau, so that he could collect his bonus and “help him buy more”.

Juraj Slafkovsky gets chirped by his Habs teammates for his Louis Vuitton bags

Also it sounds like Elliotte Friedman, who recently travelled to Slaf’s hometown of Košice, Slovakia , did an interview with him for the upcoming season.

pic.twitter.com/5LSAfrGaa5

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 25, 2024

So we don’t know if Slafkovský has any new branded bags… but if he really is more massive this season, it could help him continue his rise and keep racking up the goals.

As long as he doesn’t bulk up to the point where he becomes too slow, of course.

Overtime

– Expansion: it’s coming to the NHL. And it will most likely be south of the border.

Friedman also writes in 32T, nothing shocking here, that expansion is coming, not sure when, but it’s coming. One of the reasons is the NHL has less teams in the United States than the NBA, NFL and MLB due to having teams in 7 Canadian markets.

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) August 25, 2024

– The Maple Leafs are looking for help on the left wing.

Friedman in 32T writes: “I think there are things percolating out there, including Toronto considering left-wing options”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) August 25, 2024

– What a night.