“In the best of worlds, Juraj Slafkovsky will follow in Max Pacioretty’s footsteps.”

Jonathan Di Gregorio
“In the best of worlds, Juraj Slafkovsky will follow in Max Pacioretty’s footsteps.”
Credit: Getty Images

Juraj Slafkovsky is really starting to make his mark on the international stage as an impact player for Slovakia.

His success at the 2022 Olympics, where he scored seven goals in seven games to help the Slovakian team win bronze, helped boost his candidacy in that year's draft.

Slafkovsky kicked off the 2026 tournament with an inspired performance, scoring two goals and adding an assist while dominating throughout the game to help his team defeat Finland, which was favored to win.

I feel like I'm seeing an even more developed version of the player we've seen with the habs over the past few months, when he was the best player on his team.

Sure, Slovakia isn't a powerhouse in international hockey with only seven NHL players, but Slaf has really established himself as the leader of this team and has delivered the goods so far.

We can hope that he brings this kind of performance back to the Habs for the rest of the season.

In fact, Shayna Goldman published an article in The Athletic today that takes an in-depth look at the development of the Habs forward (as well as Shane Wright), including this season's performances to see his potential ceiling and floor.

In the worst-case scenario, the Slovakian could be a player similar to Boone Jenner, Jonathan Drouin, or Wojtek Wolski, while in the best-case scenario, he could be compared to Jonathan Huberdeau, Max Pacioretty, or Jamie Benn.

That's still an interesting potential for a 21-year-old player.

Slafkovsky's five-on-five play has improved significantly this season, and he's better at creating plays for his teammates and moving the puck.

In addition, he is using his physicality much more to impose himself on the ice and maintain possession of the puck.

In short, it's hard not to wonder how far Slafkovsky will go, as he continues to improve since joining the habs, especially if he continues to perform well at the Olympics and boosts his confidence.

And for those who are wondering, The Athletic predicts a better career for Slaf than for Shane Wright.


Overtime

– Good news!

– Victory for the Americans.

– Auston Matthews scores.

– Great performance.

– Us too!

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