Juraj Slafkovský is too good: we need to move him back to the second line

Félix Forget
Juraj Slafkovský is too good: we need to move him back to the second line
Credit: Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images

For the past few games, Juraj Slafkovský has been back on the Habs' top line. We know that his combination with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki worked well last year, and it's working again this year.

The guys complement each other well and provide Martin St-Louis with a quality first line.

That said, bringing Slaf back to the first line has shifted the problem: the lack of top-6 forwards on the roster. This has left the Canadiens' second line seriously weakened… and, much like last year, the Habs are a one-line team.

And this morning on the Sick Podcast, Anthony Martineau brought up the idea of moving Slafkovský—who has 11 points in his last nine games and is playing some really solid hockey this season—back to the second line.

The reason? Ivan Demidov needs a helping hand.

Since Slaf returned to the first line, it's been tough for Demidov and Oliver Kapanen (who's been struggling for quite a while now, mind you) at 5-on-5. The line they form with Alex Newhook isn't doing anything… and it even led Martin St-Louis to get angry behind his own bench last night.

And since the Habs don't have the luxury of a ton of options on the top-6, they need to find a way to balance their lineup a bit better. Think about it: does it really make sense to give more support to Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki than to two rookies like Kapanen and Demidov?

In reality, nothing is stopping Martin St-Louis from moving Slafkovský back to the second line while still using him on the first line when the team needs its best players in the third period. It's not ideal… but the team has to find solutions with what it has right now. Leaving Ivan Demidov to fend for himself isn't doing him any favors.

Perhaps by the end of the season, Michael Hage will step in to help Martin St-Louis piece together his top-6 lineup. He is, at the moment, the only other realistic option who could provide a boost between now and the end of the season.

But right now, the simplest solution is for the Slovakian to step in and save the (young) soldiers Kapanen and Demidov. Let's see if the Habs give it a shot tomorrow… or next week.


In a nutshell

– That's a weird sight.

– They're unstoppable.

– The Senators wanted a right-handed defenseman.

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