“Don’t even compare us—please!”: Chris Kreider on Juraj Slafkovsky

One of the highlights of the Montreal Canadiens' victory last night in their final preseason game was Chris Kreider's first goal in a Habs uniform.

Even though it wasn't the most spectacular goal—and it was just a preseason game—it made the fans happy, and I'm sure it felt good for Kreider to get on the board.

So that was a highlight of the game, but what really caught everyone's attention was Juraj Slafkovsky's performance.

The Habs' #20 was excellent, racking up three points—including a superb goal—while dominating the game from start to finish with his puck control, skating, and vision.

Slafkovsky is brimming with confidence, and it shows.

In fact, after the game, Kreider was asked about Slafkovsky when Anthony Martineau asked him if Slaf reminded him of a young Chris Kreider.

The veteran immediately made it clear that there was simply no comparison.

A zany moment after the game, when I asked Chris Kreider if Juraj Slafkovsky reminded him of a “young Chris Kreider.”

“Absolutely not! I was a north-south skater with questionable technique who was just doing my best. Juraj is a huge guy who… pic.twitter.com/WeBzAzTvkC

— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) September 27, 2026

Kreider explained that when he was 22—the same age as Slafkovsky—he wasn't even close to the young Slovak's current level; Slafkovsky, meanwhile, is already dominating the NHL with excellent footwork and great finesse.

At that age, Kreider said he was still in college, and he skated all over the place, plus he only played north-south—meaning he didn't really look around or take in the game.

It's quite amusing to see a veteran with several very strong seasons in the NHL react so strongly when compared to a dominant young player.

It's very flattering for Slafkovsky, who hasn't stopped improving since joining the Montreal Canadiens.

And seriously, watching Slaf play during training camp, I genuinely believe he's going to have an even more impressive season than last year.

I see him becoming a one-point-per-game player after racking up 73 points, including 30 goals, in 2025–2026.

Let's see if I'm right.

In a Nutshell

– Very funny.

Kreider going from barely bending his knees to doing a full-on squat is cracking me up https://t.co/sYxfY0BxOn pic.twitter.com/5RVkOPQJMG

— sienna (@meowachyov) September 27, 2026

– Exactly.

Over the course of 10 months, the narrative surrounding Fowler shifted from “calling him up might ruin him” to “sending him down might ruin him.” Monty will likely start the season as the backup. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/93r3K7HGhq

— Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) September 27, 2026

– Note that.

Canada wins 1-0 against Chile at home

Canada started well, but struggled to control the pace of the game after gaining a man advantage, and even more so when Chile was reduced to nine players.
Too often, the REDS rushed their passes and tried to play the ball first-time when the better option was to move it…

— Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) September 27, 2026