MAJOR: Martin St. Louis Confirmed to Have Blocked Management From Making Controversial Move
The debate among analysts and fans regarding Juraj Slafkovsky's development with the Montreal Canadiens is indeed a significant topic. While some are happy to see him playing with the main club, others believe he would have benefited from time in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.
Initially, it seemed like a decision that would fall on Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton. However, according to Alexandre Gascon of Radio-Canada, it was head coach Martin St-Louis who had a major say in the matter.
St-Louis reportedly intervened at the start of the 2022-2023 season to keep Slafkovsky with the Canadiens instead of sending him to the AHL to refine his skills. This decision by St-Louis is now showing promising results, as Slafkovsky's performance has improved in recent games, adapting better to the smaller NHL rinks.
Despite concerns raised by a scout, who preferred to remain anonymous, about Slafkovsky's game sense following a challenging game against the Nashville Predators, it's important to note that this observation is based on a single game. The scout commented:
The next few games will be crucial in determining whether Slafkovsky's recent struggles were just an off night or indicative of a larger issue. It's worth remembering that this scout hasn't analyzed Slafkovsky's performance across all season games and may not be fully aware of his recent improvements.
So far this season, Slafkovsky has accumulated 2 goals and 5 assists for a total of 7 points in 28 games, three points less than his total from last season in 39 games. His average ice time has increased from 12 minutes 12 seconds in 2022-2023 to 15 minutes 24 seconds this season.
Martin St-Louis seems to be placing increasing trust in Slafkovsky, and the patience he has shown towards the young player appears to be paying off.
| POLL | ||
Did the Canadiens make the right choice? | ||
| Yes | 474 | 74.2 % |
| No | 165 | 25.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
