Is Juraj Slafkovsky already a bust?

Juraj Slafkovsky Is Not Looking Great

Juraj Slafkovsky is not looking great. The former No. 1 pick for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2022 draft is officially sidelined due to a lower-body injury that will keep him out for three months. With the Habs already floundering at the bottom of the standings, that mid-April diagnosis likely ends his rookie year. And boy, was it not good.

The 18-year-old winger put up a measly four goals and six assists in 39 games. For reference, the Calder favorite this year, Matty Beniers, put up nine points in 10 games last year. Ouch! That’s not even the full story. His underlying numbers make it look even worse.

Here’s more from JFresh:

Juraj Slafkovsky will miss three months with an injury. This has been a difficult rookie season for him but hopefully he gets a chance to re-set in the offseason and continue to develop. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ilQHfrP9U5

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) January 18, 2023

You don’t have to look far to find my verdict on other No. 1 picks. I’m worried that Slafkovsky could be headed towards the same fate. Similar to Alexis Lafreniere, this is a two-sided issue.

On the one hand, the Canadiens are terrible and firmly in the mix for Connor Bedard. They don’t have much else besides Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. I am a believer in Marty St. Louis, but the rule of rebuilding is that it gets worse before it gets better.

However, does Slafkovsky have zero talent at all? You would think sticking him on a line with those two would at least yield something, right?

Auston Matthews scored 40 goals in his rookie year. Connor McDavid had 48 points in 45 games. In the NHL, talent will always find a way to shine one way or another. And the clock is already ticking on him to do that.

Can you believe it’s been almost three years and Rangers fans still can’t admit that Lafreniere stinks?

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Is The Jury Out On Juraj?

It’s tough to be a rookie in any sport, especially a lottery selection. Expectations are put on you before a second is played.

The simple truth is that some rise to the occasion, while others don’t. Juraj Slafkovsky fell painfully short of the expectations. He better hit the ground running in year two or else he’s going to get a whole lot more articles that sound like this one.

He will get the excuses this time around since it’s his rookie year, but if Montreal makes some upgrades and he still can’t produce, then good luck to him.

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