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Habs GM Kent Hughes addresses the pressure mounting on Juraj Slafkovsky
The pressure is mounting on Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky after the 20-year-old signed an eight-year, $60.8 million contract with the Canadiens this offseason. Slafkovsky was drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Canadiens.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes addressed Slafkovsky's development and the pressure he faces.
"I don't know that development is always linear; along the way, there's bumps and he's had to manage the No. 1 overall label and try to live up to what that means and what people expect of him, and now he's got a big contract to go with it," Hughes said wednesday at Rogers Place.
"We have to be mindful of how we manage him and the messaging that we provide him, and we provide externally too. We don't need him to score 40 or 50 goals or it's a failure; it's about continuing to progress as a hockey player and to be the best version of himself, because we're confident the best version of Juraj is going to give us a good chance to compete and win."
Juraj Slafkovsky scored 50 points (20 goals and 30 assists) throughout 82 games last season. This showed progress compared to his rookie season in 2022-23 where a lower-body injury sidelined him after 39 games.
Kent Hughes on signing Slafkovsky to a long-term contract
Kent Hughes believes securing promising talents such as Juraj Slafkovsky with extended contracts at the start of their careers can yield benefits in the future.
"Typically, those long-term deals, on the back end of them, they should be underpaid because effectively they are making more money on the front end then they would if they signed short term," Hughes said.
"So, I think on the back end of those deals, at least the cap number, should be favorable and if it's not, then you made the bet on the wrong horse."
Juraj Slafkovsky joins Nick Suzuki (8-year, $63 million deal in 2021) and Cole Caufield ( 8-year, $63 million this summer) as other young forwards the Habs have locked up on long-term contracts recently.
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