A riskier choice than Wright and Cooley

In search of a new lease of life, the Canadian caused a surprise by drafting a giant format forward from the Finnish Liiga and by exchanging a young Russian defender for a former third choice who is slow to hatch.

Hmmm.

We’ve seen this movie before, haven’t we?

Yes. It was in 2017-2018. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mikhail Sergachev and Jonathan Drouin starred. The story was promising. The potential was there. I even remember an exciting streak in the Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, the end was as muddled as that of Game Of Thrones.

Five years later, the Canadian tries a recovery, with new headliners: Juraj Slafkovsky, Alexander Romanov and Kirby Dach. The first was selected first overall in the draft on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The second left and the third arrived, in two simultaneous transactions. Bold and risky decisions by general manager Kent Hughes. Yes, the potential for success exists. But the possibility of another failure, too.

Let’s start with the selection of Juraj Slafkovsky. A suprise. It’s been 30 years that the Canadiens have been stubbornly looking for offensive centers. He finally found one, Nick Suzuki. He could add a second in this draft. Either Shane Wright or Logan Cooley. He instead preferred Slafkovsky, a big winger whose production in the Finnish Liiga was lower than that of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia at the same age.

This selection surprised me. Let’s be clear, it is not thanks to his season of 10 points in 31 games that Juraj Slafkovsky proved to the Canadian that he was the best hope of his cohort. Neither with his two goals in 18 playoff games. Nor by being shut out in seven games at the Junior World Championship.

So what was it for?

For his performances in three international tournaments. The first time was at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August 2021. Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar, also drafted by the Canadian on Thursday, led Slovakia to the final. Slafkovsky stood out with a four-point game against Germany.

The next time was in February, at the Beijing Games. I was there. I had the chance to attend three of his matches in person. That’s when I understood why he made recruiters dream so much.

Slafkovsky is tall (6’4″). He is dynamic. He is strong. He has the eye of the scorer, he pushes his opponents around and he skates surprisingly well for a player of his size. He finished top of the scorers, even though he was the youngest player in the tournament. You will tell me that it was against national teams cut and deprived of their best elements. It’s true. Except he still outperformed every other hockey player in attendance — and that included four of the top five picks in the 2021 draft.

The third time was at the Senior World Championships in Finland in May. The staff of the Canadian had moved. The trip was worth it. The Slafkovsky-inspired game appealed to Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. The leaders of the Habs saw him again a few days later, during physical tests, in Buffalo. Big crush. The Slovak charmed them with his repartee and his self-confidence.

These three tournaments have enough to fuel the enthusiasm of the fans. However, the other 25 weeks spent in Finland, Slafkovsky was not dominant. Far from it, even. There were long lethargies. Not just before the Games, when his head coach gave him little playing time. Also in the playoffs. His potential is high, but he’s a riskier choice than Shane Wright and Logan Cooley.

I have similar reservations about the Canadiens’ other newcomer, Kirby Dach. This 21-year-old forward is also a giant (6’4″) with nimble hands. That’s what convinced the Chicago Blackhawks to draft him third overall in 2019. Except that since a wrist injury suffered in December 2020, Dach has regressed. The last season was catastrophic. He was the NHL’s worst center in the face-off circle (32%). And despite more than 350 minutes with Patrick Kane, and 450 minutes with Alex DeBrincat, he was limited to just 26 points in 70 games. This is little. Two times less than Jonathan Drouin at the same age, during his last year in Tampa Bay.

Unlike Slafkovsky, Dach will have to produce this fall in Montreal. But at a high level, both remain medium-term projects. Hopefully the Habs development team will have more success with them than with the players acquired between 2012 and 2018…

To get Dach, the Canadian gave up picks, as well as one of your favorites, Alexander Romanov. I often wrote it, I was not a great fan of Romanov. I also supported Dominique Ducharme, in the 2021 playoffs, when he left him in the stands. I have to admit that last season Romanov improved. Especially in his area. Except that his offensive potential is limited. Also, the Habs have better options among their prospects. This transaction should hurt the Canadian less than that of Mikhail Sergachev.

Come on, enough analysis.

Take out the popcorn.

Turn off the lights.

The next chapter of the Canadiens starts now.