Juraj Slafkovsky still only has one goal this season and has only one assist in his last five games, but the 19-year-old Slovak seems to have become more comfortable on the ice over the past two games.
After setting a career high with six shots on goal Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks, Slafkovsky had another good game Tuesday against the Calgary Flames.
The top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft seems more dynamic and involved on the ice, even if the results aren’t always there for him and his linemates Cole Caufield and Christian Dvorak.
“I felt good during the last two matches,” admitted the main player after his team’s training on Wednesday. I skate well. I do the little things that the coaches tell me about.
“There are 66 games left in the season and I want to continue to progress. I want to do better from one match to the next,” he continued.
If the improvements in Slafkovsky’s game have not yet materialized in the goals and assists columns, coach Martin St-Louis sees them particularly in the number of touches of the puck by the young forward.
“The way he behaves in the defensive zone is very advanced for a player of his age,” noted St-Louis. And offensively, his number of puck touches demonstrates his progress. »
Slafkovsky was stationed in front of the net when Dvorak scored a goal that was eventually disallowed due to an offside on the sequence Sunday against the Canucks. And in addition to collecting his second assist of the season, Tuesday against the Flames, Slafkovsky distributed four hits. He also blocked a shot in each of the two games.
St-Louis recalled the importance for Slafkovsk to use its imposing size to its advantage.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t be astute either. But I don’t think he’ll be a guy who stays on the periphery, he said. Watch where he touches the puck, where he goes when he has it. He doesn’t stay outside. Getting into traffic is an art. Not everyone has this. “Skaf” is capable of doing that.
“It is certain that he can finish his checks and play “heavy”, being tiring for the opposing team. It is important that he imposes himself physically, he added. But he also has to make plays. He plays on big trios. The puck shouldn’t die on his stick because he just wants to hit. »
Asked to draw a parallel with the arrival of Guillaume Latendresse with the Canadian at the age of 19 in 2006-07, St-Louis played cautiously. Latendresse was criticized for not taking enough advantage of his size, while his coaches wanted to make him a power winger. Latendresse, on the other hand, stood out in junior hockey thanks to his scoring skills.
St-Louis insisted that he did not wish to misrepresent Slafkovsky.
“It happens to a lot of players to be asked to adapt their game,” noted St-Louis. But “Slaf” is 19 years old. I don’t know what the final product will be. I can’t say at 19 that he will be this or that. He has strengths to develop to become a complete player.
“There are not many players like “Slaf”, who are big and who can become such complete players. This is what we will try to do with him,” he added.
Time will tell if Slafkovsky will fulfill the promises associated with his selection rank. For now, he continues on his merry way, adapting to the rhythm of the NHL.