Slafkovsky feeling 'so much better' with Canadiens after breakout 2nd season

OSTRAVA, Czechia -- Juraj Slafkovsky never wavered in his belief after a difficult rookie season in 2022-23, but the Montreal Canadiens forward knows what he's capable of after breaking out this season.

The 20-year-old was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 39 games in 2022-23 and 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games this season.

"Oh, I feel so much better," Slafkovsky said from the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he's representing Slovakia. "I feel better on the ice. With the puck, without the puck, I just feel like I'm making better decisions. It's just easier to play out there.

"Obviously, people expected something [right away], but like I always say, it's not always the first year. You're trying to build something and it's not going to happen quick. We are looking forward to being good in a couple years and stay good. That's our main goal. Honestly, I didn't care about other people and what they're thinking."

Slafkovsky found his groove this season on Montreal's top line with forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. He had his first NHL hat trick in a 9-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 9 and a goal and an assist in the season finale, a 5-4 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 16.

"Honestly, I think everybody just put him down pretty early on," Caufield said. "People forget he was 18 coming into the League and it's a big jump. He's figuring out the game. He's a really special guy and player. We're very lucky to have him. I think his future is really bright.

"Obviously, he's very special. His name is getting pretty popular around the League, as it should."

Slovakia teammate and Seattle Kraken forward Tomas Tatar thinks an immediate impact after the 2022 draft might've been a bit unfair. There were a lot of obstacles thrown Slafkovsky's way as an 18-year-old, including missing the final three months of 2022-23 with a lower-body injury.

"It's kind of hard to come to the NHL and dominate right away," said Tatar, who has played 853 games since joining the NHL with the Red Wings in 2010-11. "It takes some time. It's different ice, it's a different game. It's a little faster, a little more physical. It takes some time. It's not just the hockey game; for a young guy, he's coming into a total new world with maybe a different language and different culture. It might take some time. I think he adapted very quickly.

"Watching him this year and playing against him this year, he took a massive step forward. He was very confident with what he was doing. He was very strong on the puck. That line in Montreal was very effective. I was very happy for Juraj. I'm very happy to see him be successful."

Slafkovsky set a new Canadiens record for most points scored by a teenager in a single season, surpassing Mario Tremblay's 39 (21 goals, 18 assists) in 63 games in 1974-75, getting No. 40 with an assist on Suzuki's goal in a 2-1 win at the Colorado Avalanche on March 26, four days before his 20th birthday. He was the first teen with point streaks of eight and nine games and had a team-high 19 points (seven goals, 12 points) in the final 19 games of the regular season.

"It's funny," Slafkovsky said. "I don't pay attention to those things, but it's good to have. I want to win something. I don't care about the points."

The attitude is something Caufield appreciates.

"I think there just needs to be more respect on his name," Caufield said. "People wrote him off pretty early. Obviously, the highest expectations in the world come with being first overall. We're a team that's committed to winning and not individual players. He's doing his part and everybody else is going to do theirs."

Montreal (30-36-16) has not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three straight seasons after reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. It made the playoffs in nine of 11 seasons between 2004 and 2015 but has reached the postseason in only three of the past nine.

An improved Slafkovsky helps boost the Canadiens' odds of returning next season. He is confident he has more to give.

"I still believe I can be much better than I was, so I'll work on that," Slafkovsky said. "Be even better than I was. Everywhere. Everywhere. There's not one single part (that can't improve). I would say I can shoot better. I can make better plays. I can be better in the defensive zone. Everywhere."