Insider reveals Habs' plan for 1st overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky after abysmal start to his NHL career
The Habs shocked Shane Wright and much of the NHL community when they chose Juraj Slafkovsky first overall at summer's draft. They also surprised fans by having Slaf on the opening night roster after he failed to standout at camp the way most first overall picks do.
Now, according to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Habs will be sending Slafkovsky to the Laval Rocket of the AHL, possibly very shortly. It's the right move for the Habs to make considering Slafkovsky is playing third line minutes and in all honesty, this probably should've been the move from the very beginning. The last time the Habs played yo-yo with a top-rated prospect (Jesperi Kotkaniemi), his development stalled and eventually found himself in Carolina thanks to a ridiculous offer sheet.
Coming over from Europe, Slafkovsky will benefit more from playing top line minutes and in all situations in the AHL on a nightly basis than sparingly in third line minutes with no additional responsibility with the Habs. He should only be recalled if he is able to consistently stand out in the AHL and the Habs shouldn't repeat the mistakes they made with Kotkaniemi, unless they wish to risk a similar fate for another one of their top picks.
| POLL | ||
19 OCTOBRE | 232 ANSWERS Insider reveals Habs' plan for 1st overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky after abysmal start to his NHL career Are the Habs right to send down Slafkovsky? | ||
| Yes | 113 | 48.7 % |
| No | 20 | 8.6 % |
| He should have been sent down from the start | 99 | 42.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
