Expectations weren’t very high for head coach Martin St. Louis and the Montreal Canadiens heading into the 2021-22 season. The club would be competing in a strong Atlantic Division, with most analysts predicting a last-place finish. The Canadiens, on the other hand, have a 3-2 record and a .600 win percentage through five games.
The Canadiens won their most recent game against the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 6-2. Unfortunately, they will be without their 2022 first-overall selection, Juraj Slafkovsky. The Canadiens did not specify how or when Slafkovsky suffered the injury.
Day-to-Day Status for Montreal Canadiens Rookie
Juraj Slafkovsky Injured Against Arizona
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Juraj Slafkovsky is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Juraj Slafkovsky a subi une blessure au haut du corps. Il est évalué au jour le jour.
Juraj Slafkovksy is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 22, 2022
It is unknown how Slafkovsky was injured. The top pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft did not report to practice following the team’s win over Arizona on Thursday and will miss Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars.
In his most recent game vs. Arizona, Slafkovsky potted his first career NHL goal on a beautiful snap-shot from the circle to extend Montreal’s lead. In addition, he logged 14:26 of ice time in that contest with three shots and a hit.
Prior to entering the NHL, Slafkovsky skated in Finland with TPS in Liiga. In 31 games with TPS, Juraj recorded five goals and five assists for 10 points. Where Slafkovsky shined most was at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing for Team Slovakia. He carried the Slovaks, scoring seven goals in seven games.
His Olympic performance earned him the top pick over the exceptional Canadian native, Shane Wright. Wright fell to fourth overall in the draft to the Seattle Kraken.
What This Means for the Future
The Canadiens started the season stronger than most expected. The team recently announced they were still determining a direction before deciding whether to keep Slafkovsky in the NHL or send him to the minors to develop.
In place of Slafkovsky, Rem Pitlick will suit up for his third game of the season. He will play on the fourth line alongside Mike Hoffman and Jake Evans on Saturday night against Dallas.
“It’s like NHL on PS4 in real life…” Juraj Slafkovsky jokes about facing Crosby and Ovechkin: https://t.co/0pj6Ksv9Jk
“I will keep fighting for my spot…” Slafkovsky on adjusting to NHL game: https://t.co/dxfEN6CWfj #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/IJgG5SqBax
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) October 18, 2022
