The Montreal Canadiens have suffered another major setback, as head coach Martin St-Louis confirmed that 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky will be out of the team’s active roster due to an injury. Slafkovsky, who has been a key player on the Canadiens’ top line alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated after spending a week off the lineup.
https://x.com/renlavoietva/status/1848721681050743196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1848722586324062659%7Ctwgr%5E251636b1ed30f75f533b76d9a97eed2b941009e1%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hockeypatrol.com%2Fnhl-team%2Fmontreal-canadiens%2Fmontreal-canadiens-announce-bad-news-regarding-juraj-slafkovsky
This injury adds to Montreal’s growing list of sidelined players. Earlier in the preseason, Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher were injured, and recently, the team lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle. Now, with Slafkovsky out, the Canadiens will have to navigate more challenges in their quest to remain competitive this season.
Before the injury, Slafkovsky had a promising start to the season, tallying six points in six games, including one goal. His performance on the top line helped the Canadiens maintain offensive pressure, even against tough opponents. With the loss of such a critical player, Montreal’s depth will be tested as they strive to stay in playoff contention.
https://x.com/CanadiensMTL/status/1848737835509023199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1848737835509023199%7Ctwgr%5E251636b1ed30f75f533b76d9a97eed2b941009e1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hockeypatrol.com%2Fnhl-team%2Fmontreal-canadiens%2Fmontreal-canadiens-announce-bad-news-regarding-juraj-slafkovsky
The Canadiens will now rely even more on standout players like Cole Caufield, who has already netted six goals in as many games, and rookie Lane Hutson, who will need to step up in Slafkovsky’s absence. With team captain Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach struggling to find their form, the pressure will be on the remaining healthy stars to carry the team.
The Canadiens face a tough challenge tonight, hosting the undefeated New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. The team hopes to secure its first win since October 12th, when they triumphed over the Ottawa Senators 4-1.
Leave a Reply