The Canadiens have opened the season looking for answers, and Juraj Slafkovský’s quiet start is right at the center of the conversation.
Montreal has dropped three of its first four games and has already given up 19 goals, one of the league’s worst totals over that span. The offense has been better, at least on paper, with 14 goals, but Thursday was a step back: the Canadiens managed only two against a Nashville Predators team that was in the bottom seven defensively last season.
The lineup has not helped the cause. Montreal is missing Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, both out with injuries, and a few important forwards have gotten off slowly. None stands out more than Slafkovský, the 22-year-old first overall pick in 2022.
Through four games, he has one goal and no assists. That’s a sharp contrast from last season, when he delivered career highs across the board with 30 goals, 43 assists and 73 points.
It was also his third straight 50-plus-point season, giving him a pretty solid baseline. Still, the sluggish opening has some fans wondering whether last year was a true jump or just the high point before a return toward that 50-point range.
The biggest issue has been chemistry. Injuries have kept Slafkovský away from the linemates he’s used to playing with. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield started the season on the top line, mostly with free-agent pickup Chris Kreider, which pushed Slafkovský to the second line with Demidov - a pairing that worked well last season.
Then Demidov got hurt, and Slafkovský was left without his regular running mate. A reunion with the top line may be the cleanest fix.
Martin St. Louis seemed to think along those lines Thursday, putting Slafkovský back with Suzuki and Caufield.
The group still didn’t score, although Suzuki did find the net after Kreider was moved back onto the top line.
If that trio stays together, the numbers from last season suggest a turnaround could come quickly. Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovský were one of the league’s most dangerous units, producing 33 goals, fifth-most of any line in the NHL, while giving up just 14.
There’s also the option of putting Slafkovský back with Demidov and Kapanen once Kapanen returns. That group produced 25 goals for and 18 against, but without Demidov’s playmaking, it would come with questions attached.
In Other News...
Adam Engstrom Just Gave Canadiens A Tough Blue Line Decision
Adam Engstroms season debut against the Nashville Predators came in a loss the Canadiens would rather forget on the scoreboard, but the rookie defenseman still offered something worth remembering. Playing just under 12 minutes, he stayed off the ice for any goals against and helped steady a third pairing that has been under the microscope in recent games. For a Montreal blue line that has been looking for cleaner minutes and more reliability, that was enough to make his first appearance of the year stand out.
Engstrom did have the kind of rough edges you expect in an opening game, finishing with the most turnovers among Canadiens defensemen, though none of them turned into dangerous scoring chances. Even so, the overall read was encouraging enough to add another layer to Montreals blue-line picture, especially with the third pair showing a better pace and more control than it had recently. The performance did not solve anything on its own, but it did make the Canadiens next defensive decision a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Rumor Puts Kirby Dach At Center Of A Sudden Dilemma
Trade chatter around Kirby Dach has taken on a new layer in Montreal, where reports suggest the Canadiens have slowed things down as they weigh their forward depth. The timing matters, because the club has been sorting through roster questions while another young piece of the lineup is dealing with injury uncertainty, and that has a way of changing how aggressively a team is willing to move on from a center with upside.
Edmonton has been part of the conversation as a club looking for help down the middle, but nothing has progressed to the point of a confirmed deal. The Oilers have been making other roster moves and appear to be taking stock before pushing further, which leaves Dach in an uncomfortable middle ground: clearly of interest, but still sitting in a situation where Montreal's plans may hinge on how it handles the rest of its forward group. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Blue Line Shakeup Raises Big Questions About Their Defensive Depth
The Canadiens made another notable move on the blue line, dealing Jayden Struble to Nashville as Montreal continues to sort through its defensive picture early in the season. Struble, a 25-year-old left-shot defenseman, had appeared in three games for the Canadiens and now heads to a place where a larger role appears to be waiting, while Montreal adds a future draft asset in the process.
For a team already navigating its depth on the back end, the move is the kind that invites a closer look at what comes next. The trade was announced by both clubs and marks the latest roster decision tied to a defense corps that has been in flux, with the Canadiens clearly weighing present needs against longer-term flexibility as they manage their blue line. [Read more 🡒]