Canadiens Star Eying Opportunity With Patrik Laine

The Montreal Canadiens won the Patrik Laine sweepstakes earlier this week.

Jan 23, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Ottawa Senators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens' recent acquisition of Patrik Laine brought a smile to the face of one of their future cornerstones.

During the NHL European Player Media Tour on Wednesday, Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky shared revealed that he can't wait to get to work with the former No. 2 overall pick.

“I’m excited about the season, especially with the Patrik Laine trade,” Slafkovsky said, per NHL.com. “It’s funny, during the summer you wonder how things are going to be throughout the year and who you’re going to play with and what your role is going to be, and I pretty much can’t wait to be there already and play.

“I wish we would could skip training camp and just start the season, because I’m excited to play games that mean something.”

Slafkovsky, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft who signed an eight-year extension earlier this offseason, has been a fan of Laine for several years now. Naturally he was very excited to hear that they'd now be playing together.

“I just landed in Prague and it popped up on my phone and I was so happy,” Slafkovsky said. “In 2016, I was probably 13 or 14 at that time, and I was a big fan of his, waiting to see whether he or [Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston] Matthews would go first (in the NHL Draft), so I was a fan of his back in the day.”

Since their run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens have toiled at the bottom of the Atlantic division for the past three seasons. Part of that is due to the "retirement" of Carey Price, Shea Weber and others, part of it is due to some of the worst injury luck in the league. Either way, it's been a forgettable few years for the NHL's most-storied franchise.

Now, though, Montreal feels that this season should be a big step forward. The Habs have many young forwards in Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach. While they may be a ways away from being a true contender, they expect this to be the start of their rise back to prominence.

“In my first two years Montreal has been calm, because I think the fans know it (rebuild) is not going to happen overnight,” Slafkovsky said. “It takes time, but it’s getting to a point when they expect it to be time. We think it is time as well and I can’t wait to keep pushing towards that time when we are going to be good.”

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