Habs Mailbag: Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky brings back memories of John LeClair (2024)

What player would you compare Juraj Slafkovsky’s playing style to?

Hugh Roberts

It’s hard to compare players from different generations, but the more I watched Slafkovsky improve dramatically during the second half of last season the more he reminded me of former Canadien John LeClair.

They’re both wingers, both shoot left and are almost the exact same size — Slafkovsky is listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds and LeClair was 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds in his playing days.

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After scoring 19 goals in each of his last two full seasons with the Canadiens, LeClair really gained confidence and learned to use his size and shot to his advantage after being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. That resulted in three straight 50-goal seasons in Philadelphia while playing on the Legion of Doom line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg.

LeClair was 26 when he had his first 50-goal season. Slafkovsky just turned 20 and is coming off his first 20-goal season. There’s no guarantee Slavkovsky will become a 50-goal scorer, but I definitely see similarities with LeClair.

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Who will be the first Canadiens player to make more money than Nick Suzuki? I say Ivan Demidov if he becomes what we think he will be.

Mick Chow

Suzuki is signed through the 2029-30 season with an annual salary-cap hit of US$7.857 million, so there’s a chance Demidov could surpass the team captain in the future if he scores goals the way the Canadiens are hoping he can after selecting the Russian winger with the fifth overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft. But I think the first player to earn more than Suzuki will be a free-agent signing either next summer or the year after that when the Canadiens are at a stage in the rebuilding process that GM Kent Hughes will be prepared to go shopping. It could also be a player Hughes acquires in a trade.

In your estimation, did Montreal management achieve its off-season goals in rebuilding this Habs roster? And if not, what’s left to do?

Ed Helinski

The Canadiens need more forwards who can provide offence and they took two players with the potential to do that in the future with their first-round picks at the NHL Draft — Demidov and Michael Hage (No. 21 overall).

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Jeff Gorton, the executive vice-president of hockey operations, stated before the draft that management would like to do something to fast-track the rebuild and contend for a playoff spot. I still believe Hughes will make — or at least try to make — a trade to acquire another top-six forward or a young player with the potential to become one. If not, I believe management will have come up short of its goals.

Have you heard who might be in line to coach the Canadiens’ power play next season? Why are they taking so long to sign all the other assistant coaches?

Sheldon Stein

Hughes recently stated that Martin St. Louis’s assistant coaches — Trevor Letowski and Stéphane Robidas — will be back next season and that he would have discussions with St. Louis about who he might want to replace Alex Burrows as an assistant coach — or if St. Louis would prefer to stick with two assistants behind the bench with him. I believe St. Louis would really benefit from another assistant coach with a lot of NHL coaching experience — especially on the power play. It will also be interesting to see what Vincent Lecavalier’s role will eventually become with the Canadiens. He’s now a special adviser to hockey operations and he did score 127 of his 421 career NHL goals on the power play. Hughes still needs to sign someone to replace Jean-François Houle as head coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket. I would expect those positions will be filled before the end of the month.

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Do you see an increased role for Michael Pezzetta? The energy he brings every shift is special. When he’s on the ice, I rarely notice anyone else.

Paul Martin

I don’t see an increased role for Pezzetta, but I do believe he can continue to fill an important spot as an energy player on the fourth line — which isn’t an easy role to play with limited ice time. I also enjoy watching Pezzetta play because he gives everything he has every single shift and never misses an opportunity to throw a clean bodycheck. He’s also willing to defend his teammates when needed.

If you have a question you’d like to ask for our weekly Habs Mailbag, you can email it tomontrealcanadiens@postmedia.com

scowan@postmedia.com

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