Juraj Slafkovsky slams public criticism of his slow start to Montreal Canadiens career

The Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky is now representing his country Slovakia in the 2024 IIHF World Championship. While speaking at the tournament, Slafkovsky expressed feeling much better in his second season with the Montreal Canadiens while also addressing fan criticism.

As the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he faced high expectations but struggled initially, tallying just 10 points in his debut season. Despite the public criticism from Habs fans, Slafkovsky sounded optimistic about his current performances.

"Obviously, people expected something [right away], but like I always say, it's not always the first year. You're trying to build something and it's not going to happen quick. We are looking forward to being good in a couple years and stay good. That's our main goal,” Juraj Slafkovsky said. [H/T NHL.com]

Slafkovsky acknowledged that there were high expectations of him as the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, but he emphasized that development takes time and patience.

“Honestly, I didn't care about other people and what they're thinking. It's funny. I don't pay attention to those things, but it's good to have. I want to win something. I don't care about the points,” Slafkovsky remarked.

In the 2023-24 season, Slafkovsky scored 50 points with 20 goals, 30 assists and a plus-minus of -19 in 82 games. He broke the Canadiens' franchise record for most points scored by a teenager in a single season, topping Mario Tremblay's 39.

He also became the first teenager to achieve eight- and nine-game point streaks, ending the regular season with a team-leading 19 points in their last 19 games.

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Juraj Slafkovsky opens up on improving his overall game

During the same interview, Slafkovsky opened up on his improvements from his rookie season. He mentioned feeling more comfortable on the ice and making better decisions overall.

“Oh, I feel so much better. I feel better on the ice. With the puck, without the puck, I just feel like I'm making better decisions. It's just easier to play out there.”

However, the Habs forward expressed his belief that he could improve further in every aspect of his game. He mentioned that his commitment is to surpass his previous performance levels.

"I still believe I can be much better than I was, so I'll work on that," Slafkovsky said. "Be even better than I was. Everywhere. Everywhere. There's not one single part (that can't improve). I would say I can shoot better. I can make better plays. I can be better in the defensive zone. Everywhere."

Meanwhile, Slafkovsky’s Slovakia is 2-1-0-1 in the 2024 IIHF Worlds and currently sits second with eight points in Group B. Next up, they will play France at the Ostrava Arena on Saturday.