"Never take a player 1st overall with Laf in their name" - Juraj Slafkovsky's slow start has fans labelling him a bust

NHL fans have been abuzz recently as they reacted to the somewhat underwhelming start of Juraj Slafkovsky, drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. The commotion started when Andy & Rono, creators of hockey data charts based on analytics, took to Twitter to express their concerns about Slafkovsky's performance. Their post read,

"Yikes. 1 point in 9 games. This is not really an ideal start for Juraj Slafkovsky into this season. We're really concerned that this could be the worst number one draft pick since Nail Yakupov, to be honest."

NHL fans, always quick to share their opinions on social media, wasted no time in responding to this declaration. One fan had a tongue-in-cheek take, stating,

"Never take a player 1st overall with 'Laf' in their name."

However, not all the fans were quick to write off Slafkovsky based on this early-season performance. One thoughtful fan pointed out,

"He’s actually looked quite good if you’ve watched the games. Very good possession, playing physically. He needs to generate more shots for himself but he’s distributing quite nicely."

Another fan remarked,

"Yakupov looked like the better player :)"

One fan appeared to be puzzled by Slafkovsky's current performance, stating,

"He looked really, really good before getting drafted, not sure what happened with him."

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if Slafkovsky can turn the tide and prove his critics wrong or if the concerns raised will persist.

A look at Juraj Slafkovsky's NHL career

Juraj Slafkovsky, a highly-touted Slovak player, left a big impression in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Initially, Shane Wright was the expected first overall pick, but Slafkovsky's exceptional international performances propelled him to the forefront.

The Montreal Canadiens, with the top pick, faced the pivotal choice between Slafkovsky, Wright and Logan Cooley.

In a historic move, the Canadiens selected Slafkovsky as the first overall pick, making him the highest-drafted Slovak player ever in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils chose Šimon Nemec as the second overall pick, marking only the second time a single European country had the top two selections.

The Canadiens also added Slafkovsky's friend, Filip Mesar, in the first round, emphasizing their commitment to Slovak talent.

After signing a three-year entry-level contract, Slafkovsky encountered a jersey number issue but resolved it through a gracious exchange with Chris Wideman. He faced scrutiny during preseason games, adjusting from European to North American hockey, but the Canadiens were determined to support his development. Slafkovsky made the opening night roster and debuted against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first NHL goal in his fifth game, against the Arizona Coyotes, and it also marked his first power-play goal.