Former NHLer Buries First Overall Pick Juraj Slafkovsky
Being the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL comes with plenty of pressure, and while some players like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and others can overcome even the highest of expectations, that's not the case for everyone.
A slow start
At just 18-years of age, Slafkovsky was drafted and made his debut for one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports with the Montreal Canadiens, a very tough situation.
In his rookie campaign, Slafkovsky showed flashes of greatness, but ultimately struggled, posting just 4 goals and 10 points through 39 games, and now the pressure is seemingly on for him to develop.
Plenty of critics
His 2023-24 season hasn't started red-hot either, with just one assist through the teams first 10 games, and now, a prominent former NHLer has taken a shot at him on social media.
It's hard to argue with Schmaltz' assessment here, as Slafkovsky still has the physical gifts to be a star in the NHL, but he looks behind and overmatched on the ice in every other phase, and until he can turn it around, the Canadiens will be regretting their top pick.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 4 | 69 ANSWERS Former NHLer Buries First Overall Pick Juraj Slafkovsky Will Slafkovsky ever live up to the billing as a No. 1 overall pick? | ||
| Yes | 21 | 30.4 % |
| No | 48 | 69.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kyle Connor | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Michael Bunting | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vladislav Namestnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nino Niederreiter | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Vilardi | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Evgeni Malkin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Morrissey | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Perfetti | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Bryan Rust | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mark Scheifele | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noel Acciari | - | - | - | |
| Mason Appleton | - | - | - | |
| Morgan Barron | - | - | - | |
| Anthony Beauvillier | - | - | - | |
| Sidney Crosby | - | - | - | |
| Dylan DeMelo | - | - | - | |
| Haydn Fleury | - | - | - | |
| Matthew Grzelcyk | - | - | - | |
| Connor Hellebuyck | - | - | - | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||