Knowledgeable: The Slafkovski deal is a raffle. Does it make sense?

Juraj Slafkovský (picture: Instagram/Montreal Canadiens)

The eight-year contract he not too long ago signed Jura Slafkovský, with a median annual worth of $7.6 million beginning within the 2025/26 season. Abroad knowledgeable Stu Cowan says that is some huge cash for any twenty-year-old boy.

“Time will inform if Canadiens basic supervisor Kent Hughes was sensible to pay Slafkovski that a lot after simply two seasons within the NHL,” stated the journalist.

“But it surely’s a raffle that is sensible after Slafkovský scored 20 targets and 50 factors in 82 video games final season. He has 16 targets and 35 factors within the final 41 video games enjoying within the first sport with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. All three of these gamers now have eight-year contracts.”

“In immediately’s NHL, it makes extra sense to get younger expertise for a very long time than to provide huge cash to outdated free brokers – particularly when you’re in a rebuild just like the Canadiens. Hughes is betting on what his younger gamers can do sooner or later as an alternative of paying older gamers for what they’ve performed up to now.”

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Former Montreal basic supervisor Marc Bergevin did the latter when he signed Brendan Gallagher to a six-year contract, and the $6.5 million cap hit will have an effect on the staff for an additional three years.

Alternatively, with Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovski, the staff hopes that they may proceed and that their contracts shall be thought-about a discount in a number of years even with the growing wage cap .

“One of many causes the Canadiens chosen Slafkovski first within the 2022 draft is as a result of they believed he had the maturity and confidence to succeed beneath the microscope in Montreal. He is dealt with every part because the draft — the highs and the lows — with a maturity past his years.” Cowan stated.