The Canadian is on the right track. Not enough to attract renowned veterans, but enough to make the young talents want to stay with the team long-term.

This prompted Juraj Slafkovsky to accept the eight-year contract proposed by Kent Hughes – the maximum duration permitted under the collective agreement.

Watch the press conference in the video above.

“I have the feeling that we are building something very special. I want to be part of it as long as possible,” he said via video conference from his native Slovakia.

As the Canadiens’ general manager had indicated the day before, the discussions did not drag on. Slafkvosky could have done what Cole Caufield did and waited until the end of his current contract.

Maybe he could have even received more money than the $60.8 million the Habs gave him? But that didn’t interest him.

“The most important thing was the eight years. It wasn’t about making more money. “I just wanted to stay here,” he claimed. I put myself in that situation [signer un gros contrat]”I’ve worked for this all my life. Now it’s time to win.”

Growing self-confidence

The big forward will therefore remain under contract with the Habs until the age of 29. The reason Hughes decided to move on with the top pick in the 2022 draft is because he believes the blossoming we have seen since the holidays is the beginning of a long and fruitful climb.

From that moment on, we felt that the young man had much more confidence in his abilities, which encouraged him to take more shots on goal and use his body more.

“I believe in myself even more when I see that others trust me. I feel like it’s been like this since the first day I arrived in Montreal. Everyone wants to help me get better,” Slafkovsky said. Now I want to give something back and show them that they made the right decision.”

The main person involved is aware that receiving such a hefty sum comes with extra pressure. Even in Montreal, players are not left out and if things go well, some will be quick to point out that he is making a lot of money.

“Yes, there is pressure because there is more money at stake, but it is impossible to have eight full years of only good games,” he said. So you have to focus on the goal. And ours is much bigger than just scoring 30 goals a season.

Keeping an eye on Demidov

We understand that this is about team success, the pursuit of great honors and, ultimately, the Stanley Cup. With the signing of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Slafkovksy to long-term deals, as well as the impending signing of Kaiden Guhle, the Habs are laying a solid foundation to move closer to that goal.

And if Ivan Demidov is as talented as we are promised, the Montreal team will be in the car. In addition, Slafkovsky said he was excited about the arrival of the Russian striker, who was selected by the Canadian in the first round in the last draft, to the organization.

“I’ve seen highlights of him. He’s another good player coming with us. He’ll be fun to watch because he’s a good playmaker, he’s skilled and has several tricks up his sleeve, Slafkovsky said. I’ve called him. I can’t wait to meet him and see him on the ice.”

The rest of us too.

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