Juraj Slafkovsky continues to raise expectations

Yes, 40.

And to be honest, it's not entirely unrealistic to say that today. The potential for a good power forward has always been there, but for a 40-goal scorer… a little less so. But now, it's hard to ignore this trajectory if he continues to be confident, involved, and—most importantly—start using his shot.

Pierre McGuire, for his part, told In The Afternoon:

“There aren't many power forwards better than Slafkovsky.” – Pierre McGuire

Now we can see that the conversation around Juraj Slafkovsky has shifted.

But are we getting a little too excited too soon?

Personally, I think so… but not that much either.

Slafkovsky's ceiling is enormous—there's no doubt about that. The combination of size and talent is rare and valuable. However, scoring 40 goals requires consistency over 82 games (84 starting next season) and impeccable health.

And we haven't seen that over a full season yet.

That said, I have no trouble saying that, right now, the Habs' number 20 is easily among the top three power forwards in the NHL. If he plays in the playoffs the way he played against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the last game, Slaf could be the Habs' most important player.

One important thing to remember about him:

We're no longer just talking about potential. We're starting to talk about real impact… and, eventually, dominance.

And for the Canadiens, that's probably the best news.

In a nutshell

– Impressive.

– Can't wait for June 11!

– It's already starting.