Sidney Crosby's Pick for Most Dangerous Canadiens Weapon?

Every once in a while, somebody else says something about hockey, and you think, well, that's pretty much exactly what I was thinking. That happened this week when Sidney Crosby was asked to identify the Montreal Canadiens' biggest weapon. He could have chosen a few names. Nick Suzuki. Cole Caufield. Lane Hutson. Ivan Demidov.

He picked Juraj Slafkovsky. And I have to admit, I agree with him.

Slafkovsky Is a Little Different as a Player.

This isn't to suggest Slafkovsky is necessarily the Canadiens' best player. That's a different question. But if we're talking about the player who might eventually become the biggest problem for the opposition, Slafkovsky makes an awful lot of sense. Crosby pointed to the obvious stuff first. Slafkovsky is big, he can play a physical game, he has good vision, and he can score. In other words, there isn't just one way to defend him. That's what makes him interesting.

Suzuki can take over a game with his intelligence and playmaking. Caufield can bury a shot before you have time to think. Hutson can completely change the ice with the puck on his stick. Demidov has the kind of offensive imagination that gets people out of their seats. Slafkovsky brings something different. He can make things happen with skill, but he can also make things happen because he's 6-foot-3 and a pretty substantial human being. And he's only 22.

Related: Whatever Happened to ex-Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk?

Crosby Sees Something in the Young Hab’s Forward.

The funny thing about Slafkovsky is that he can still feel like the forgotten guy in Montreal's collection of young talent. That probably sounds silly when you remember he was the first overall pick in 2022 and put up 73 points last season. Thirty goals and 43 assists is not a “maybe someday” season. That's a pretty good NHL season.

But I don't think we've seen the finished product yet. That's what interests me. Slafkovsky has already gone from 10 points as a rookie to 50, then 51, and now 73. The question isn't whether he can play anymore. It's how much more there might be.

Even Slafkovsky seemed a little stunned when he heard Crosby had singled him out. He apparently wondered if the clip was AI before realizing Crosby had actually said it. He then said the praise motivated him to become even better. Apparently, Crosby matters in Slafkovsky’s world, and he saw it as a pretty good motivational speech.

The Canadiens Play the Penguins Next. How Will Slafkovsky Play?

The Canadiens play Pittsburgh next, giving Slafkovsky a convenient opportunity to show Crosby — and everybody else — what he's capable of. Maybe 100 points is too much to ask. Then again, at 22, after a 73-point season, why put a ceiling on the kid just yet?

Crosby didn't. That’s good enough for me.

Related: The Canadiens Can’t Afford to Rush Ivan Demidov