Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovský will probably admit that he didn’t have the best camp, but what he did show was an ability to improve quickly.
It may not be the sexiest ability that fans would want to see from the 2022 first overall pick, but it’s best to get used to it, because that’s not only how Slafkovský will be judged, but how the team should be judged as well. Points, whether in the standings, or on the scoresheet are secondary matters. If the team — and by extension, most of their young players — is better when the season ends in April than they are when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night, that will be a successful year.