Juraj Slafkovsky of Canadiens online with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield

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The day before this year’s NHL Draft, Juraj Slafkovsky was asked why the Canadiens should pick him with the first overall pick.

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“I can play with those two guys (Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield) and I think it can be a pretty good line that can lead to results at the end of the day,” Slafkovsky replied. “I think that’s important for Montreal.”

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On Tuesday night, Canadiens fans will get their first look at Slafkovskiy playing in the same lineup as Suzuki and Cole Caufield in a preseason game against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Center. (7pm, TSN2, TSN5, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Asked after Tuesday’s morning skate at Brossard how Slafkovsky can help Suzuki and Caufield as their left winger, head coach Martin St. Louis said: “Probably similar to Andy (Josh Anderson) in terms of rhythm, heaviness, great body, good shot. I think he can create a little bit of space.”

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The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Slafkovsky is coming off a breakout performance in Monday night’s 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Center, during which he picked up an assist. It was the first point for Slafkovsky in three preseason games after general manager Kent Hughes said the 18-year-old was “disappointing” in his first two games.

How can Slafkovsky take advantage of his Monday night performance?

“Do it again,” St. Louis said. “I think he has probably gained some confidence. He is responsible for that trust. I think they will put him in situations to develop his confidence, but he has to come from the inside. That is his responsibility and I think he did it yesterday.”

Hughes has said the Canadiens will send Slafkovsky to the AHL’s Laval Rocket to start the season if they believe that’s in his development best interest. Even before the draft, Hughes said he wanted to draft the player that Canadiens scouts felt would be the best player in the NHL in the future, not now at 18 years old.

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“If I keep working even more, harder, I know I can play better,” Slafkovsky said after Monday night’s game. “And if I play at what I would say is my best level, then I can say I belong. Today was closer to that level.”

When asked what was missing from him to be at his highest level, Slafkovsky replied, “I don’t tell my secrets on camera.”

For Suzuki, Tuesday night’s game will be his preseason debut after recovering from a lower-body injury sustained during an ice training clash with teammate Joel Edmundson two days before the start of the field. of training.

Edmundson remains sidelined indefinitely with a back injury.

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Slavkovsky impresses Anderson

Anderson said he was impressed by Slafkovsky in training camp, adding that he may even learn for himself by watching the 18-year-old.

“The way he uses his butt and protects the pucks,” the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Anderson said after Monday night’s game. “I also have a big body, so I can pretty much do the same thing. I have to work on that too. I’ve seen a lot of videos of current NHL players and them doing it. Guys like (Boston Bruins’ Brad) Marchand, he does very, very well and protects the puck in that department. So he continues to work on it and I think that will help my game.”

Slafkovsky is still adjusting to playing on the NHL’s smaller ice surface.

“He’s going to get used to it,” Anderson said. “He’s got such a big body and such a big butt where it sticks out that it’s going to be very hard to stop him. You see him all the time in practice where he tries to do it. He has a long range so I think he needs to keep working on that.”

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Honoring the 1972 Canada team

Players from the Canada team that defeated the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series will be honored at the Bell Center before Tuesday night’s game.

Yvon Cournoyer, Guy Lapointe, Peter Mahovlich, Serge Savard, Marcel Dionne and Paul Henderson, who scored the winning goal 50 years ago, will be in attendance.

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