© Derek Cain / Jeanine Leech, Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

PRAGUE — Juraj Slafkovsky already was more than eager for the 2024-25 NHL season to begin. Now, he wishes the Montreal Canadiens could drop the puck right now.

That’s what having Patrik Laine added to your team can do.

“I can hardly wait to be there and play already, especially after the Patrik Laine trade. I’m really looking forward to the season,” Slafkovsky expressed during the NHL European Player Media Tour on Wednesday. “Over the summer, you ponder how the year will unfold, who your teammates will be, and what your role will entail. It’s quite intriguing.”

“I wish we could bypass the training camp and jump right into the season. I’m eager to participate in games that have significance.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft first learned Montreal had acquired Laine when he arrived here to take part in the media tour. Laine, the No. 2 pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, was acquired by Montreal along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for defenseman Jordan Harris on Monday.

“Upon my arrival in Prague, a notification popped up on my phone and it filled me with joy,” said Slafkovsky. “Back in 2016, when I was around 13 or 14 years old, I was an ardent follower of his. I was eager to find out whether he or Auston Matthews, the center for Toronto Maple Leafs, would be the first pick in the NHL Draft. I’ve been his fan since those days.”

Laine made many fans during his first two seasons with the Jets, scoring 36 goals his rookie season and 44 in his second year. But the forward scored a total of 58 over the next two seasons and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with center Jack Roslovic on Jan. 23, 2021 for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. In four seasons with the Blue Jackets, he scored 64 goals in 174 games, including six goals in 18 games last season before he sustained a broken clavicle on Dec. 14.

The 26-year-old started getting help from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on January 28 and was discharged from the program on July 26.

“Seeing him join our team is pleasing, and hopefully, he shares the excitement,” said Slafkovsky. “I believe he is eager to reboot his career and Montreal could be an ideal location for him to accomplish this.”

Slafkovsky might share a line with Laine, who has accumulated 388 points, comprising 204 goals and 184 assists, in his 480 NHL games. Additionally, Laine has scored 16 points, made up of eight goals and eight assists, in his 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“Slavkovsky stated, “I’m aware of his identity, but I’m unsure if he recognizes mine.”

The 20-year-old, now in his third season, scored 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games during the previous season, making him the fourth highest scorer on the Canadiens. On July 2, he signed an eight-year contract extension with Montreal, worth $60.8 million (an average annual value of $7.6 million). This contract is set to commence in the 2025-26 season.

In his second season, Slafkovsky stated that he felt much more comfortable than in his rookie year. His first year was truncated due to a lower-body injury, which restricted him to just 10 points, comprising of four goals and six assists, in 39 games.

“Comparing my first and second year is impossible,” said Slafkovsky. “When I contrast my initial 39 games with last year, I feel like a totally different player. It’s as if I’ve been three different players during my final year in Finland, my first year in Montreal, and my second year in Montreal.”

Going into this season, Slafkovsky is looking to continue his development to become the the player the Canadiens envisioned when they selected him ahead of defenseman Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, forward Logan Cooley of the Utah Hockey Club and Shane Wright of the Seattle Kraken.

Montreal had enough confidence in Slafkovsky’s potential to secure him to a long-term contract. General manager Kent Hughes hopes this will be seen as a bargain by the end of the agreement.

“I think typically those long-term deals on the back end of them, those players should be underpaid,” Hughes said at the Hlinka Gretzky under-18 tournament in Edmonton on Aug. 7. “Effectively, they are making more money at the front end that they would otherwise make if they want shorter term. So I think naturally at the back end of those deals, at least the cap number should be favorable to the team and if it’s not, then you made the bet on the wrong horse.”

With the addition of Laine, the return of forward Kirby Dach, who missed all but two games last season with a torn MCL and ACL in his right knee, and talented players such as forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook all coming of age, Slafkovsky said he believes Montreal has the pieces in place to make the playoffs for the first time since going to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

He stated that in a market well-versed in hockey with some of the most informed fans in the NHL, expectations have increased.

“During my initial two years, Montreal has remained peaceful as the fans understand that the rebuilding process won’t happen instantly,” expressed Slafkovsky. “It’s a process that requires time, and we are nearing the stage where they anticipate it to be time. We also believe the time is right and I’m eager to persistently work towards that moment when we will excel.”