In a blow to the Montreal Canadiens, forward Juraj Slafkovsky will be sidelined for at least a week due to an upper-body injury, the team disclosed on Tuesday. The 20-year-old winger, who was spotted skating individually before the team’s morning practice on Tuesday, had to leave early from the main session. This setback comes after Slafkovsky appeared to have injured his shoulder during a practice session last week. However, he managed to soldier on and contribute with two assists in 15 minutes and 57 seconds of play time during the Canadiens’ recent 4-3 shootout defeat to the New York Islanders.
The talented forward, who was selected as the first overall pick in 2022, has notched one goal and a total of six points in the current season. Notably, he had an outstanding performance last year with 20 goals and 50 points to his credit. With Slafkovsky now sidelined, the spotlight shifts to Michael Pezzetta, who will make his season debut on Tuesday. The 26-year-old winger will look to build on his three goals and 12 points from 61 appearances with the Canadiens in the previous season.
In light of Slafkovsky’s absence, lineup changes are on the horizon for the Canadiens. Kirby Dach is set to join the top line alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, while Oliver Kapanen will anchor the second line. The Canadiens, with a current record of 2-3-1, are gearing up to face the undefeated New York Rangers (4-0-1) on Tuesday evening at their home arena. The team will have to rely on their depth and resilience as they navigate through this challenging period without Slafkovsky in the lineup.