Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis gives his honest take on Montreal youngster Juraj Slafkovsky's development

The Montreal Canadiens have been a strong side this season. A big part of that success has been their young core, who have pushed the franchise to multiple wins across tough situations. Juraj Slafkovsky presents one such name on the Canadiens' lineup.The 21-year-old forward has been excellent for Montreal's bottom-six forward unit with 19 goals and 40 points across 49 games. Head coach Martin St. Louis hasn’t failed to see his progress and, in a recent interview, gave his honest take on the youngster.As Slafkovsky enters his fourth season with the side, St. Louis addressed how the franchise is looking to nourish his talent. With 20 points across his last 15 games, he has been on a hot streak. And the Montreal head knows what needs to be done and what needs to be avoided.St. Louis acknowledged the careful approach the Canadiens have taken with their prized prospect. "We've been very calculated with how we handle Slaf, knowing he's going to take big steps forward and going to take steps backwards sometimes," he said.The Slovak winger's journey hasn't followed a linear path. After a challenging rookie season in 2022-23, Slafkovsky steadily improved his production, reaching 51 points last season before surpassing that pace this year. St. Louis, for his part, understands just how the league is.The development at the NHL level requires patience, especially for young players adjusting to the speed and physicality of professional hockey. So far, the Montreal head coach seems satisfied with how Slafkovsky has turned out in the league. "Overall, if we connect the dots from where he started to where he is, we're very pleased," he explained. With his 6’3”, 225-pound frame, the Slovak has exactly the frame that Montreal needs to book their playoff berth. Slafkovsky has already shown that he can take hits, with 75 hits over the season so far.The Canadiens recently moved Slafkovsky off the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, placing him on the second unit alongside rookies Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Rather than hindering his production, the change has allowed him to flourish in a play-driving role.St. Louis's excitement about the future was evident when discussing what comes next. "How high can that dot keep getting? That's the exciting part because he's such a young player still," he said.For Montreal, watching Slafkovsky mature into a cornerstone piece represents validation of their development philosophy and reason for optimism about the franchise's future.