With the Canadian there is an enviable chair without a real owner at the start of the season. This chair is the one on the right wing of the front row with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
• Also read: A false note in St. Louis, but a fascinating experience for Slafkovsky
Juraj Slafkovsky received the final audition on the right side of the first line. In his first game in this position against the St. Louis Blues, Slafkovsky scored his first goal.
Although he scored his goal on the power play, the Slovakian achieved personal bests this year with four shots (three tied) and a game time of 18:06.
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In a game where there were few positive elements, Martin St-Louis gave his young 19-year-old winger a high note.
“Slaf played a good game,” St-Louis noted. It’s one of the positive things. He didn’t look uncomfortable. I’m happy for him, he scored a goal. That doesn’t surprise me, he’s a good hockey player.”
“It was good, I liked his match,” Suzuki added. He fought, he played and he shot. We know he has talent. I think he can be a good addition to Cole and me.”
In the opposing team’s locker room in St. Louis, Suzuki also described Slafkovsky’s goal to the media there as a kind of liberation.
“He just lost a lot of weight that he was carrying around on his back,” he said. When you score a goal you feel much better. I imagine there will be a domino effect for him.”
A third player
Josh Anderson opened the season on the right wing (14 and 22). After two games he passed the torch to Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.
From the third to the tenth game, Harvey-Pinard and Anderson again took turns on the right wing of the front row. An injury to the Quebec native’s lower body during the game against the Coyotes in Tempe forced St-Louis to try again by opting for Slafkovsky.
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Despite bringing his usual enthusiasm alongside the team’s two talents, Harvey-Pinard was still looking for his first goal of the season before getting injured. At five-on-five, he is the winger who has spent the most time with Suzuki and Caufield this season, with over 60 minutes.
Like the 49, Anderson has not yet achieved the goal this season. The big number 17 only has a small pass. For his part, he spent almost 45 minutes on the right wing of the front row.
Slafkovsky now has a golden chance. It’s up to him to seize it. If he doesn’t succeed, we’ll end up seeing Alex Newhook or Sean Monahan on the right wing of the front row.