Juraj Slafkovski of the Montreal Canadiens seems to have sustained a disappointing shoulder injury during practice today, which will cause him to be sidelined.
The Montreal Canadiens have had a challenging 24 hours, and their situation might worsen. The team’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings at the Bell Centre on Thursday night was just part of the unfortunate events. Following the match, it was revealed that top defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson were being evaluated for upper-body injuries, putting the Canadiens’ defense in a precarious position. Early in the regular season, these potential absences could exacerbate the team’s already concerning performance.
The bad news continued during practice on Friday morning when forward Juraj Slafkovski added to the team’s injury troubles. After taking a regular shot on goalie Cayden Primeau, Slafkovski seemed to injure his left shoulder. Footage posted by Da Footy MD on X showed the frustrated young Slovak shaking his head before exiting to the locker room at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, raising concerns due to his recent injury history.
Details about Slafkovski’s condition remain unclear, and head coach Martin St. Louis has not provided much information. When asked if Slafkovski would join the team for their road trip to New York, St. Louis confirmed he would, but when questioned about his potential to play, he replied, ‘I don’t know.’ This uncertainty regarding Slafkovski’s status adds to the difficulties the Canadiens face in making roster decisions ahead of a challenging series of games.
This injury comes at a time when Montreal is already coping with several long-term injuries. With forwards Patrik Laine and Rafael Harvey-Pinard unavailable, adding Slafkovski to the roster issues would leave the Canadiens short on forwards.
Additionally, potential sidelining of Guhle and Matheson further threatens to create significant gaps in both the offensive and defensive aspects of the team. Juraj Slafkovski also missed the final three months of his rookie season and underwent medical procedures after the 2023-24 season, raising concerns about his future durability.
With a shaky start of 2-3-0 to the season, the Canadiens are about to face their toughest challenge against the New York Islanders on Saturday. As injuries continue to mount and the possibility of an early derailment looms, the Canadiens must rally their remaining players to stay competitive. Losing Slafkovski now would be yet another setback, but the team has no choice but to persevere and hope that their key players return quickly.
