The argument is burning between Juraj Slafkovsky and the Montreal media.
After an arrogant and disconnected public outing, the young Slovak attracted the wrath of journalists, and for good reason.
This time, it is no longer simple anger or simple reproaches: the response is scathing, frontal and unanimous.
And among the scathing criticisms, the text by Marc de Foy, from the Journal de Montréal, resonates like a slap in the face.
It’s said. De Foy hits the nail on the head where it hurts. Slafkovsky, 20, who dares to send journalists away, acts as if he had already proven something in the NHL.
However, his start to the season was a real disaster: two meager goals in 27 games, hesitant play and a presence as imposing as a ghost on the ice.
A power forward who refuses to use his power, who prefers verbal jousting to fighting along the ramps.
Arrogance in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Asked about his game and the media criticism, Slafkovsky chose confrontation:
“What are you saying?” No, that doesn’t matter to me. »
This sentence, delivered with an almost provocative indifference, shocked. It’s not so much the content as the tone: a young player, incapable of imposing his presence on the ice, who allows himself to despise the media of a city as passionate as Montreal.
“I can only laugh about it”he added, downplaying the situation even further.
For an audience that pays hundreds of dollars to see the Canadian, seeing a player adopt such a posture while he is dragging his feet is an affront, pure and simple. Slafkovsky is playing a dangerous game.
Marc de Foy did not hold back from recalling unflattering comparisons. The parallel with Alex Galchenyuk and Jesperi Kotkaniemi is inevitable.
Two players with immense talent, but who foundered, consumed by arrogance and inappropriate behavior.
“The young man needs some guidance. He shouldn’t become a flop like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Galchenyuk. »
The Galchenyuk case remains etched in the collective memory: a talented player, but whose off-ice distractions and poor career choices precipitated his downfall.
As for Kotkaniemi, his hasty departure for Carolina is a cruel reminder of CH’s development errors.
Is Slafkovsky following this same path?
The decision by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to grant him a contract worth 60.8 million over eight years now seems hasty, even insane.
He was offered millions based on a promising half-season last year. But this year, the mirage has dissipated. The game is slow, the shots are absent, and the combativeness is non-existent.
“Young players are paid like mature stars, even though they have limited experience in the NHL and life. »
Such a lucrative contract for such a young player places immense pressure on his shoulders. The arrogance displayed in recent days shows that he does not yet understand its full significance.
From next year, with a salary of 7.6 million per year, he will become one of the favorite targets of critics.
Montreal is a city that loves its heroes, but does not hesitate to crucify those who disappoint.
There is another question looming: why does Martin St-Louis continue to protect him like a child king?
St-Louis refuses to raise his voice with Slafkovsky, preferring to treat him like a child king.
By taking it easy, the coach sends a dubious message to the team: mediocre efforts can be rewarded.
Is St. Louis too soft? Too close to his players? Journalists aren’t so sure anymore, and neither are fans. Slafkovsky needs rigor, not applause after each anonymous presence.
The Montreal public does not tolerate arrogance, especially when it is unjustified. This is not a city for “spoiled babies” who allow themselves to laugh at critics while they stagnate.
Patience is a rare commodity at the Bell Centre. The contempt of the media is also contempt for the supporters, those who pay a high price for a lamentable spectacle.
Slafkovsky should have listened to those who went through this before him. In Montreal, every word counts. Each statement can inflame a crowd already on edge after seasons of misery.
By attacking journalists, he crossed an invisible line, a line that even the most talented players have always been reluctant to cross.
Juraj Slafkovsky is at a crossroads. He has the talent and physique to make it in the NHL, but his attitude will lead to his downfall if he doesn’t change.
The dangerous game he’s playing with the media could turn against him much sooner than he thinks.
Patience has its limits. Montreal has seen others, and if Slafkovsky doesn’t get his act together, he could well become one more name on the CH’s long list of failures.
Next time he speaks to reporters, he’d better have more goals than arrogant retorts.
