Former Canadiens player Alex Kovalev is still interested in what is happening within the Montreal team, which will need satisfactory progress from a few known prospects in order to get back on the path to respectability.
The assistant instructor of Spartak Moscow, in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), is also well placed to analyze the actions of Ivan Demidov, the Habs’ first-round pick in the most recent League draft. National (NHL).
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The one playing with the SKA of Saint Petersburg already has to overcome obstacles, since his head coach Roman Rotenberg is not very conciliatory at the slightest mistake; the young man was notably benched after receiving a penalty this week.
In Kovalev’s eyes, skaters hoping to climb the ranks of professional hockey must prepare themselves for the challenges, because there will definitely be some. And it will be more demanding in a market where CH reigns as king and master.
“Everything will depend on how he performs after arriving in the NHL. In Montreal, it is not easy to earn the trust and love of fans. Being elegant and fluid is not enough. You must prove that this magnificence has value on the ice. If so, they will love it fast and hard. People know hockey very well,” said the former number 27 in an interview with the RG.org website.
“Everyone must earn their salary. If I were a journalist and I didn’t like a player, I would wait for the opportunity to criticize him. He will experience the positive and negative aspects. Hockey players are not robots, they cannot feel the same moods. “It will all depend on how they react to praise and criticism,” he continued.
Consistency required
Also, Kovalev made comments about Juraj Slafkovsky, who should have every chance in the world to produce alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in 2024-25. However, he will have to meet certain conditions to be successful, according to the Russian.
“Slafkovsky needs to be more consistent and to do that he needs to add weight and endurance. Everyone has to get used to great responsibilities and he succeeds. His second campaign was more successful than the first. He also needs to be more arrogant, advocate a more direct style and show his best qualities,” he analyzed, also specifying that the CH still needs time to improve collectively.
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