Canadiens sign Juraj Slafkovský to 8-year extension

The Montreal Canadiens and forward Juraj Slafkovský have agreed to terms on an eight-year, $60.8 million contract, general manager Kent Hughes announced Monday. The contract carries an average annual value of $7.6 million and will kick in next season and carry over to 2032-33.

The Canadiens have agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension with forward Juraj Slafkovsky.

News release ↓ #GoHabsGo https://t.co/pm5Ht1q1KP

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2024

In 2023-24, his second NHL season, the 20-year-old forward recorded 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games and skated to a minus-19 rating. The Canadiens finished last in the Atlantic Division with a 30-36-16 record.

Slafkovský was drafted by Montreal with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and leads the 2022 draft class in total games played (121), goals (24), assists (36) and points (60).

How important was this to Montreal?

Signing Slafkovský was the No. 1 priority of the offseason for the Canadiens, and to get it done on the first day he was eligible to sign an extension, and get it at this number, is a big win for the Canadiens.

They have an internal salary structure that was established by Kent Hughes’ predecessor as Canadiens general manager when Marc Bergevin signed Nick Suzuki to an eight-year contract worth $7.875 million a year. Suzuki has since been named captain by this administration and is clearly the Canadiens’ primary leader. Cole Caufield’s big eight-year extension came in just under that at $7.85 million, and now Slafkovský comes in even further under that at $7.6 million even though the salary cap when his contract kicks in should be at least $92 million.

And the reality is that Slafkovský might wind up being the best of the three players as he is still only 20. It is a massive piece of business to have those three forwards – who made up one of the stronger lines in the NHL over the second half of last season – all locked up for under $24 million combined as the salary cap will continue rising in coming years. It should give the Canadiens a lot of flexibility to improve the team around those three and also sign the other young players that are going to start quickly rising up the pipeline very soon. — Arpon Basu, senior NHL writer

Required reading

• Juraj Slafkovský has had an awakening that will benefit Canadiens for years

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)