Habsent Minded 7.01: Slafkovsky signs long term

For what is officially the first episode of our seventh season, the regular crew got together on Canada Day to talk about the biggest Habs news items. Myself, Jared Book, and Patrik Bexell had plenty to discuss, even though the Montreal Canadiens weren’t very involved in NHL free agency itself.

Their biggest move, and our lead topic, was of course the eight-year contract extension signed with Juraj Slafkovsky, which will start in 2025-26 and run through the 2032-33 season. The response to this deal from the fan base has been largely positive, a sentiment we share on the podcast, and we discuss how we view this deal within the greater context of the rebuild.

There is also some smoke around the idea of the Canadiens trading for Patrik Laine. We discuss what it could potentially take to make such a deal happen, and whether or not we think it’s a fit for the Canadiens given they were clearly reticent to offer any big deals to free agents.

They did trade one player over the last few days, and that was defenceman Johnny Kovacevic. While the return was not necessarily something that would be cause for celebration, we talk about how the team is trying to clear some roster space to give young players a shot.

Finally, development camp is just around the corner. We talk about who we’re going to be watching for, and what it means for a number of young players who won’t be present this year.

Click the play button below to listen to the full episode, and be sure to subscribe on your preferred platform, as there will be much more coming in our seventh season!

Time stamps

1:00  – Juraj Slafkovský’s eight year deal.
13:25 – Patrik Laine?
15:45 – Commercial Break
20:20 – Player leaving Montreal – Johnathan Kovacevic, trade return.
29:58 – Commercial Break
30:00 – Development Camp whom to watch, and foreign and special coaches