Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovský has signed an eight-year contract with Montreal Canadiens. (source: X/HFTV)
A year before the end of his current contract with the NHL club Montreal Canadiens, Slovak hockey player Juraj Slafkovský, 20, signed a new deal with this Canadian club.
He agreed to an eight-year contract, which will expire in 2033. The Slovak forward will earn $7.6 million a year, totalling $60.8 million.
“The negotiations have been ongoing for a month with his agent Gerry Johannson. He’s very important for the future of the Montreal Canadiens,” said Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes.
The Montreal Canadiens initially drafted the Slovak player two years ago, making Slafkovský the first Slovak player in history to be a top draft pick.
In the past season, his second in the NHL, Slafkovský played in all 82 regular-season games and recorded 50 points (20 goals + 30 assists). He became the first player in club history to score 40 points in a single season among players under 20, when he recorded an assist on March 26 in Colorado. He scored his first NHL hat trick against the Philadelphia Flyers two days later. Slafkovský collected 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 121 NHL games.
Among Slovak hockey players, his contract is the second-highest in terms of total value, after Marián Hossa’s last contract, worth $63.3 million. However, in terms of annual earnings, the 20-year-old has surpassed Hossa and other Slovaks.
Montreal has one disadvantage – taxes, writes Sportnet. Slafkovský will lose more than half of the $60.8 million to taxes. In the end, he will net just over $28 million. For comparison, in Tampa Bay, Dallas, or Las Vegas, under the same conditions, he would net almost $37 million. He would pay more in taxes only in Toronto and Ottawa.
According to some experts, Slafkovský might be underpaid for his playing abilities by his fourth season. This is why the contract is described as phenomenal from the Habs’ perspective, although the club is currently relying solely on Slafkovský’s abilities and potential. As recently as last November, Slafkovský was almost sent to the minors. However, his performance in the second half of the season was excellent, finishing with 50 points and 20 goals, underscores Sportnet.
The new Slafkovský contract resembles that of Jack Hughes from the New Jersey Devils. As the first overall draft pick in 2019, Hughes, like Slafkovský, struggled in the first half of his three-year rookie contract. After his initial improvement at the start of the third season, the Devils immediately offered him an eight-year, $64 million contract.
“Many thought it was an enormous amount to give an unproven player,” writes retired Slovak player Ondrej Rusnák. “However, New Jersey’s risk paid off.”
Today, this contract is considered one of the best in the NHL, and with the continually increasing salary cap in the top hockey league and Hughes' improving performance, it is becoming even more advantageous.
