The Montreal Canadiens have signed striker Juraj Slafkovsky on his three-year entry contract.
The contract will be extended until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Slafkovsky was the first pick in the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7 in Montreal. The expectation was that he would sign his contract and come to North America, and that happened shortly after he finished the development camp.
The Slovakian winger will be on the team’s main training ground and this will determine whether he will start the season in the NHL or spend some time with Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League. He played last season in Finland, and it was his first full season at senior level as a professional.
Because of his age, if he doesn’t play 10 games in the NHL regular season this coming season, his contract would slip and he wouldn’t count this year among the three.
He is, of course, the first player in the 2022 draft class to sign his entry contract.