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PRAGUE — Juraj Slafkovsky already was more than eager for the 2024-25 NHL season to begin. Now, he wishes the Montreal Canadiens could drop the puck right now.

That’s what having Patrik Laine added to your team can do.

“Particularly with the Patrik Laine trade, I am thrilled for the season,” Slafkovsky expressed at the NHL European Player Media Tour on Wednesday. “It’s interesting to consider how the year will unfold, who your teammates will be, and what role you’ll play during the summer. I’m already eager to be there and play.”

“I yearn for us to bypass training camp and jump straight into the season, as I’m eager to participate in games that hold significance.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft first learned Montreal had acquired Laine when he arrived here to take part in the media tour. Laine, the No. 2 pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, was acquired by Montreal along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for defenseman Jordan Harris on Monday.

“Upon landing in Prague, a notification popped up on my phone that filled me with joy,” said Slafkovsky. “Back in 2016, when I was around 13 or 14 years old, I was a huge fan of his. I remember anxiously waiting to see whether he or Auston Matthews, the center for Toronto Maple Leafs, would be the first pick in the NHL Draft. I’ve been a fan of his since those days.”

Laine made many fans during his first two seasons with the Jets, scoring 36 goals his rookie season and 44 in his second year. But the forward scored a total of 58 over the next two seasons and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with center Jack Roslovic on Jan. 23, 2021 for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. In four seasons with the Blue Jackets, he scored 64 goals in 174 games, including six goals in 18 games last season before he sustained a broken clavicle on Dec. 14.

The 26-year-old started getting help from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on January 28 and completed the program on July 26.

“Seeing him join our team is pleasing and hopefully, he shares the same excitement,” said Slafkovsky. “I’m confident that he’s eager to rejuvenate his career, and Montreal seems to be the perfect place for him to accomplish this.”

Slafkovsky might become a teammate of Laine on the same line, who has a record of 388 points, comprised of 204 goals and 184 assists in 480 NHL games, along with 16 points, equally distributed into eight goals and eight assists, in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“Slavkovsky stated, “I’m aware of his identity, but I’m uncertain if he recognizes mine.”

Entering his third season at 20 years old, the player had amassed 50 points (comprising 20 goals and 30 assists) in 82 games during the previous season, making him fourth on the Canadiens. On July 2, he signed an eight-year contract extension with Montreal, worth $60.8 million (with an average annual value of $7.6 million), which will commence in the 2025-26 season.

Slafkovsky stated that he was considerably more at ease in his second season compared to his rookie year, which was abbreviated due to a lower-body injury. This injury restricted him to securing only 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 39 games.

“Comparing my first and second year is impossible,” stated Slafkovsky. “Looking at my 39 games from my initial year and contrasting them with last year, I felt like a completely different player. It was as if I was three different players during my final year in Finland, my introductory year in Montreal, and my second year in Montreal.”

Going into this season, Slafkovsky is looking to continue his development to become the the player the Canadiens envisioned when they selected him ahead of defenseman Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, forward Logan Cooley of the Utah Hockey Club and Shane Wright of the Seattle Kraken.

Montreal was confident enough in Slafkovsky’s potential to secure him with a long-term contract. Kent Hughes, the general manager, hopes that by the end of the deal, it will be seen as a bargain.

“I think typically those long-term deals on the back end of them, those players should be underpaid,” Hughes said at the Hlinka Gretzky under-18 tournament in Edmonton on Aug. 7. “Effectively, they are making more money at the front end that they would otherwise make if they want shorter term. So I think naturally at the back end of those deals, at least the cap number should be favorable to the team and if it’s not, then you made the bet on the wrong horse.”

With the addition of Laine, the return of forward Kirby Dach, who missed all but two games last season with a torn MCL and ACL in his right knee, and talented players such as forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook all coming of age, Slafkovsky said he believes Montreal has the pieces in place to make the playoffs for the first time since going to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

He stated that he thinks expectations have increased in a hockey-wise market that boasts some of the most well-informed fans in the NHL.

“During my initial two years, Montreal has remained peaceful, likely because the fans understand that the rebuild isn’t going to occur instantly,” said Slafkovsky. “Patience is necessary, but expectations are increasing that the time is nearing. We also believe it’s about time, and I’m eagerly looking forward to continually striving towards that moment when we will excel.”