Slafkovsky Admits Mental Struggle During Montreal Season, Gallagher Announces Departure

Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovsky acknowledged that mental challenges significantly impacted his performance during Montreal Canadiens' season, estimating that 65 percent of his struggles were psychological rather than physical despite dealing with injuries. The 20-year-old first overall draft pick from 2022 admitted he wanted to play better but refused to use his injury as an excuse for his performance. Meanwhile, veteran forward Brendan Gallagher made an emotional announcement that he is leaving the Canadiens organization. During traditional end-of-season meetings held Monday before players departed for summer break, Gallagher expressed his desire to continue his career with another team, acknowledging there is no longer a place for him in Montreal's improving roster. The developments came as the team and players conducted their season review meetings, including evaluation of their recent playoff performance.