It's been a frustrating season for the Edmonton native, to say the least. Back in mid-October, Schlemko went under the knife to remove a bone fragment in his right hand. The injury cost him the first two months of the season, with his Canadiens debut finally coming on November 29.
"You want to come in and play your game and show what you can do, and to have that delayed by two months, it was a tough start, tough to get going when you start like that," admitted Schlemko, who has played in just 34 games so far this season, scoring one goal and registering four points. "I think it's been tough mentally for everyone in here, myself included."
That being said, Schlemko plans on making the most of every opportunity he does get to play between now and the end of the year in order to head in the offseason on a positive note.
"There's been a handful of games where I feel like I've played my game and that's not nearly enough," confided Schlemko. "Hopefully, I can come back these last five games here, make a push and really show what I can do and get some of that self-confidence back as well."