Montreal Canadiens: No matter what happens, send Victor Mete back to junior

Victor Mete is having a much better time than the Montreal Canadiens. So much so that despite what happens, they should send him back to junior.

The World Junior Championships are almost through with their round robins. After defeating Denmark 8-0 on Saturday, Canada has clinched Group A and is riding their early domination into the Quarter Finals. Now, Montreal Canadiens rookie Victor Mete is one step closer to winning gold.

Unfortunately, his team is going to opposite way. When the team initially decided to loan him to Team Canada, Claude Julien had him playing south of ten minutes a night and on the bottom pairing. This was going to be a good opportunity for Mete to be a leader on the team and gain confidence being part of a winning team.

There’s still another week left in the tournament, but it’s not too early to start to think of what’s next for the 19-year-old. The thing is, Mete wouldn’t be in the right position to continue to develop with the Habs the way they are now. Montreal is still waiting for Shea Weber to return to the lineup, and the rookie may be used in the same situations as he was before being loaned.

At the same time, the Habs aren’t a good team, and being around this may not be good for his mindset. No matter what happens, management should decide to have Mete finish off the rest of the season with the London Knights.

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Change should be Montreal’s main priority going into the summer, and if so, there could be more meaningful spots on the blueline for next year. Mete has gotten his taste of what it takes to be an NHL defencemen. Send him down to dominate in the OHL that way he’ll come into training camp with a drive to prove himself.

The only downside is that a decision may have already been made indirectly. Mete didn’t play for the remainder of the third period against Denmark, and TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweeted that he was seen walking with a limp out of the arena. We’ll have to see if it’s anything serious, but for now, it doesn’t look good.

However, that doesn’t change what the Habs should do. It’ll be frustrating for Mete, but they have to start protecting their future.

Next: Deslauriers is Sticking to His Word

Do you think Mete will return to the Habs after the World Juniors? Should they send him back? Let us know down below.