A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens: The Noah Juulsen – Victor Mete experiment could pay off

By Zachary Cook

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 17: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Juulsen (58) in position at the blue line with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete (53) during the first period of the NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 17, 2018, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 17: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Juulsen (58) in position at the blue line with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete (53) during the first period of the NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 17, 2018, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Montreal Canadiens have had Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen together as a pairing during training camp, and it’s paid off early so far.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi made his Montreal Canadiens debut on Monday night and fans were able to see a glimpse of the future down the middle. The spotlight was all over the clubs third overall pick, and rightfully so, but it was a pair of youngsters on the blue line that quietly stole the show.

Canadiens head coach Claude Julien decided to pair the future of the Habs blueline together against the Devils, and the duo came as advertised. If the Montreal Canadiens hope to find any success over the next few seasons, Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen will undoubtedly play a substantial part in that.

The pair of sophomores played together in the Habs first pre-season act. You could very easily make the claim that these two were the best players on the ice even though the Devils were icing a “B” roster. That, however, shouldn’t take anything away from the kids who showed up.

With the logjam that is the Canadiens blue line, there are simply no guarantees for either Mete or Juulsen. Last night didn’t hurt either of their chances, in fact, it likely benefited both parties and even made the case to keep the young duo together.

More from A Winning Habit

Let’s face it. There are going to be growing pains as these defencemen are only 20 and 21 years old respectively. Most of the time, teams decide against pairing two young defencemen together, especially players who haven’t even combined for 82 games of NHL experience. But through just 60 minutes of action, fans were able to grab an appreciation for what both parties can bring to the table.

Juulsen and Mete surprisingly compliment each other very well. Mete brings a smooth skating, shifty puck-moving style of play, while Juulsen provides a big body that he’s not afraid to use, as well as, great hockey sense.

The 2015 first-round pick has yet to put up big numbers at the pro level, but he’s far from offensively inept. Early in his career, Juulsen has been asked to shoulder an exceptionally difficult load on defence in Laval playing against top competition most nights. Sometimes, he overthinks the game, but that’s hardly uncommon for young defenders.

Having a partner with mobility like Mete might allow Juulsen to get involved more offensively. His shot has always been an intriguing one, and he’s no slouch at carrying the puck up the ice either.

Kotkaniemi Shines and Scores. dark. Next

2018 wasn’t a banner year for the Montreal Canadiens in any facet, particularly on defence. There are still plenty of question marks about the future of the blueline, but these two will certainly be influential in the solution. If the Habs are planning on surprising this year, Mete and Juulsen will play a big part in that, and there’s no reason why they can’t do so together.

Home/Editorials