Montreal Canadiens: It Is Time To Give Victor Mete Top Power Play Minutes

The Montreal Canadiens have to find answers for their struggling special teams units. Victor Mete may be the obvious solution for a mediocre power play.

The Montreal Canadiens unearthed a gem with the 100th overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft. Victor Mete was an undersized offensive minded defenceman playing for the London Knights when he was picked by the Habs.

The 5’9″ left shooting defenceman scored 38 points in 68 games before being drafted and then went back to the Knights and scored 44 points in 50 games the following season. He would add 18 points in 32 postseason games combined in those two years as the Knights went on a few deep playoff runs.

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Surprisingly, Mete went to his second training camp with the Habs in 2017 and earned a spot on the NHL roster. Mete would not score a goal in his first two seasons with the Habs and had just 20 points in 120 games over those two years. However, his speed and ability to move the puck up ice with a smart pass or with his legs proved to be a valuable asset.

Those offensive elements of Mete’s game have been on display far more than ever in his third campaign with the Habs. He finally scored his first NHL goal in the Habs seventh game and immediately looked more confident and poised offensively.

Mete has since added a couple more goals, but his biggest strength is his ability to jump into the rush, or lead the rush by carrying the puck from end to end. Those skills have been on display at even strength, but Mete has barely played on the power play at all.

The Canadiens have been able to find lots of offence at even strength but are a middling team at best on the power play. They are clicking at 19.4% efficient right now which puts them 17th in the league – right in the middle of the pack. They have been brutal on the penalty kill, so they need their power play to be better to help balance out their special teams.

Giving Mete an opportunity on the power play could boost that percentage and make the team far more dangerous with the man advantage. To this point in the season, Mete has been on the ice for less than a minute of power play time. Everyone on the roster other than Christian Folin and Cale Fleury have seen more power play action than Mete.

The Habs coaches have made some head scratching decisions, especially with their player usage on the power play. It seems that the top power play unit is filled with players that are often healthy scratches. NickC Cousins was scratched for the first six games but was in front of the net on the top power play after that. Jordan Weal was banished to the press box after a bad start but once he was put back in the lineup he went straight to the first power play unit.

In the Habs most recent game against the New York Rangers, Mike Reilly found himself in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for six straight games. Not only was he dressed, he was immediately put on the first power play when the Habs drew their first penalty just three minutes into the game.

Reilly is a good skater, and has a decent shot, but is not a threat to anyone running the point on the man advantage. He skates fast, but his decision making with the puck is poor, making him a bad fit on the power play.

Mete however, has exceptional skating, can handle the puck and carry it into the opposition’s zone. He also has terrific vision and passing skills that would make him an extraordinary fit as the quarterback on the top power play.

Sure, Mete’s shot isn’t among the league’s hardest but that shouldn’t stop him from getting any chance on the power play. Some of the best power plays in the league are quarterbacked by smart, passing defencemen and not someone with a booming slap shot.

The Boston Bruins have Torey Krug as their quarterback. He has zero power play goals and 12 assists because he can find either David Pastrnak or Brad Marchand with deceptive puck skills and great passing ability. Quinn Hughes and Keith Yandle aren’t blasting pucks past goaltenders but they are running two of the league’s best power plays because they can skate the puck up ice and enter the opponent’s zone with speed and set up their teammates with great passes.

Victor Mete would be able to do the same thing. The Habs would get set up quickly because Mete could carry the puck the length of the ice in a flash and attack the position with speed. He can’t hammer the puck like Al Iafrate, but he could find Shea Weber with perfect passes after drawing defenders attention, He can also snap quick shots through traffic on the net where Brendan Gallagher is constantly creating havoc.

This role is normally filled by Jonathan Drouin who is out after undergoing wrist surgery. The fact the Habs coaches didn’t immediately try Mete in his place makes them culpable for the team’s mediocre power play more than the players.

It is time to give Mete a chance to shine in a power play role. He is the perfect man for the job as power play quarterback and just needs an opportunity to show what he can do.