A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens: Three Regulars Who Need To Prove Themselves At Training Camp

By Ken MacMillan

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 03: Brett Kulak of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 03: Brett Kulak of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 02: Victor Mete Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 02: Victor Mete Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Victor Mete

Victor Mete was taken in the 4th round of the 2016 NHL Draft with the 100th overall selection in that year’s draft. He has proven to be great value at that part of the draft as he has become an NHL regular already. But will he be able to maintain that status?

The diminutive but speedy left defenceman played 51 of the Habs 71 games last season, missing some time with injury. He also suited up for 71 regular season games in 2018-19 and all ten games the Habs played in the postseason this past summer.

In those summer contests, Mete was moved to his off wing on the third defence pairing. His small stature has led to him being overpowered in the defensive zone at times and his two points in ten postseason games isn’t enough to guarantee him a regular spot in the Habs lineup.

Not to mention the Canadiens management team clearly has a preference for big, physical defencemen.

They traded for Joel Edmundson’s rights and signed him to a four year contract. He is 6’4″ and 216 pounds. Ben Chiarot was brought in last year and he is 6’3″ and 218 pounds. Shea Weber is 6’4″ and 229 pounds. Jeff Petry is 6’3″ and 207 pounds. Brett Kulak is 6’2″ and 187 pounds.

Mete is 5’9″ and 183 pounds.

That doesn’t mean Mete will be pushed aside for bigger players necessarily. But with the Habs four most used defencemen from the postseason: Weber, Petry, Chiarot and Kulak all returning and Edmundson and Romanov joining the team this season, Mete is at risk of being passed over and finding himself a healthy scratch.

He will need a strong camp to show he still belongs in the top six on opening night, and he must show that his speed and skill would be missed on the blue line with strong play early in the season.

Home/Editorials