Canadiens: Ottawa Senators Claim Victor Mete off Waivers

The Ottawa Senators have claimed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete off waivers, as per Monday.

A fourth round pick of the Canadiens in the 2016 NHL entry draft, Mete has seen his stock rise and subsequently fall in the organization since making his NHL debut in the 2017-18 season. A native of Woodbridge, Ontario, Mete put up some solid, if unremarkable numbers in his three season’s with the WHL’s London Knights, culminating in a career high 44 points (15 g, 29 a) over 50 games in the 2016-17 season.

As the Canadiens stumbled out of the gate and subsequently over the course of 2017-18, Mete was one of the few bright spots on the team, alongside others like backup goaltender Antti Niemi and checking forward Daniel Carr. Spending time on the team’s first pairing alongside Jeff Petry and for a time Shea Weber (before the veteran defenseman was lost to injuries) Mete put up 7 assists over 49 games as Montreal posted a 29-40-13 record.

In the season’s following, Mete has been a serviceable depth option, but never managed to truly figure out his game offensively, never posting more than 13 points over his four seasons in Montreal. While he played a major role in the Canadiens late-season playoff push in 2018-19, he’s falling out of favor with the coaching staff far into 2020-21, being benched for the entire third period by head coach Dominique Ducharme in his last appearance, a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Ottawa Senators have claimed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete off waivers as per Monday, following a less than stellar performance this season.

In Ottawa, Mete should see more playing time on a Senators team who now have a huge hole in the lineup following the departure of defenseman Mike Rielly and Braydon Coburn to the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders respectively. As the Senators look to salvage morale and build for what looks like a promising future, Mete will have an opportunity to be apart of said future in the long-term.

At 5’09 and 184 pounds, Mete possesses excellent skating abilities, yet lacks in much of the way of offensive instincts or shooting. However, at 22 years old, there’s always the chance he finally works those kinks out with a potential first pairing role on a young and budding Senators team. He will most likely see playing time alongside a stay at home option like Erik Gudbranson, and should fit in nicely on a fast skating, quick paced Senators team.

Mete should be able to make his Senators debut on either their April 14th match against the Jets, or April 17th match against the Canadiens. Montreal plays the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday at 7 PM.