Montreal Canadiens: Filip Mesar Wisely Sent Down To OHL For Season

The Montreal Canadiens had a few tough calls on younger players at the end of training camp. The biggest decision revolved around the recent first overall pick, but several prospects needed to find the right home for the 2022-23 season.

Juraj Slafkovksy remained in the NHL, for now, after training camp. The 18 year old looked good in some games in the preseason, but not great in others. The team had to make a decision on where he would begin the year, and chose to take a longer look at him at the NHL level.

We will see how long that lasts, but the Canadiens second first round pick didn’t last long at the pro level. One game, in fact, was all he was given.

Filip Mesar sent down to Kitchener Rangers

Filip Mesar was taken with the 26th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He played pro last season in Europe, so he had the option to stay in the NHL, play in the AHL, go to the OHL, where the Kitchener Rangers owned his rights, or even head back to Europe for another season.

The Canadiens appeared to rule out heading back to Europe, as they wanted their first round picks playing in North America this season. Mesar did play well in the preseason, with his pro experience shining through as he stepped right in against (some) NHL competition in those games and performed well.

Mesar was eventually sent to the AHL to join the Laval Rocket at their training camp. He continued to show off some skill, and was put in the lineup on opening night. However, he was playing on the fourth line and was moved to right wing as well.

An 18 year old may belong in the AHL, but it is a rare occurrence. What is not debatable is, there is no point having an 18 year old playing fourth line minutes at the AHL level.

Mesar won’t be doing that any longer. He was sent to the Kitchener Rangers where he will play an enormous role in a strong Junior league. Instead of playing a depth role at a higher level, Mesar will be a go-to guy and likely a first line centre in the OHL.

His development will grow exponentially if he is putting up incredible numbers in a Junior league, as compared to sitting on the end of the bench for long periods in the pro league. Young players get better by playing well and not by watching older players play well while they sit on the bench.

The Canadiens made the right decision sending Mesar down to a league where he could really pile up points. Now, let’s wait and see what they end up doing with Slafkovsky.

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