Montreal Canadiens Make Right Decision, Send Filip Mesar Down To OHL
The Montreal Canadiens announced that Filip Mesar is being sent down to the Ontario Hockey League on Saturday morning.
He will join the Kitchener Rangers, effective immediately. Mesar should slot right into the team’s top six, and be relied upon heavily in year two by his coach.
Mesar was adamant that he wanted to be playing, and the organization agreed. In the best interest of his development, he should be playing more often. With the Laval Rocket, he hasn’t been given the minutes, and while it’s frustrating for the player, it also slows down his development.
He was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, with the Canadiens second first-round selection. The Canadiens followed up fellow Slovakian Juraj Slafkovsky’s pick with his countryman Mesar. The feel-good story hasn’t yet translated to the professional ranks, but with more playing time, Mesar should find his groove.
With Francesco Pinelli turning pro, he will play for the American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign. This could leave Mesar with somewhat of a leadership role, as one of the club’s older players. A perfect opportunity for Mesar to take on more responsibility, and play bigger minutes.
Certainly, Mesar would like to be playing steady minutes with the Rocket, but another season in the OHL will only allow him to further adjust to the North American game. I have wracked my brain about whether or not the Habs missed on Buffalo Sabres 2022 28th overall selection Jiri Kulich. The thing is, though, every player develops differently and counting Mesar out without giving him a chance could backfire.
In the best interest of the player’s development, he will play with the Rangers, and another full OHL season will only benefit him. Re-evaluating Mesar next year, and then giving him an opportunity for a larger role in Laval would be great asset management. Kent Hughes has proven adept at keeping all of his ducks in a row and getting the best out of his deals, so there’s no reason to believe that Mesar wasn’t put in the best situation for his development.
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