Montreal Canadiens: Filip Mesar Is Catching Fire In The OHL

The Montreal Canadiens selected Filip Mesar with their second of two first-round selections and the speedy winger joined his countryman Juraj Slafkovsky as the Canadiens put their eggs in the Slovakian basket.

As with any draft selection, there will be doubters, and when Mesar didn’t stick with the Laval Rocket for the 2022-23 season, they came out of the woodwork. Adding fuel to their fire was that he didn’t look dominant during his first year with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers. He was just okay, and given his previous experience playing in the Slovakian professional league, pundits expected more from the 5’10” winger.

He split his rookie year between Laval, but mostly in Kitchener, alongside Francesco Pinelli, who led the Rangers’ offence with 90 points (41 goals & 49 assists) through 60 games. Mesar, on the other hand, was just one point short of point-per-game totals, with 51 points (17 goals & 34 assists) in 52 games. They are not awful numbers, but naturally, if a first-round pick doesn’t light up the league they play in during their draft-plus-one season, many view it as disappointing.

Year Two

While I understand the argument that Mesar should have torched the league, given his draft pedigree and previous experience, I don’t agree with it. Very seldom does it happen, that a player comes over from Europe and excels on North American ice. Such is the case with Mesar, he didn’t play poorly at all, and he just required some time to adjust to the smaller ice, and make quicker decisions with the puck.

Mesar was adamant about wanting to play in the AHL, but after a short stint, and most of his time in the press box, a new route was decided. It seems that he was just getting started last year and the confidence he gained from a full season in Kitchener has served him well to start his sophomore year. In a hockey hotbed like Montreal, the spotlight can be very intimidating, and the young Slovak has been able to fly under the radar.

This has suited him just fine, and he has just laced up his workboots and continued to grow. Year two has started off red hot for money Mesar. Mesar has three goals and nine assists through seven games, averaging just shy of two points per game.

While he isn’t leading the Rangers offensive attack, he has played a minimum of nine games less than every other player in the top ten for points on the team. The Rangers are currently being carried, for the most part, by Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf on offence, who has 32 points (18 goals & 14 assists) in 17 games, which leads the team. On defence, Vancouver Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz has led the way on the blue line with 28 points (five goals & 23 assists) in 17 games.

The reason why that is important is because Mesar will have plenty of options to play alongside and push the Rangers’ offensive attack. Not only will this reflect on his point production, but it should also help him grow his game with more puck touches. Some players take longer than others, and it’s easy to compare players selected in the same draft year, but he shouldn’t be counted out.

Mesar seems to have arrived for the Rangers, and if he can continue his strong play, he could provide the Habs with a nice piece to their puzzle. An increase in his point totals and rounding out his game away from the puck could really raise his stock in the Habs prospect pool. Perhaps Slafkovsky and Mesar can be a nice duo for the Habs one day.

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