Major: A very promising prospect of the CH might go play in Europe and boycott the organization's decision
Filip Mesar's selection at the 26th position during the 2022 draft clearly did not make unanimity among Montreal fans, especially since a certain Jiri Kulich, who scored 46 points in 62 AHL games last year, was still available.
Moreover, the head coach of the Laval Rocket, Jean-François Houle, made a major statement about the Canadiens' prospect, mentioning that he simply did not progress over the last 12 months.
"He might be at the same level. Nobody is guaranteed to make the team here. Yes, we have to develop, but we also have to put the young players in the right seats. The player needs the desired ice time to be able to improve." - Via Anthony Marcotte
Let's remember that at the same time last year, Filip Mesar had only played a single game with the Laval Rocket before being loaned to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL. Although he mentioned that he wanted to come to North America to make his debut in the professional ranks, the forward was not of caliber to make the AHL team's lineup.
After a disappointing season of 51 points in 52 junior games, Mesar was far from impressive at the Canadiens' training camp, and everything suggests that he could again be cut from the Laval Rocket.
If such a scenario occurs, we could truly witness a nightmare situation for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. Indeed, the Slovak did not really want to play in the OHL last year and according to Maxime Truman from the website DansLesCoulisses, it would not be surprising if he turns his back on the organization to go play in his native country this season.
Note that the forward is leaving tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table by agreeing to play in the OHL rather than in Slovakia. A substantial argument that could conceivably convince him to refuse a return with the Kitchener Rangers, especially since, according to several pieces of information, there would be a very toxic atmosphere within the Ontario team.
One thing is certain, this will be a file to watch in the coming days. Let's just say that the Canadiens' management could bitterly regret their selection in the coming years, especially knowing that several talented players were drafted after the 26th position.
Credit: Habs et LNH
| POLL | ||
Do you believe that Filip Mesar has the potential to become a top-6 forward in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 26 % |
| No, but maybe on a 3rd line | 49 | 49 % |
| No | 25 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||
