A former Habs' first rounder could be traded for a potential top-6 forward
To acquire a quality player, one often has to part with high-quality prospects and draft picks. Since the end of the regular season, Kent Hughes has been clear in his message.
He wants to acquire a potential top-6 offensive player, but he will be forced to offer an attractive compensation at this point.
Among the players who may potentially be sacrificed by the organization to acquire a player ready to deliver in the NHL, Filip Mesar's name tops the list along with other high-quality prospects.
Despite a good tally of 52 points in 45 games with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League, he does not seem to be developing at a pace that makes Kent Hughes believe he will have the necessary skills to break into a top-6 or top-9 position in the short or medium term.
Selected 26th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Slovak's development has somewhat stagnated over the past year. Some journalists and experts even question whether he has what it takes to earn a spot in the NHL with Montreal.
As reported by Marqueur.com, the option of including Filip Mesar in a future trade along with other young prospects or draft picks to acquire a top-6 forward could make sense. Rumors have been multiplying in recent weeks, with the latest suggesting Mesar could be part of a trade with the Winnipeg Jets to obtain Rutger McGroarty. Certainly, other elements would be added by Kent Hughes to acquire the American.
Filip Mesar comments on trade rumors involving him
In a recent discussion with the organization, Mesar stated that he is still part of Kent Hughes' plans. The 20-year-old prospect even agreed to arrive in Montreal earlier this summer to prepare for the training camp scheduled for September after skipping the prospect camp following the draft.
I have no idea where the information about Winnipeg came from or who wrote it. The day it was mentioned, I was organizing my plane tickets to Montreal. No one at the club has talked to me about a trade.
Of course, it can always happen, the NHL is a 'business' above all, but I have no information on this subject. It's interesting to note that nothing is mentioned in the Canadian media and that in Slovakia, we are unaware of this rumor."
He made headlines a few weeks ago after criticizing his teammates in the OHL during a podcast appearance. Needless to say, these comments did not go unnoticed by fans. Many questions about his attitude have been raised and shared by users on various platforms such as X and Facebook.
Credit: Marqueur
Trade rumor involving Filip Mesar: The Canadiens prospect breaks his silence
| POLL | ||
Where will Filip Mesar play the majority of his 2024-2025 season? | ||
| Kitchener (OHL) | 22 | 7.2 % |
| Laval (AHL) | 228 | 74.5 % |
| Montreal (NHL) | 9 | 2.9 % |
| Other teams | 47 | 15.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
