Main topic of this thread is Filip Mesar. Who's a very interesting prospect that quite honestly, is continuously swept under the rug by just about everyone. Habs fans included.
Next season is very fair to assume that Mesar will start in the AHL to get more ice time, round out his game, and gain confidence. Which is why I titled this thread with "end of next season" meaning at some point Mesar will get called up, and hopefully surprise everyone. It's still possible that he could make the Habs out of training camp (and there are good reasons for it that I'll mention below) but it's unlikely. What makes Mesar interesting imo is that he's basically a top 6 or bust forward.
First thing is that he's better suited for MTL than Laval. The AHL is a much slower, physical hardnosed league. Mesar is a speed demon that's not very physical, and the NHL has been getting smaller and faster year by year. Playing him in an environment that's better suited for his style of play will bring out his best qualities. The counter argument (that I agree with) is that it's even more important for him to play in the AHL, to develop a more physical element to his game.
Second is one of the really positive aspects of Mesar, it is that he's gained a reputation of being a "big game" player. All of his best hockey has been during big games for Kitchener during the season, during the previous two World Juniors he was the best or second-best player on the team every game for Slovakia, and during the OHL playoffs he's been great! So putting him in the spotlight in MTL would seem a natural fit, especially if he thrives under pressure (it might be the exact reason why MTL selected him in the draft over guys like Kulich and Lambert).
Third is the big "X factor". Mesar's almost guaranteed instant chemistry with Slafkovsky.... These guys have been playing hockey together since they probably laced up skates for the first time lol For those who remember, although it was a small sample size, the couple games Slafkovsky and Mesar played together for the Habs was during the rookie camp showcase in 2022, and they dominated. Need more proof? They have played together in almost every Slovakian U18, U16, U12, you name it international team lol They know all ins and outs of each other's game to dominate.
It makes too much sense for when Mesar eventually plays with MTL, that they pair him with Slaf. And at the moment I'd argue Slafkovsky has better chemistry with Suzuki than Caufiled does, So the top 6 line should be Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Mesar, with Caufield playing with Dach.
You can essentially ignore the rest of the lineup, I just mocked a lineup and some trades. (I opted to keep Dvorak over Evans due to having too many right shooting Centers)
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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