Canadiens Giving Filip Mesar Chance To Prove He Belongs In AHL

Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar wants to play with the Laval Rocket this season and he has a chance to prove he belongs tonight.

After not initially appearing on the Laval Rocket’s opening roster sheet, Filip Mesar will line up on Laval’s fourth line at right wing next to fellow Canadiens prospects Jan Mysak and Lucas Condotta.

Mesar has looked good during the Laval Rocket training camp and impressed in the pre-season games he suited up for, particularly against the Belleville Senators, but management isn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of Mesar not playing prime minutes this season.

Head coach Jean François Houle mentioned to reporters today that this game will be of great help for the management team to decide where to send Mesar for the good of his development, but they aren’t going to rush the process.

Jean-François Houle veut voir Filip Mesar dans des matchs réguliers de la LAH pour aider l'organisation à prendre une décision dans son cas. Rien ne presse pour l'équipe à le céder à Kitchener. Ça prendra le temps que ça prendra.

— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) October 14, 2022

Preference Remains Kitchener

During his press conference, general manager Kent Hughes spoke of his ongoing discussions with Mesar’s agent as to where his client will play this upcoming season. Hughes believes that Mesar is good enough to play in the AHL right now, but feels it would be to the detriment of his offensive game.

“I think Filip Mesar is better off scoring 80 points in the OHL than he is scoring 40 points in the AHL,” said Kent Hughes regarding his viewpoint on why Mesar would be better served in the OHL than the AHL.

Although the OHL is likely the preference for the Canadiens, it’s not the only option available to Mesar, and this is likely what is causing a delay in the negotiations.

If it were up to Hughes, Mesar would be lining up with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, but Mesar is being given a chance to show he has more to gain by sticking in the pros this season.

https://montreal.nationalhockeynow.com/2022/10/12/kent-hughes-negotiating-next-steps-with-filip-mesar-for-season/