Canadiens Prospects Reinbacher & Mesar Options Becoming Clear

When it comes to the Montreal Canadiens rebuild, few things are more important than the situations in which their prospects are developing.

Given the team lacked any semblance of a development program prior to Kent Hughes’ nomination as the general manager, fans are well aware that drafting players with a healthy amount of potential isn’t enough, they must be placed in leagues and teams that are conducive to steady growth.

Fortunately, the Canadiens now own a revamped development team, which should lead to a significant influx of talent heading to the Laval Rocket next season.

The reinforcements in the AHL should include players like Joshua Roy, Sean Farrell, and Riley Kidney, among others.

Mesar To Laval

And now we have confirmation that 2022 first-round pick Filip Mesar, is likely to play for the Rocket, with an outside chance of earning an audition in the NHL.

“They told me that I should be well prepared for the big leagues, because the AHL awaits me,” explained Mesar to Sport.sk. “If I surprise in the camp, I could get a game in the NHL. It just depends on me how I show up. I think that I will play the season on the farm.”

He goes on to mention that the Canadiens do not necessarily see him as a centre going forward, due to his play in the defensive zone, and that for now, he’s not worried about making his NHL debut.

Filip Mesar walks in and SNIPES one for team white pic.twitter.com/cKXejsYH37

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) July 4, 2023

“The way I feel is that I go for everything one step at a time. At the moment, the most important thing for me is the AHL, to win a solid place in the Laval Rocket. Of course, I have the NHL in my head a little, but I don’t worry about it.”

If you’d like to read the entire interview (translated) you can click here. The original interview (Slovak) can be found here.

David Reinbacher’s Team Options

As for the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round pick in the 2023 Draft, David Reinbacher, the options are quite clear.

Either he will earn a job with the Habs at training camp, and feature in their main roster, or he will head back to the NL to play another season with Kloten EHC.

The AHL and the CHL are not being considered, which is a wise approach given that Reinbacher has been playing against professional players in Switzerland for two years already.

“If he manages to earn an NHL job, we will be very happy for him,” explained Kloten Sports Director Larry Mitchell. “And if he does not earn a job, we will be quite happy to see him play another season with Kloten.”

The original report regarding Reinbacher’s options for next season can be found here (French).

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