Canadiens Prospects That Have Most To Prove In Laval

The Montreal Canadiens’ rebuild has a lot riding on the development of their prospects, and the growth of their youth in Laval at the centre of it all.

The Canadiens will already be counting on the development of more mature prospects like Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen at the NHL level, but the true work will be happening with the Laval Rocket.

Since the Canadiens rebuild truly began in the winter of 2022, this is the first year when the Canadiens’ developmental system will have the majority of their high draft picks in their professional ranks.

While top end youngsters like Juraj Slafkovsky and possibly Lane Hutson continue to ply their craft at the NHL level, players like Owen Beck, Filip Mesar, Adam Engstrom and more will inject some extra talent to the organization.

Despite NHL betting odds still looking projecting the Canadiens to have a bottom-10 finish this season, especially after the injury sustained to Patrik Laine, there is a silver lining.

The development of a key group of prospects with the Laval Rocket this season.

The Canadiens could be able to set themselves up quite nicely for next seasons, especially with the eventual arrival of Ivan Demidov, with some positive development from the prospects below.

Owen Beck: A Montreal Canadiens Centre in Waiting

The Montreal Canadiens appear to have tangible depth up the middle for the first time in years, but they also have the expiring deals of Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans to deal with.

As the Canadiens need to determine future contract decisions, Owen Beck‘s growth in Laval this season will go a long way in helping him crack a roster spot either at the end of this season or the start of the next.

Beck’s defensive game is already arguably NHL-ready, but the organization views the 20-year-old as more than a simple fourth-line centre and would like to see a more regular offensive contribution before making him start in Montreal.

Beck’s numbers in junior show a very up-and-down journey toward being a prime offensive contributor, with the two-way forward’s scoring pace taking a sharp rise once traded to the Saginaw Spirit.

If Beck can carry that momentum with him into the season and establish himself as a top-six centre in the AHL, the Canadiens will be in a strong position down the middle and could likely flip Dvorak and/or Evans for assets come March.

Filip Mesar: Not Getting Lost In The Shuffle

Perhaps the prospect with the most to prove with the Laval Rocket this season is Filip Mesar.

After two seasons with hot starts and stagnant second halves, Mesar has to not only prove that he can play in a more physical league like the AHL, but that his offensive attributes can also translate to the pro game.

There is going to be a lot of competition for ice time in Laval on the wings, but, there is also a significant opportunity for a player like Mesar to force head coach Pascal Vincent to play him more.

Mesar will likely get a regular shift in the Laval Rocket’s top-9, as well as regular power play minutes to help jumpstart his offence at the pro level.

However, as a former 1st-round pick, Mesar will have to prove the Canadiens right by stepping into the AHL and showing more dynamic ability with the puck for his stock to begin to rise.

A strong season in the AHL will go a long way in positioning Mesar prominently in the Canadiens’ organizational depth chart.

Adam Engstrom: The Canadiens’ Hidden Gem

The Montreal Canadiens are loaded with left-shooting defensive prospects under the age of 23 at the moment, which is why Adam Engstrom’s name often gets lost in the conversation.

But make no mistake, Adam Engstrom proved during the pre-season that he has legit NHL potential and could quickly become a key cog for the Laval Rocket right out of the gate.

With the graduation of Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj and Lane Hutson seemingly starting the year with the Montreal Canadiens, Engstrom will have every opportunity to play in the Rocket’s top-4 this year and grow his game.

But he doesn’t necessarily have to dominate out of the gate, as the 20-year-old will be getting accustomed to North-American ice and log some important minutes in Laval this year.

With Engstrom it’s much more about a marathon than a race, as he has a lot fo runway to improve and the opportunity to do so with some significant minutes.

If Engstrom shows some significant signs of improvement this season and becomes one of the top rookie defencemen in the AHL, it’ll go a long way in cementing his status as a player to watch for moving forward.

And, it could further complicate — in a good way — the vision of Montreal’s future defensive corps moving forward.