The reality is that some talented, but not ultra talented players can have a career -- even a very successful career -- in the NHL. However, whether you want to use the word chair, or something else, those players have to find a niche for themselves in order to have that career.
Hell, Carbonneau is the perfect example of this. In Juniors, he was a 50-goal scorer. Yet, instead of insisting on being that player in the NHL (which he might never have become despite banging his head on a wall trying), he packaged his hockey IQ, his speed and his sense of anticipation and found niche as one of the premier shutdown Cs with offensive upside in the whole League. His leadership skills and a will to place the team ahead of himself also lead to him becoming Captain of the team!
There's no humiliation tied to being an NHL 4th line C or winger that plays as a role-player, and there is nothing preventing that player to strive to be the best in that role, standing out from the lot with the same role in the NHL.
I don't know where or if Mesar will play in the NHL. Beck, who some said had 2nd line upside, could be our elite 4th line C who can chip in 10 goals and shutdown the opponents' best players, allowing MSL, once we get back Ito the playoffs, to rotate his lines with impunity and keep his better players rested as an edge against the competition.
Houle is just keeping in line with what management in Montreal wants. An AHL team services the NHL team, nothing more, nothing less.
There is no deliberate sabotage of player, nor one stemming from complete incompetence, as some are suggesting.
If Houle wasn't doing the job that is asked of him by the Montreal Canadiens, he would simply be replaced.
Now that there is a genuine development department in Montreal, every prospect is analyzed from head to toe. The organization knows what weaknesses they want to address for each player and what strengths they want to nurture.
Houle may not have the personality of a Bouchard before him, but he's far from a complete moron.
