Prospect Info: Filip Mesar

[26Mats]

Here is the hit rate for 26th overall picks.

• 1+ NHL Games: 81.8% (45/55)
• 100+ NHL Games: 60.0% (33/55)
• 300+ NHL Games: 38.1% (21/55)
• 500+ NHL Games: 23.6% (13/55)
• 750+ NHL Games: 12.7% (7/55)
• 1000+ NHL Games: 3.6% (2/55)

1 in 5 never play a game in the NHL.

I'm willing to guess that of the 23.6 % who play more than 500 games (6 full seasons), the vast majority do so in a bottom 6 or bottom pair role.

Mesar is and always has been a long shot to be an impactful player.

Considering that we stole Hutson in this draft, I could care less about Mesar. He has always reminded me of Martin Reway. We should just let the guy play in the AHL, and see if he can maybe develop into something, but have very low expectations.

I'm liking what Hughes has done with the other two late 1sts he's had since the Mesar pick: package them with 2nds to getNewhook and Hage.

That is not my standard for what Hughes will do with a late 1st. Looking forward to seeing what Hughes will do with the Florida 1st.

 

[LaP]

Benson??

I’m saying Mesar isnt a top prospect and from what he has shown so far he won’t make it.


Yeah, lol, you mean the one against the Utica Comets?

Nothing special at all.

Guys drafted past 20th usually need a few years to figure it out like Eriksson Ek. There is exceptions obviously but you should not expect a 26th overall pick to stand out too much at 20 years old.

Poor kid lol

https://x.com/i/web/status/1838731103462461782

I'm pretty sure it's Simone Nemesssss and not Nemec

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Might be unlikely but I hope he becomes a Evan Rodrigues type of player.

 

[Natey]

Here is the hit rate for 26th overall picks.

• 1+ NHL Games: 81.8% (45/55)
• 100+ NHL Games: 60.0% (33/55)
• 300+ NHL Games: 38.1% (21/55)
• 500+ NHL Games: 23.6% (13/55)
• 750+ NHL Games: 12.7% (7/55)
• 1000+ NHL Games: 3.6% (2/55)

1 in 5 never play a game in the NHL.

I'm willing to guess that of the 23.6 % who play more than 500 games (6 full seasons), the vast majority do so in a bottom 6 or bottom pair role.

Mesar is and always has been a long shot to be an impactful player.

Considering that we stole Hutson in this draft, I could care less about Mesar. He has always reminded me of Martin Reway. We should just let the guy play in the AHL, and see if he can maybe develop into something, but have very low expectations.

Reway could have been good but his development was stunted with sickness.

I'm liking what Hughes has done with the other two late 1sts he's had since the Mesar pick: package them with 2nds to getNewhook and Hage.

That is not my standard for what Hughes will do with a late 1st. Looking forward to seeing what Hughes will do with the Florida 1st.

If Hage doesn't have a great season, everyone here will write him off too.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I'm a hater and I thought he looked alright but I was watching in French and switching tabs

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

IN THE MIX

 

[Yep]

I'm a hater and I thought he looked alright but I was watching in French and switching tabs

Not a lover or hater, but we had far worse showings of 1st round prospects in the last two decades. I think he's still in the conversation.

 

[Bombshell11]

Who ever is sheeting on Mesar is crazy, i just don't understand how you can't see his talent and potential.
He's been getting better each game. He just played 13 mins and was one of the best forwards and he's an asset on the PP.

If i were MSL i would keep him around for a few NHL games to give him some experience. His talent is undeniable and we can surely use him on the PP at least on the second wave. He's a 1st pick on his third year afterall.

 

[Rapala]

Who ever is sheeting on Mesar is crazy, i just don't understand how you can't see his talent and potential.
He's been getting better each game. He just played 13 mins and was one of the best forwards and he's an asset on the PP.

If i were MSL i would keep him around for a few NHL games to give him some experience. His talent is undeniable and we can surely use him on the PP at least on the second wave. He's a 1st pick on his third year afterall.

Unfortunately for Mesar there are better options in the system and he won't get bumped before a more deserving player.
He'll probably get two of the four remaining pre season games and then he'll be shipped off to Laval.
If he's deserving of NHL minutes he's going to have to prove it in the AHL.

 

[DAChampion]

Just because he puts up more goals than assists, doesn’t mean he’s a playmaker. At the junior level as an over-ager? Maybe, but still a stretch to call him that. He’s barely managing a point per game in the OHL, and again, he’s over age.

All we’ve heard so far about his lack of production (from a supposedly offensive forward, mind you), is “oh it’s his line mates; they have no chemistry” and “his line mates don’t keep up with him”. He’s even said it himself in interviews, which doesn’t look good on him either, tbh.

As the “playmaker”, isn’t he supposed to “make the plays”, and make his line mates better? That’s what good players do. He isn’t doing that. The reality is that it isn’t his line mates; he just doesn’t have the IQ he was purported to have.

And he stays on the perimeter instead of getting involved in the play and making things happen like he should. Perimeter players need to have a lethal shot and/or elite vision to be effective; he doesn’t have either.

I’ll be absolutely shocked if he ever makes the NHL full time after what we’ve seen so far.

Even your screen name is a complaint.

You doth protest too much.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Even your screen name is a complaint.

You doth protest too much.

Oh I forgot, we aren’t allowed to criticize prospects or have our own opinions here; group think/hivemind only. My screen name gets brought up because you happened to disagree here. Lol, get over yourself.

Btw, I was right about the player my screen name refers to, long before pretty much anyone around here wanted to admit it, KK too in much the same fashion.

And here’s a tip for next time; if you don’t like a post, ignore it. Hope this helps

 

[HankyZetts]

Unfortunately for Mesar there are better options in the system and he won't get bumped before a more deserving player.
He'll probably get two of the four remaining pre season games and then he'll be shipped off to Laval.
If he's deserving of NHL minutes he's going to have to prove it in the AHL.

No one in the AHL is better than him and that's including Owen Beck imo.

Mesar has a lot of tools. I especially like his short area quickness mixed with his IQ and skill. He's able to make plays under pressure, with no time and space. That bodes well for his chances at making an NHL top-9 one day.

A guy like Beck has a really good chance to be a 4th line player because of his intangibles, but the IQ is so limited, I feel like he'd need to take some major steps to be a top 9 player.

 

[Scintillating10]

Even if they made a "good pick" in Kulich. He doesn't move anyone from our top 6 either.

Let Mesar develop and forget about it. Him being a "good pick" has become so highly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things that its a waste of time to continue to be sour about it.

A Kulich isn't beating out Demidov Slafkovsky Laine or Caufield in a top 6.

Kulich he had good shot, outstanding in WJC. He'd make good trade chip now. If he was who else they were looking at 25, a lot of talent available at time. Benson was high pick in draft expect him to be better. Mesar soft 170lbs without a standout skill. Everybody knew he wasn't top NHLer. A tweener going to hold him. He was taken because he's Slaf best friend. Absolutely because skill not there.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Kulich he had good shot, outstanding in WJC. He'd make good trade chip now. If he was who else they were looking at 25, a lot of talent available at time. Benson was high pick in draft expect him to be better. Mesar soft 170lbs without a standout skill. Everybody knew he wasn't top NHLer. A tweener going to hold him. He was taken because he's Slaf best friend. Absolutely because skill not there.

That's false, if you can't see the skill he has that's a failure in your evaluation. Many skilled players don't make the NHL full time because of a variety of factors. Mainly consistency and what they are able to do if they aren't scoring that night.

He is the exact player this fan base screamed to draft every year under Bergevin and even though is story is no where close to written yet, if he does bust, that's the likely outcome for most of those profiles. You take the chance because if it does hit you get something that is hard to acquire, top 6 scoring.

 

[Bombshell11]

Kulich he had good shot, outstanding in WJC. He'd make good trade chip now. If he was who else they were looking at 25, a lot of talent available at time. Benson was high pick in draft expect him to be better. Mesar soft 170lbs without a standout skill. Everybody knew he wasn't top NHLer. A tweener going to hold him. He was taken because he's Slaf best friend. Absolutely because skill not there.

Tes dans les patates l'gros

You are in the potatoes

 

[themilosh]

I'm liking what Hughes has done with the other two late 1sts he's had since the Mesar pick: package them with 2nds to getNewhook and Hage.

That is not my standard for what Hughes will do with a late 1st. Looking forward to seeing what Hughes will do with the Florida 1st.

I think selecting Mesar was an insurance policy on Slaf.. junior linemates can often be overlooked.. kinda like selecting Chouinard, when his winger Giroux was right infront of their noses..
They whiffed.. no biggy.. calculated risk. House always wins in the long run with Hugo.

 

[Wateredgarden]

Kulich he had good shot, outstanding in WJC. He'd make good trade chip now. If he was who else they were looking at 25, a lot of talent available at time. Benson was high pick in draft expect him to be better. Mesar soft 170lbs without a standout skill. Everybody knew he wasn't top NHLer. A tweener going to hold him. He was taken because he's Slaf best friend. Absolutely because skill not there.

Id say his speed and agility on skate is a standout skill. He can do an almost 90 degree turn at full speed. He has a good shot and is pretty strong for a short guy.

I can see all this being enticing in a 17 years old for a scout. He seems to take shifts off all the time and doesn't read the play well.

He needs to look at Newhook game and play like him.

 

[Seb]

A guy like Beck has a really good chance to be a 4th line player because of his intangibles, but the IQ is so limited, I feel like he'd need to take some major steps to be a top 9 player.

Is this consensus on Beck? From my viewings he displayed great IQ. I think he possesses a very complete tool box. He lacks top end skills but that's it.

I think he's an ideal 3C with 2C potential still. He's our very own Ryan O'Reilly, I'm super high on him.

 

[26Mats]

I think selecting Mesar was an insurance policy on Slaf.. junior linemates can often be overlooked.. kinda like selecting Chouinard, when his winger Giroux was right infront of their noses..
They whiffed.. no biggy.. calculated risk. House always wins in the long run with Hugo.

And it's not over for Mesar. Still a chance he pops in a couple of years.

And what a draft so far: Slaf, Hutson, Beck, and Engstrom is good enough so far. Mesar, Rhorer, and/or Davidson popping would be a pleasant bonus.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I just have to say again, that I think it's ridiculous to push the narrative that they drafted him because he's Slaf's friend.

What about this regime tells you that they would burn a 1st round pick on a prospect just because they are friends with another pick?

If Mesar was just a 'friend' pick, why did they rush to do it at 26th, surely if he's this "no skill bust" then the Habs could have waited longer to pick him.

It doesn't pass the smell test, they took Mesar at 26 because they knew he wouldn't be there at the Beck pick. That's because Mesar was drafted right in the range he was expected to go relative to his ability and toolkit.

If the Habs were truly in the business of just picking friends and support for their top picks; why were none of Reinbacher's Kloten teammates picked? Why didn't the Habs blow a pick on Demidov's brother?

It's just such a stupid narrative.

 

[Seb]

I just have to say again, that I think it's ridiculous to push the narrative that they drafted him because he's Slaf's friend.

What about this regime tells you that they would burn a 1st round pick on a prospect just because they are friends with another pick?

If Mesar was just a 'friend' pick, why did they rush to do it at 26th, surely if he's this "no skill bust" then the Habs could have waited longer to pick him.

It doesn't pass the smell test, they took Mesar at 26 because they knew he wouldn't be there at the Beck pick. That's because Mesar was drafted right in the range he was expected to go relative to his ability and toolkit.

If the Habs were truly in the business of just picking friends and support for their top picks; why were none of Reinbacher's Kloten teammates picked? Why didn't the Habs blow a pick on Demidov's brother?

It's just such a stupid narrative.

People like easy reasonings. It was the same with Louis Leblanc. They can't accept that they were BPA so they need to find an excuse.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Was Nikita the Shark Scherbak better? He couldn't skate but he was more productive than Mesar in the CHL

 

[Adam Michaels]

I think selecting Mesar was an insurance policy on Slaf.. junior linemates can often be overlooked.. kinda like selecting Chouinard, when his winger Giroux was right infront of their noses..
They whiffed.. no biggy.. calculated risk. House always wins in the long run with Hugo.

Other than them being countrymen and knowing each other since they were kids, explain how selecting Mesar was an insurance for Slaf?

Aside from being teammates internationally, they've been apart from each other since they were young. Slaf was away from home since he was 14. He played in Austria and Czechia before heading to Finland. Mesar continued to develop in the Slovakian leagues. Separate paths and not together.

Even after they got drafted, they haven't been next to each other. One went straight to the NHL. The other was sent to the OHL.

Mesar was selected around the area of the draft he was predicted to go. He was slated to be a late 1st-early 2nd round player. He was not a reach and the idea he was taken for Slaf is not an honest narrative.

He might take a little longer than guys like Beck and Hutson, who were taken after him. But Mesar has what it takes to get to the NHL.

 

[Wateredgarden]

I just have to say again, that I think it's ridiculous to push the narrative that they drafted him because he's Slaf's friend.

What about this regime tells you that they would burn a 1st round pick on a prospect just because they are friends with another pick?

If Mesar was just a 'friend' pick, why did they rush to do it at 26th, surely if he's this "no skill bust" then the Habs could have waited longer to pick him.

It doesn't pass the smell test, they took Mesar at 26 because they knew he wouldn't be there at the Beck pick. That's because Mesar was drafted right in the range he was expected to go relative to his ability and toolkit.

If the Habs were truly in the business of just picking friends and support for their top picks; why were none of Reinbacher's Kloten teammates picked? Why didn't the Habs blow a pick on Demidov's brother?

It's just such a stupid narrative.

It's an insanely bad take, but it's going to stick for years.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Was Nikita the Shark Scherbak better? He couldn't skate but he was more productive than Mesar in the CHL

I'll start by saying that producing in junior doesn't always equate to having an NHL future. I'll even say that some guys can produce in the AHL, but can't crack it in the NHL. That was the case with Scherbak on top of having the rotten luck of have Sylvain Lefebvre in charge of his development. And I'm not saying that this means Mesar is an automatic NHL player. He will need to work on things. But he's way better than people give him credit for.

That being said, Scherbak had 2 junior seasons:
Season 1: 78 pts (28G, 50A) in 65 GP
Season 2: 82 pts (27G, 55A) in 65 GP + 8 pts (3G, 5A) in 11 playoff games

Mesar's 2 junior seasons:
Season 1: 51 pts (17G, 34A) in 52 GP (prorated to 66 pts (22G, 44A in 65 GP) + 4 pts (1G, 3A) in 9 playoff games.
Season 2: 52 pts (19G, 33A) in 45 GP (prorated to 75 pts (27G, 30A) in 65 GP) + 16 pts (1G, 15A) in 10 playoff games

Scherbak had more points in both seasons. But Mesar was on pace to having seasons that weren't far behind.

And in Mesar's case, he also played at the WJC, whereas Scherbak didn't. And Mesar was over a PPG in both tournaments (his 3rd one was cut short due to COVID).