Prospect Info: Filip Mesar

[26Mats]

Stud? Playmaker? Whatever description you want, we love him.

No worries, just wanted to clarify what you were refering to.

 

[Natey]

He dropped to less points per game. There goes the 200 mark @Bombshell11 , I call a bust.

Uh oh, @jellybeans is going to put you on the ignore list!

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

This is definitely the case. Slaf won't be a guy who only can play that way in junior. Whatever he wants to do he can do against anyone. He's already in the top 1% in body weight in the NHL. Only 5 guys weigh more than him and only Hedman would be matched against him after he develops into a first liner.

Smaller guys can take bigger guys out still. Just because your big doesn’t mean you are immune to huge hits.

 

[dcyhabs]

What a waste of complete time.

Called it 4 months ago, man.....

He's too f***ing good for the OHL..... "but but but if he was that good why was he drafted late?"

But but but my aaaaa***** the nhl scouts are clowns, Mesar makes everyone look bad now. He's stuck in the OHL for 1 year??? gawd damn....
i said i was expecting 120 pts minimum from him this year, scratch that...this guy is going to hit 190 pts at least.

He’s definitely trying to prove them wrong. Is there still an option to go AHL if he keeps it up?

 

[dcyhabs]

This is a legitimate concern. I saw it right away with Latendresse. He did well in his first camp, but was always already getting rocked. Then he has to retire early.

In Lats' case I always attributed his short career to 1) being rushed into the NHL and 2) coaches not properly addressing this aspect of his game.

You bring up an interesting perspective that the AHL would have been a better development path than the OHL. I say interesting because I'll consider it. But I'm not convinced just at first glance.

The other perspective is: the better you are with the puck, the more you can handle the puck without having your head down. And where's he going to learn to handle the puck more?

At any rate, he's falling a lot and just got rocked at the NHL level. Priority number one should be his development, preventing injury, including developing his ability to have his head up when he makes plays. If those things are better accomplished at the AHL or OHL, that's where he should be over the NHL, regardless of his modest secondary scoring contributions to the big club.

Latendresse wanted to play hockey, the habs dinosaur coaches wanted him to park himself in front of the goalie like Gallagher. Too many concussions in any case.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He’s definitely trying to prove them wrong. Is there still an option to go AHL if he keeps it up?

Next year.

 

[montreal]

He’s definitely trying to prove them wrong. Is there still an option to go AHL if he keeps it up?

they could emergency recall him if the situation needed it but for now I think he's in a great spot, wouldn't get too worried about the points and just let him get comfortable as the skills are there just needs to add mass and strength over time.

 

[Naslund]

Going to the OHL was ideal for Mesar, for many reasons.
- Decreases the chance of a major injury compared to playing in AHL. Unlike Slafkovsky who can get hit in the middle of the ice and survive, a bad hit could derail Mesar's career (think Koivu)
- Has more quality minutes in OHL than AHL
- Can more easily work on his weaknesses (e.g., one-timer slapshot)
- Can leave OHL for a month for the WJC, then come back and not miss a beat. Harder to do at the next level.
- OHL playoffs will provide appropriate challenge for his age
- This year, he needs to acclimate himself to a new culture, language and playing on a smaller rink size. This is a lot for an 18yr-old. Easier to do this in a lower league.

 

[26Mats]

Latendresse wanted to play hockey, the habs dinosaur coaches wanted him to park himself in front of the goalie like Gallagher. Too many concussions in any case.

yeah he went on to Minnesota and produced, but then kept getting concussed.

 

[Runner77]

Going to the OHL was ideal for Mesar, for many reasons.
- Decreases the chance of a major injury compared to playing in AHL. Unlike Slafkovsky who can get hit in the middle of the ice and survive, a bad hit could derail Mesar's career (think Koivu)
- Has more quality minutes in OHL than AHL
- Can more easily work on his weaknesses (e.g., one-timer slapshot)
- Can leave OHL for a month for the WJC, then come back and not miss a beat. Harder to do at the next level.
- OHL playoffs will provide appropriate challenge for his age
- This year, he needs to acclimate himself to a new culture, language and playing on a smaller rink size. This is a lot for an 18yr-old. Easier to do this in a lower league.

Great points but he’s forming a productive tandem with Pinelli, which means that he’s been a winger so far (yes, small sample size).

Hughes stated that he preferred for Mesar to play both wing and center, as he liked the flexibility it would provide. How does Mesar get his reps at centre?

 

[Whitesnake]

The junior hockey leagues are filled with guys too strong for that league. First, depsite the huge success he's already having, he needs to be stronger. He needs to perfect his 5 on 5 games and defensive game. He needs to not overplay with the puck too much. There is nothing negative about being there.

 

[26Mats]

The junior hockey leagues are filled with guys too strong for that league. First, depsite the huge success he's already having, he needs to be stronger. He needs to perfect his 5 on 5 games and defensive game. He needs to not overplay with the puck too much. There is nothing negative about being there.

Same with Slaf, I think.

 

[Habsrule]

I posted a couple pages back but I’ll post it again. I was at the game on Friday and watched him live out up four points. I know it is a small sample size but he overplayed the puck quite often and he forced a pass a bunch of times. Now when he forced the pass he was getting the majority of them through so I will not fault him. Even for OHL standards he is a smaller player so I have no clue where any of this power forward talk comes from. He drives with the puck and circles a lot. He controls the game.

Kitchener is a great place for him. He has great chemistry with Pinelli who is a 2nd round NHL pick. The team got off to a 0-5 start but have a solid team. Their are no clear cut favourites in the Western Conference. Rangers have two potential 1st round NHL draft picks on the team. Their GM is Mike McKenzie and through his dad (Bob) he is very well connected in the NHL world. Kitchener traded for one of the best goalies in the OHL in Constantini who led Hamilton to a Memorial Cup last year. The Rangers were 0-5 and their GM made a very early in the season big trade. Velade and Serpa both play second line and are overagers, same as Constantini. This is Pinelli’s last year in the OHL as well and will graduate to the AHL next season. Hamara is their other import pick and he was a 3rd round NHL pick this past draft.

Needless to say the Kitchener Rangers are all in this year.

 

[cphabs]

If both players continue to produce as a tandem, how likely might it be for the coach to split them up? If this continues, how is Mesar getting reps at center?

Didn’t get a chance to thank you for the GTD vs Dallas. The knuckle sandwich bistro? I am still laughing! “Would you like a sample?” Lmfao!

 

[Habs Halifax]

Is he playing center with Kitchener?

 

[yianik]

Latendresse wanted to play hockey, the habs dinosaur coaches wanted him to park himself in front of the goalie like Gallagher. Too many concussions in any case.

Lol. The coaches would physically take hold of him when the team was practicing the power play and pull him to the front of the net. Then Tender would drift away from that spot. He modeled himself after Stephane Richer is my guess and didnt want to be used the way Martin insisted he play. Such a talented guy.

 

[cphabs]

I posted a couple pages back but I’ll post it again. I was at the game on Friday and watched him live out up four points. I know it is a small sample size but he overplayed the puck quite often and he forced a pass a bunch of times. Now when he forced the pass he was getting the majority of them through so I will not fault him. Even for OHL standards he is a smaller player so I have no clue where any of this power forward talk comes from. He drives with the puck and circles a lot. He controls the game.

Kitchener is a great place for him. He has great chemistry with Pinelli who is a 2nd round NHL pick. The team got off to a 0-5 start but have a solid team. Their are no clear cut favourites in the Western Conference. Rangers have two potential 1st round NHL draft picks on the team. Their GM is Mike McKenzie and through his dad (Bob) he is very well connected in the NHL world. Kitchener traded for one of the best goalies in the OHL in Constantini who led Hamilton to a Memorial Cup last year. The Rangers were 0-5 and their GM made a very early in the season big trade. Velade and Serpa both play second line and are overagers, same as Constantini. This is Pinelli’s last year in the OHL as well and will graduate to the AHL next season. Hamara is their other import pick and he was a 3rd round NHL pick this past draft.

Needless to say the Kitchener Rangers are all in this year.

Is a trade necessary, OHL wise, to get him there?

 

[cphabs]

The junior hockey leagues are filled with guys too strong for that league. First, depsite the huge success he's already having, he needs to be stronger. He needs to perfect his 5 on 5 games and defensive game. He needs to not overplay with the puck too much. There is nothing negative about being there.

Especially for Kitchener!

Going to the OHL was ideal for Mesar, for many reasons.
- Decreases the chance of a major injury compared to playing in AHL. Unlike Slafkovsky who can get hit in the middle of the ice and survive, a bad hit could derail Mesar's career (think Koivu)
- Has more quality minutes in OHL than AHL
- Can more easily work on his weaknesses (e.g., one-timer slapshot)
- Can leave OHL for a month for the WJC, then come back and not miss a beat. Harder to do at the next level.
- OHL playoffs will provide appropriate challenge for his age
- This year, he needs to acclimate himself to a new culture, language and playing on a smaller rink size. This is a lot for an 18yr-old. Easier to do this in a lower league.

Well said and thanks

 

[ahmedou]

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is he playing center with Kitchener?

Him and Pinelli splitting duties.

 

[schwang26]

Laval should've kept him. God knows they need the offence.

 

[aresknights]

Carrying the shitty Rangers on his back

Not many who follow the OHL had Kitchener pegged as a shitty team this year bur ya they had a bad start of 4/5 games. They've got some skill up front and most picked them top 1/2 of the conference.
He should get reps at C as well.

 

[Runner77]

Him and Pinelli splitting duties.

Really? I didn’t know that. Fantastic that he’s getting reps at center.

 

[NewEraGM]

Great points but he’s forming a productive tandem with Pinelli, which means that he’s been a winger so far (yes, small sample size).

Hughes stated that he preferred for Mesar to play both wing and center, as he liked the flexibility it would provide. How does Mesar get his reps at centre?

It’s literally been 2 games. Give it a chance

 

[Runner77]

It’s literally been 2 games. Give it a chance

I’ve said as much in my post.