Prospect Info: Filip Mesar

[River Meadow]

Mesar looks like he will be a good player at the NHL level in time.

Looks quite skilled.

Not worried about him.

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Lol, never forget when people were mad because Mesar was going to the OHL because… “he already played in a men’s league so playing in junior is a step down and he’s just gonna dominate weaker competition”. Look how the tables have turned.

He played in slovak men´s league, league that is non physical and slow, thats the problem, that´s the whole catch.

 

[SlafCaufield]

not impressed with him in that first round,, he should be a leader on the Rangers offensively and he wasnt,, wasnt a fan of this pick at the time and still dont like it

 

[Bombshell11]

not impressed with him in that first round,, he should be a leader on the Rangers offensively and he wasnt,, wasnt a fan of this pick at the time and still dont like it

Like many others have come here to trash Mesar, i simply have one question/answer. Which game did you watch?

 

[Hins77]

Like many others have come here to trash Mesar, i simply have one question/answer. Which game did you watch?

Mesar isnt a shutdown dman, or an all around, Two way type forward or powerforward. He is a small player, and in the NHL, those small frame players needs to contribute largely offensively on their juniors years. He had a disapointing D1. Can he bounce back? Yep, he could. But I wouldnt put my money on it.

 

[SlafCaufield]

Like many others have come here to trash Mesar, i simply have one question/answer. Which game did you watch?

i watched all of the playoff games,, thanks for asking

i love our habs more than anyone but when someone struggles im going to call it out

you sound like all of the people that jumped down my back when I said Poehling wouldnt be anything

 

[26Mats]

i watched all of the playoff games,, thanks for asking

i love our habs more than anyone but when someone struggles im going to call it out

you sound like all of the people that jumped down my back when I said Poehling wouldnt be anything

Each player has their own unique developmental trajectory.

For the sake of our Habs, let's hope he makes all the haters eat crow.

 

[SlafCaufield]

Each player has their own unique developmental trajectory.

For the sake of our Habs, let's hope he make all the haters eat crow.

agreed

 

[DAChampion]

I see. Lot of posts explaining away Mesars poor production by saying that his teammates lack the IQ to keep up with him.

Is that a thing? How did Crosby, Stankos, and McDavid produce in junior?

 

[River Meadow]

I see. Lot of posts explaining away Mesars poor production by saying that his teammates lack the IQ to keep up with him.

Is that a thing? How did Crosby, Stankos, and McDavid produce in junior?

That's the same reason Slafkovsky didn't produce in the NHL..

Oh, wait.

 

[Habs]

i watched all of the playoff games,, thanks for asking

i love our habs more than anyone but when someone struggles im going to call it out

you sound like all of the people that jumped down my back when I said Poehling wouldnt be anything

Did you have a different username?

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Each player has their own unique developmental trajectory.

For the sake of our Habs, let's hope he make all the haters eat crow.

I have little doubt that Mesar will turn out quite fine. Montreal is playing the long game and can wait for this ultra talented prospect to find his way on a new team, new style of play and new continent.

 

[Ranger12]

Don't know why but I see a future Plekanec in Mesar. Similar in stature, skating, skill and stats in Europe before coming over. He had to play 3 full AHL seasons before making it to the NHL. Ley's hope Mesar ends up having a career just as successful.

 

[Habsrule]

I am a Kitchener Rangers season ticket holder and have watched him many times live.

If you watched him during the first five or so games that he was sent to Kitchener he was the best player in the OHL. That’s not me being a homer, that is the truth. Then he fell back down to earth and the Rangers had terrible, terrible coaching this season until they fired their coach after the trade deadline. Mesar was very unmotivated and lacked effort most of the time. It was an entire team thing except for Pinelli.

Since the coaching change he has played much better. I think that the biggest problem is actually that he should be on another line. He has been playing with Pinelli his entire time as a Ranger. Pinelli has been one of the better players in the OHL this year so you would think that would be great for Mesar. Problem is that Pinelli is the play driver on that line. As great as Mesar is he doesn’t carry the puck up the ice as much as he should. He would have been better off playing with Arcuri. Arcuri had 48 goals this year and he has one heck of a great shot. That’s about all that he is great at. They would have made a great passer / shooter combo.

Pinelli is suspended for games one and two in the upcoming London series. I would love to see Mesar take over the games by himself.

On a side note he has been a penalty killer since the coaching change and has done a really good job at it. His speed and IQ really shows on the PK.

Next year I would love to see him back in Kitchener. The Rangers have a lot of graduating forwards and he will play a much bigger role on the team. I want to see him take that on as opposed to going to the AHL and being a depth player.

Also keep in mind that Laval will get Farrell, Roy, Kidney and Heineman as rookies next year. Yes Heineman has played a handful of games to end this years season but next year will be his first full season there. Adding Meaar would give them five rookie forwards. Hold Mesar back a year and then him and Beck can be rookies that year. The Habs are deep in terms of prospects and they will add some more through this years draft as well. No need to rush players. Let them play junior and AHL.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I don't see the NHL potential in him. Perhaps an extra forward/4th liner but I just don't see it , I feel like he can't generate the plays he wants and look out of touch . We'll see I guess

 

[Bombshell11]

I am a Kitchener Rangers season ticket holder and have watched him many times live.

If you watched him during the first five or so games that he was sent to Kitchener he was the best player in the OHL. That’s not me being a homer, that is the truth. Then he fell back down to earth and the Rangers had terrible, terrible coaching this season until they fired their coach after the trade deadline. Mesar was very unmotivated and lacked effort most of the time. It was an entire team thing except for Pinelli.

Since the coaching change he has played much better. I think that the biggest problem is actually that he should be on another line. He has been playing with Pinelli his entire time as a Ranger. Pinelli has been one of the better players in the OHL this year so you would think that would be great for Mesar. Problem is that Pinelli is the play driver on that line. As great as Mesar is he doesn’t carry the puck up the ice as much as he should. He would have been better off playing with Arcuri. Arcuri had 48 goals this year and he has one heck of a great shot. That’s about all that he is great at. They would have made a great passer / shooter combo.

Pinelli is suspended for games one and two in the upcoming London series. I would love to see Mesar take over the games by himself.

On a side note he has been a penalty killer since the coaching change and has done a really good job at it. His speed and IQ really shows on the PK.

Next year I would love to see him back in Kitchener. The Rangers have a lot of graduating forwards and he will play a much bigger role on the team. I want to see him take that on as opposed to going to the AHL and being a depth player.

Also keep in mind that Laval will get Farrell, Roy, Kidney and Heineman as rookies next year. Yes Heineman has played a handful of games to end this years season but next year will be his first full season there. Adding Meaar would give them five rookie forwards. Hold Mesar back a year and then him and Beck can be rookies that year. The Habs are deep in terms of prospects and they will add some more through this years draft as well. No need to rush players. Let them play junior and AHL.

He had a great camp last year, i see no reason as to why he needs to stay one more year in the OHL, like you said in the first 5 games he was clearly the best player.

We know he can follow the pace with men. The OHL players are not good enough for him, its brutally obvious. I agree with you on Arcurri, both would have benefited if they played together and were allowed to build a chemistry.

But again i see no benefit in him dominating the OHL, Pinelli is a top OHL player, i don't see him becoming an elite player in the NHL. He dint even make Team Canada last winter....

Mesar is going to do just fine next year in the AHL and hopefully we can see him play 1-2 NHL games.

 

[Wateredgarden]

The best players in rookie camp (appart from the guys who made the team) were Trudeau, Mesar, Beck and Heineman. Before Heineman joined Laval and went all out of bubble gum, only Trudeau had an impressive season post camp. I'll wait and see next season for Beck and Mesar, but the skills, the skating and the IQ is there for both of them.

 

[Natey]

I see. Lot of posts explaining away Mesars poor production by saying that his teammates lack the IQ to keep up with him.

Is that a thing? How did Crosby, Stankos, and McDavid produce in junior?

The first two? Sure.

McDavid? Give me a break. His team was stacked to the moon.

 

[Habsrule]

He had a great camp last year, i see no reason as to why he needs to stay one more year in the OHL, like you said in the first 5 games he was clearly the best player.

We know he can follow the pace with men. The OHL players are not good enough for him, its brutally obvious. I agree with you on Arcurri, both would have benefited if they played together and were allowed to build a chemistry.

But again i see no benefit in him dominating the OHL, Pinelli is a top OHL player, i don't see him becoming an elite player in the NHL. He dint even make Team Canada last winter....

Mesar is going to do just fine next year in the AHL and hopefully we can see him play 1-2 NHL games.

I know that is the Mesar thread but I think that Pinelli would have had a decent shot at making Canada for the World Juniors but he was black listed by Hockey Canada. He got a three game suspension in November just to follow that up with another three game suspension in December. That all but lost his chances for making the team.

 

[Miller Time]

I see. Lot of posts explaining away Mesars poor production by saying that his teammates lack the IQ to keep up with him.

Is that a thing? How did Crosby, Stankos, and McDavid produce in junior?

Are you seriously holding up two of the best players all time & one of the best players of his era, as your threshold?

If we're going to try and draw parallels, should at least compare apples to apples...

Took me 5 min to find a much better comparison.
Rakell. Drafted in 2011, late 1st round.
D+1 season, similar ppg to Mesar (though rakell had the advantage of it being his 2nd year in North America).
& his production in his D+2 year, still in the Ohl, was the same...
In the NHL at 29 = 2x30 goal scorer.. 28 goals this year with 2 games left)

Contrast that with Burakovsky, who had much better offensive production in juniors after coming to NA post draft, but has been less productive as a pro...

Or our own Scherbak who tore up the WHL, and put up points in the A, but couldn't do anything in the NHL.

While yes, it would be fun to see Mesar be as productive as Kidney in juniors, the extrapolation of scoring in juniors to future NHL productivity is a bit exaggerated imo

 

[Whitesnake]

Are you seriously holding up two of the best players all time & one of the best players of his era, as your threshold?

If we're going to try and draw parallels, should at least compare apples to apples...

Took me 5 min to find a much better comparison.
Rakell. Drafted in 2011, late 1st round.
D+1 season, similar ppg to Mesar (though rakell had the advantage of it being his 2nd year in North America).
& his production in his D+2 year, still in the Ohl, was the same...
In the NHL at 29 = 2x30 goal scorer.. 28 goals this year with 2 games left)

Contrast that with Burakovsky, who had much better offensive production in juniors after coming to NA post draft, but has been less productive as a pro...

Or our own Scherbak who tore up the WHL, and put up points in the A, but couldn't do anything in the NHL.

While yes, it would be fun to see Mesar be as productive as Kidney in juniors, the extrapolation of scoring in juniors to future NHL productivity is a bit exaggerated imo

The point is NEVER about a junior that produces but that doesn't produce in the NHL. Juniors are FILLED with top producers that even have a tough time producing in the AHL.

But the opposite is FAR more rare. Producing average and becoming a 30-goal scorer in the NHL? It can't be happening that much.

 

[Bombshell11]

The point is NEVER about a junior that produces but that doesn't produce in the NHL. Juniors are FILLED with top producers that even have a tough time producing in the AHL.

But the opposite is FAR more rare. Producing average and becoming a 30-goal scorer in the NHL? It can't be happening that much.

Mesar's game is 2 leagues ahead of the Juniors.

If his teammates can't understand what he's doing because he's too fast for them, i'm sorry its proof that he's too good for the league and he's better off sharpening his skills in the AHL next to Pros.

He's a ceritified PPG, do i really care that he din't score 9 more points? no... why? because he generated at least 200 opportunities.

Does he need to have a better shot? Yes, but he's such a beast with the puck, i don't give.

He can skate
Carry the puck
Read the plays
Distribute passes
Steal pucks
Play on the point
Win Face-Offs

And his head is always up,

He's got a Koivu/MSL/Gomez ceiling or a Plekanec floor.

 

[Miller Time]

The point is NEVER about a junior that produces but that doesn't produce in the NHL. Juniors are FILLED with top producers that even have a tough time producing in the AHL.

But the opposite is FAR more rare. Producing average and becoming a 30-goal scorer in the NHL? It can't be happening that much.

Sure... But this isn't about averages or odds, it's about an individual.

Mesar played his first year in a new country, on a new team (one with well documented internal/coaching issues) and plays a type of game that lends itself far better to complimenting/excelling with high skilled players...

That's a lot of specific context that situates the ppg D+1 ohl season far differently than say Roy.

Heck, Beck went from a 1.37 ppg to .8ppg simply from moving teams in the same league. Can't get too caught up in the junior, or even AHL production as a robust indicator of future NHL impact.

At the very least, it would be more relevant to compare the D+1 junior outputs of other euro picks that made the jump from there to the CHL. The unique adjustment factors of country/language/rink size/league play style are pretty big pieces a kid needs to work through that the domestic prospects, or those that made the jump sooner, aren't also dealing with while trying to improve their on ice performance

 

[Wateredgarden]

Mesar's game is 2 leagues ahead of the Juniors.

If his teammates can't understand what he's doing because he's too fast for them, i'm sorry its proof that he's too good for the league and he's better off sharpening his skills in the AHL next to Pros.

He's a ceritified PPG, do i really care that he din't score 9 more points? no... why? because he generated at least 200 opportunities.

Does he need to have a better shot? Yes, but he's such a beast with the puck, i don't give.

He can skate
Carry the puck
Read the plays
Distribute passes
Steal pucks
Play on the point
Win Face-Offs

And his head is always up,

He's got a Koivu/MSL/Gomez ceiling or a Plekanec floor.

That's quite the statement.

 

[Bombshell11]

That's quite the statement.

For people who watch him play, it is not.