Player Discussion Victor Mete

[Adam Michaels]

I would rather see him go to the Olympics than learn how to lose on the big team.

The decision to allow Junior players to participate hasn't been made yet. If they do end up coming to an agreement to allow them, and then there is a guarantee that Mete will make that roster, then they should send him back to Junor. If not, I would rather have him in the NHL. He'll learn more there than in the OHL.

 

[Price is Wright]

Does anyone think Julien and the coaching staff handled Mete properly?

 

[Mrb1p]

Does anyone think Julien and the coaching staff handled Mete properly?

It's fine to shelter a young D like Mete, but he's showed he could handle most of the assignements and playing him 10 minutes a game is dumb. I'm not against scratching a player as you can learn from watching the game too and a bit of rest helps with his smaller body/weaker and hes less used to it.

He also needs to be given PP time. That's a must.

 

[habergeon]

Does anyone think Julien and the coaching staff handled Mete properly?

I'm going to say yes, based on the circumstances.

He proved at camp and during the season that he belonged on Montreal. But i often wonder if I defense wasn't so horrible if he would have even gotten a shot in the first place. The problem was that we lost Markov, Emelin and Beaulieu and the additions didn't come near to meeting the subtractions.

If you take our defense from last year and bring it forward with no changes, does Mete make the club?

Markov - Weber
Emelin - Petry
Beaulieu - Benn

I'm thinking he's having trouble making the last pairing and would be our 7th defenseman in that scenario if I'm being honest, and if he's not projected to get minutes does he spend the year on the big club?

I know I'm being revisionist here, but if our same defense came back and Mete showed what he showed, I definitely think he'd start here and get some NHL games but i don't know how long he'd stay after 10.

With our defense being as bad as it was (is) in reality, he makes the club as well and plays well beyond 10 games due to both the necessity and actually being better than some veteran D. But those veteran D (Morrow, Schlemko, Jerabek) would have a hard time cracking our top 6 last year also.

So yeah, all things considered, Clod handled him well BUT Bergevin's actions (and inactions) created opportunities where there were none, and holes which were once filled, which complicated things.

Either way, Mete is in the NHL to start the year.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Does anyone think Julien and the coaching staff handled Mete properly?

I think they have. It is fine that they limited his ice time and not surprised that they make him a scratch here and there. The kid belongs in the NHL but he doesn't have to play 18 minutes a game to be handled properly.

We've seen him on the top pairing, we've seen him on the PP, we've seen him play with different partners and the kid doesn't change his game. Someone's doing something right and a lot of the credit goes to the player, but there is some that goes to the coaches.

 

[mariolemieux66]

Have him go to the Olympics where he will live a once in a lifetime experience.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Have him go to the Olympics where he will live a once in a lifetime experience.

It's not yet decided if Jumior players will be allowed to participate. CHL and Hockey Canada haven't officially come to an agreement.

On January 11th, Hockey Canada will release their roster. If Mete is on it, then he will be sent to London in order to facilitate his participation. If he's not on the list, then he won't be able to go to the Olympics no matter what. In that case, he's better off in the NHL than in the OHL, where he's already played 3 full seasons and has won a Memorial Cup.

 

[Mrb1p]

It's not yet decided if Jumior players will be allowed to participate. CHL and Hockey Canada haven't officially come to an agreement.

On January 11th, Hockey Canada will release their roster. If Mete is on it, then he will be sent to London in order to facilitate his participation. If he's not on the list, then he won't be able to go to the Olympics no matter what. In that case, he's better off in the NHL than in the OHL, where he's already played 3 full seasons and has won a Memorial Cup.

Probably the only good move MB has made this year.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Pierre LeBrun on the Insider Trading segment on TSN said that Mete's role should increase now that he's back in Montreal. He said that management and coaching staff agreed that what's best for his development is to log in minutes and that playing him 6 minutes and scratching him won't help him. He also specified that Habs will need to decide what they'll do with him come his 40th game because that would help him reach UFA status one year earlier.

 

[Rapala]

Does anyone think Julien and the coaching staff handled Mete properly?

How could we?
I'm convinced none of our D are handled properly.

 

[ahmedou]

As long as he doesn't catch the square-hand/brain syndrome. Which can be transmitted by our defensive players. If the answer is no. No problem I'll have with this recent decision. It can suits me. So, we have to be very careful for him. It's a contagious disease to take very seriously and to not underestimate it.

 

[Belial]

They should play him with Benn and allow him to rush the puck and take chances.

 

[Eegs]

Hey Guys, not really to do with this poll or anything just looking for opinions...

What do you guys see as Mete's upside?

Initially to me, he looked like he might grow into a Krug/Krug-lite, but watching the Juniors, he played more of a shut down role.

He's obviously got some offensive upside, but it was a bit odd to me to see him deployed as he was in the WJHC...

Thoughts?

 

[montreal]

Hey Guys, not really to do with this poll or anything just looking for opinions...

What do you guys see as Mete's upside?

Initially to me, he looked like he might grow into a Krug/Krug-lite, but watching the Juniors, he played more of a shut down role.

He's obviously got some offensive upside, but it was a bit odd to me to see him deployed as he was in the WJHC...

Thoughts?

For me it's a very difficult question, the skating is clearly off the charts good and he seems to be smart, knows how to position himself and his limitations. That said I really don't know what kind of offensive upside he really has, so it makes it very hard to say what he can be as he's so young but he doesn't appear to have much of a shot, so he's going to have to pick up points moving the puck, setting up plays and rushing it up ice. So for me he's still a very much unknown, other then his skating is likely going to keep him in the NHL.

 

[Eegs]

For me it's a very difficult question, the skating is clearly off the charts good and he seems to be smart, knows how to position himself and his limitations. That said I really don't know what kind of offensive upside he really has, so it makes it very hard to say what he can be as he's so young but he doesn't appear to have much of a shot, so he's going to have to pick up points moving the puck, setting up plays and rushing it up ice. So for me he's still a very much unknown, other then his skating is likely going to keep him in the NHL.

Thanks for the feedback. Kind of confirms others are having trouble projecting his future game as well.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Have him go to the Olympics where he will live a once in a lifetime experience.

He can still do that once they figure out if junior players are eligible, he hasn't played 40 games yet.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Hey Guys, not really to do with this poll or anything just looking for opinions...

What do you guys see as Mete's upside?

Initially to me, he looked like he might grow into a Krug/Krug-lite, but watching the Juniors, he played more of a shut down role.

He's obviously got some offensive upside, but it was a bit odd to me to see him deployed as he was in the WJHC...

Thoughts?

He wasn't just used as a shutdown role.
He had a lot of offensive zone starts too.
He just didn't get much powerplay time.

Mete and Timmins were by far the best defensemen at playing defense on the team, so its normal they were heavily used to shutdown the best players from other trams.

Similar situation to Weber in the world cup. He's one of the best defenseman on the powerplay, but he didn't any powerplay time. Instead, he was used heavily to defend againt the best players of other nations.


Also note that sergachev had only 1 pt in 7 games in the wjc last year.

 

[ginomini]

The only comparison I see with Krug is his size.

I see Mete more like a Stralman-like player.

A defensive rock who as a good first pass and can put up 20-40 points depending on his team's offensive power.

I think Mete's size won't matter at all, he doesn't use his body to defend, his stick work is stellar and his skating makes him the perfect defensman for where the league is going.

Team's will need players to defend against the Keller, Gaudreau, Marner, Arvidsson, McDavid, Barzal, etc. of this league. If there is a place for fast and agile forwards, there will be a need for fast and agile Dmen to counter them.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

They should play him with Benn and allow him to rush the puck and take chances.

Mete is better than Benn defensively.

 

[Mrb1p]

Mete is better than Benn defensively.

Mete is better than Benn at every thing but being average size and having an average shot.

 

[Sorinth]

Hey Guys, not really to do with this poll or anything just looking for opinions...

What do you guys see as Mete's upside?

Initially to me, he looked like he might grow into a Krug/Krug-lite, but watching the Juniors, he played more of a shut down role.

He's obviously got some offensive upside, but it was a bit odd to me to see him deployed as he was in the WJHC...

Thoughts?

He's shown a lot of good things defensively so he's bound to be a top-4 defenceman. His offence will probably determine whether he becomes a top-pairing guy or not.

Offensively I would expect 30ish points and 2nd wave PP usage. He doesn't seem to have that take charge attitude/ability on offence so I'm not expecting him to ever be a top offensive player.

I would probably use a guy like Petry as a comparable, good skater, good passer, but doesn't produce a ton and is best suited in a secondary role.

 

[Tyson]

Mete is already good enough to skate in the top 4. Man can that kid skate.

Let him play, let him make mistakes and learn. Season is shot anyway. I would play Scherbak too.

 

[Uncle Gary]

If you are going to play him 10 minutes a game, send him down. He looked best when he was in the top 4 getting good minutes.

 

[webersshot]

Hey Guys, not really to do with this poll or anything just looking for opinions...

What do you guys see as Mete's upside?

Initially to me, he looked like he might grow into a Krug/Krug-lite, but watching the Juniors, he played more of a shut down role.

He's obviously got some offensive upside, but it was a bit odd to me to see him deployed as he was in the WJHC...

Thoughts?

He was the most responsible in his own end. The most mature player out there and he always made the right play. He’s a different breed of defender but is very efficient at getting the puck out of his own end. It’s very encouraging. The offense will come. But for him to be as polished in the d zone already. Impressive. He’s very impressive

 

[WeThreeKings]

Mete if everything goes right will be a middle pairing guy. He will move the puck up the ice with passes or with rushes. I don't think he has huge offensive upside beyond that, but he's still very much a transition defender.