Player Discussion Victor Mete

[Charon]

I was pleasantly surprised by Mete yesterday. He did not look out of place, and he carried himself through his minutes. He brings puck movement skills we badly need on the back end, especially with Schlemko out right now.

 

[haseoke39]

That's juicy ice time for your first nhl game, i like how he's being deployed. The pp time is going to build his confidence for sure if he can connect.

 

[417]

I didn't know anyone was doing that. I thought they were actually basing it on what they've seen from him so far.

Yup so far Drouin looks really good but I'm gonna be patient. WAY more confident that he can be a #1 now though then a few months ago. I thought it was a real long shot. Now starting to look like a very good possibility.

Can't believe how good Mete looked for a first game. I know we're preaching patience but he's looking like a future star back there. Him making the team at this age would be a feat but he actually looks like he can be a factor out there sooner than later.

I don't know why anyone thought Drouin couldn't make the transition to center.

It's hockey, he's not switching to goalie...with his hockey sense, the transition to center (a position he has ALREADY PLAYED) shouldn't be a difficult one.

There's absolutely nothing I've seen so far that tells me he won't be able to be this teams #1C.

As for Mete...I almost don't have much to say about him because he's just so smooth, he doesn't strike me as a 19yr old rookie.

 

[DuRoux]

Can Mete be our version of Josi for Weber?

 

[TopTenPlayz]

I don't know why anyone thought Drouin couldn't make the transition to center.

It's hockey, he's not switching to goalie...with his hockey sense, the transition to center (a position he has ALREADY PLAYED) shouldn't be a difficult one.

There's absolutely nothing I've seen so far that tells me he won't be able to be this teams #1C.

As for Mete...I almost don't have much to say about him because he's just so smooth, he doesn't strike me as a 19yr old rookie.

I got a feeling that it's more like some people wish he couldn't to support their narrative against management along with a few Tampa fans (who are bitter the trade perhaps). The kid's got all the tools needed to succeed at the position; great IQ, set of hands, speed, excellent passing skills, and he's added weight to help him improve at puck protection. Unlike a lot of people, I am glad that MB stayed his course and did not succumb to fans and media pressure by giving up Sergachev for Duchene at last year's trade deadline. I'd take Drouin over the proven center Duchene any day of the week.

 

[Scriptor]

I got a feeling that it's more like some people wish he couldn't to support their narrative against management along with a few Tampa fans (who are bitter the trade perhaps). The kid's got all the tools needed to succeed at the position; great IQ, set of hands, speed, excellent passing skills, and he's added weight to help him improve at puck protection. Unlike a lot of people, I am glad that MB stayed his course and did not succumb to fans and media pressure by giving up Sergachev for Duchene at last year's trade deadline. I'd take Drouin over the proven center Duchene any day of the week.

That's the whole thing. I think the decision was easy to take Drouin over Duchene because Duchene is also considered more of a winger than a C by many.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Victor is the real deal, a Scott Niedermayer in the making.

 

[TopTenPlayz]

That's the whole thing. I think the decision was easy to take Drouin over Duchene because Duchene is also considered more of a winger than a C by many.

According to NHL.com, since Duchene entered in 2009:

2009-2010: Duchene took 1088 faceoffs in total, 2nd on team behind Stastny. Duchene won 44% of those faceoffs.
2010-2011: Duchene took 1246 faceoffs in total, 2nd on team behind Stastny. Duchene won 50.4% of those faceoffs.
2011-2012: Duchene took 391 faceoffs in total (in 58 games, injured). 4th on the team. He won 51.1% of those faceoffs.
2012-2013: Duchene took 893 faceoffs in total (shortened lock out season), 1st on the team. He won 54.6% of those faceoffs.
2013-2014: Duchene took 1058 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind Stastny. Duchene won 50.3% of those faceoffs.
2014-2015: Duchene took 1217 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind ROR. Duchene won 52.2% of those faceoffs.
2015-2016: Duchene took 739 faceoffs in total, 3rd behind Mack and John Mitchell. My guess is Duchene played on Mack's wing for some part of the year. Duchene won 57.9% of those faceoffs.
2016-2017: Duchene took 1098 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind Mack. Duchene won 62.5% of those faceoffs.

Summing, career wise, Duchene has 7730 faceoffs taken since he entered the league. That's ranked 30th in the league. He has a career percentage of 52.7%.

I think it's safe to say that he's mostly a center.

Fun note: Over the same span, Plekanec is ranked 2nd league wide with 12068 faceoffs taken with a percentage of 49.6%. No need to mention who's first, the answer would be too obvious.

 

[42]

Victor is the real deal, a Scott Niedermayer in the making.

Seriously? Scott Niedermayer? One of the best dmen ever?

 

[FrankMTL]

Super impressed by Mete regardless of how many so called "mistakes" he made (which was not many). The kid just understands the game. His hockey IQ is his biggest strength along with his skating. I think sky is the limit with this kid as he's willing to work his tail off to succeed. I think he'll be a mainstay on our first pairing for many years to come and the fact that he's learning from Weber at such a young age will help him enormously.

 

[DangerDave]

Can Mete be our version of Josi for Weber?

Yes. As good? Idk. But he cam certainly fill that role well

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Seriously? Scott Niedermayer? One of the best dmen ever?

I think so, but we will have to wait, the only fault he's got, is it's size, but the rest is first rate.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Don't anyone remember all the hype around Mete last season? He was supposed to have a better ceiling than Juulsen. Then suddenly the Sergachev trade happens and now our prospects pool of denfensemen is depleted: all we have is Juulsen and Mete doesn't even exist anymore.

So apparently Bergevin is lucky that Mete is doing good because no one saw it coming.....

 

[Scriptor]

According to NHL.com, since Duchene entered in 2009:

2009-2010: Duchene took 1088 faceoffs in total, 2nd on team behind Stastny. Duchene won 44% of those faceoffs.
2010-2011: Duchene took 1246 faceoffs in total, 2nd on team behind Stastny. Duchene won 50.4% of those faceoffs.
2011-2012: Duchene took 391 faceoffs in total (in 58 games, injured). 4th on the team. He won 51.1% of those faceoffs.
2012-2013: Duchene took 893 faceoffs in total (shortened lock out season), 1st on the team. He won 54.6% of those faceoffs.
2013-2014: Duchene took 1058 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind Stastny. Duchene won 50.3% of those faceoffs.
2014-2015: Duchene took 1217 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind ROR. Duchene won 52.2% of those faceoffs.
2015-2016: Duchene took 739 faceoffs in total, 3rd behind Mack and John Mitchell. My guess is Duchene played on Mack's wing for some part of the year. Duchene won 57.9% of those faceoffs.
2016-2017: Duchene took 1098 faceoffs in total, 2nd behind Mack. Duchene won 62.5% of those faceoffs.

Summing, career wise, Duchene has 7730 faceoffs taken since he entered the league. That's ranked 30th in the league. He has a career percentage of 52.7%.

I think it's safe to say that he's mostly a center.

Fun note: Over the same span, Plekanec is ranked 2nd league wide with 12068 faceoffs taken with a percentage of 49.6%. No need to mention who's first, the answer would be too obvious.

Yay for F/Os! It doesn't change the fact that plenty of observers view him as being better/more useful as a winger, likely because he tends to not do so well on the defensive assignments.

Now, if you show me he's actually a stalwart defender on top of being a premiere F/O guy, I'll flip Galchenyuk and more for him and stop wondering why this fast, offensive forward is being dangled for a huge return by Sakic...

 

[montreal]

Some big tests coming up for him especially with the west coast trip coming up. Last game he kept it simple and for a 19 year olds NHL debut he did well enough imo. His skating is just sick though, don't think I could ever get tired of watching him stake, it's so effortless.

 

[Runner77]

...So apparently Bergevin is lucky that Mete is doing good because no one saw it coming.....

Your post is conflating two different aspects.

No one saw Mete as a candidate to make the team at this training camp.

However, everyone knew Mete is talented and has a high hockey IQ and thus he was seen as someone who has the profile to be an NHLer at some point. There is no luck in that, Mete was highly regarded and was seen as a steal where the Habs got him, as he had slipped.

All that being said, Mete still has to get through his 9 regular games so the team has a better idea as to whether he should stick.

 

[TopTenPlayz]

Yay for F/Os! It doesn't change the fact that plenty of observers view him as being better/more useful as a winger, likely because he tends to not do so well on the defensive assignments.

Now, if you show me he's actually a stalwart defender on top of being a premiere F/O guy, I'll flip Galchenyuk and more for him and stop wondering why this fast, offensive forward is being dangled for a huge return by Sakic...

Would you kindly name the observers who say that he's a better winger? Or is that just you?

The only time I remember seeing him play winger full time is with Team Canada. You know Team freaking Canada?! A team that is loaded with centers to a point that Jeff Carter plays on the wing. And oh Patrice Bergeron, probably the best two way center in the NHL in the last 20 years plays on the wing over there too.

If Duchene was a better winger than center, don't you think Colorado (a team that is freaking loaded with top centers over the years in ROR, Stastny, Mackinnon) would convert Duchene to a full time winger? Yet, I just showed you proofs that he has played center probably 99% of his career with them

I never said anything about Chucky for Duchene in this thread. Goshhh.

 

[ahmedou]

Will Mete still have a chair as a locker We must go step by step with this young man. Convinced that he will continue to keep his feet on the ground and that the technical staff will help him for his development

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Good test for Victor tonight against the Caps. Will be interesting to see how Trotz will roll his lines, will he try expose the rookie or does Weber command enough respect to keep his top lines away?

 

[DangerDave]

Good test for Victor tonight against the Caps. Will be interesting to see how Trotz will roll his lines, will he try expose the rookie or does Weber command enough respect to keep his top lines away?

Good question. When I look at the other Dmen though, I think the answer is pretty obvious. Our third pairing is horrible so long a Streit is there and the second pair did not impress at all last game. If Schlemko we're on the third then maybe they try and expose Mete. As it stands now, Weber and Mete is by far our best duo. Also expect the second pair to have a bounce back game

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Good question. When I look at the other Dmen though, I think the answer is pretty obvious. Our third pairing is horrible so long a Streit is there and the second pair did not impress at all last game. If Schlemko we're on the third then maybe they try and expose Mete. As it stands now, Weber and Mete is by far our best duo. Also expect the second pair to have a bounce back game

I think the 2nd pair will be excellent once they figure each other out. Right now Petry is adjusting to having a stay at home partner and trying to see how he can push himself offensively, but ultimately I think he realizes that he's a "2-way" guy and the pure offensive game type just isn't him. Alzner was fantastic against Buffalo I thought.

 

[19VJ17]

I was wondering why the hype for Mete, but now I understand,

Victor is the real deal, a Scott Niedermayer in the making.

he sure looks like the real thing...
Go Habs GO

 

[Bryson]

Some very tough games coming up and a west coast swing starting with the high octane offense of Chicago for our home opener on Tuesday and then Canada's darlings on Saturday.

Honestly another blowout like tonight and I think they should just send Mete down. He's not going to learn anything playing here except develop a loser mentality.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Some very tough games coming up and a west coast swing starting with the high octane offense of Chicago for our home opener on Tuesday and then Canada's darlings on Saturday.

Honestly another blowout like tonight and I think they should just send Mete down. He's not going to learn anything playing here except develop a loser mentality.

Even in the loss, I think he did not bad, compared to the others

 

[Lebowski]

I don't know why Julien is trying to shelter him when he's the best we've got on our LD depthchart at this point.

Putting Benn with Weber doesn't make it a more reliable defensive pairing. Believe it or not, but a non existent offensive game and the inability to skate with the puck doesn't make you a capable defensive player by default.