In recent months, the narrative around Filip Mesar has largely been negative. The young Slovak appears to be struggling to find his footing, and his remarks about his teammates “not being able to keep up” with him last year in juniors were not encouraging.
His comments didn’t reflect someone willing to accept their share of responsibility.
Nevertheless, he remains a first-round draft pick, so it was intriguing to watch his full-time professional debut in North America. So far, it’s been… noteworthy. Though the sample size is limited, Mesar has already scored one goal and accumulated four points in just two games. For a 20-year-old making his mark in the AHL, that’s a commendable beginning.
His coach, Pascal Vincent, has expressed satisfaction with Mesar’s performance, describing himself as “impressed” with the young player. This was reported by Renaud Lavoie (TVA Sports). Many had given up on Mesar, so starting the season strong and receiving public praise from his coach is a refreshing boost for him. Although he’s faced challenges recently, it’s crucial for him to continue pushing forward.
Player development isn’t a precise process, and it often doesn’t follow a straightforward path. Mesar seems to have good chemistry with teammates Owen Beck and Jared Davidson, and hopefully, he can maintain this positive trajectory. With additions like Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage to the organization’s forward prospects, Mesar reaching his full potential is not as vital for the Canadiens’ future success as it once seemed.
