Montreal Canadiens fans and analysts were left wondering why the Canadiens would pass on a player like Brad Lambert for Filip Mesar. And because there is still such a small sample size, we will have to be patient before coming to any conclusion on who the better player is. Mesar had a brief stint in Laval, before going to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL If we were simply evaluating one season, Lambert’s play would reign superior above Mesar’s in the OHL, but that isn’t necessarily going to be the case long term. Mesar’s skating and high hockey IQ are his calling card, unfortunately for him, the expectations garnered from the fact he has previously played pro weren’t met. It was believed by many that he and Francesco Pinelli would provide a dynamic duo for the Rangers didn’t happen in the way that was expected as Mesar just missed out on a point-per-game pace with 51 in 52 games but he struggled for stretches of games which was not anticipated the past one is merely just a memory in the rearview mirror Having secured a full season of playing the North American game Mesar should surely have a fantastic sophomore season in the OHL Should Mesar be sent back for a second season you have to think the Rangers would be gleaming from ear to ear and the Habs management would follow suit while he shows how much better he can be at that level Having put all things into perspective, let’s predict just what Mesar could do for the Rangers. His skating is pro-ready, so getting the rest of his game polished and up to speed could go a long way. Certainly, Kent Hughes and the Habs scouting team saw something. In Mesar’s first OHL season, the native of Spisska Bela, Slovakia, suited up for 52 games, posting 17 goals, and 34 assists. Mesar displayed flashes of his playmaking But expectations for both himself and the Canadiens management are certainly higher for the 2023-24 campaign And it’s hard to imagine that Mesar doesn’t meet and exceed those last season’s totals with a full season now under his belt and his shot isn’t exactly the biggest threat in his toolkit it could go a long way in making his game more deceptive Unless he is in close trying to dangle around the goalie he isn’t scoring many goals outside of the perimeter which would bode well in padding his statistical output the more likely he is to earn himself a role in either Laval or Montreal much sooner Should he return to the OHL and play another full season I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility for Mesar to eclipse the 85-90 point range 100 points might not be out of the conversation But in the interest of tempering expectations I think 30-35 goals and 45-50 assists could be a realistic projection Mesar is an interesting player, and I believe the possibilities are endless for him. Another season in the OHL, then heading to Laval would be best for the prospect. He has plenty of time to develop and try to elbow his way onto the Habs roster in 2025-26 when the Canadiens young core is ready to compete The storyline of two Slovakians being selected with the Canadiens’ first two selections in the 2022 Draft was a nice one. But the best is yet to come Juraj Slafkovsky and Mesar terrorizing NHL defences is just what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes had envisioned when selecting the childhood friends They just need to take their time to see the plan play out properly Rushing Mesar to the pro level when he was merely good at the Junior level last season wouldn’t be best for his development Letting him dominate at the OHL level while continuing to adjust to living in North America would be the best option for his long term growth Write for us! © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER If we were simply evaluating one season, Lambert’s play would reign superior above Mesar’s in the OHL, but that isn’t necessarily going to be the case long term. Mesar’s skating and high hockey IQ are his calling card, unfortunately for him, the expectations garnered from the fact he has previously played pro weren’t met. It was believed by many that he and Francesco Pinelli would provide a dynamic duo for the Rangers Having put all things into perspective, let’s predict just what Mesar could do for the Rangers. His skating is pro-ready, so getting the rest of his game polished and up to speed could go a long way. Certainly, Kent Hughes and the Habs scouting team saw something. In Mesar’s first OHL season, the native of Spisska Bela, Slovakia, suited up for 52 games, posting 17 goals, and 34 assists. Mesar displayed flashes of his playmaking Mesar is an interesting player, and I believe the possibilities are endless for him. Another season in the OHL, then heading to Laval would be best for the prospect. He has plenty of time to develop The storyline of two Slovakians being selected with the Canadiens’ first two selections in the 2022 Draft was a nice one. But the best is yet to come Write for us! As the Kraken prepare to further fill out their farm system in this weekend’s NHL entry draft last season’s first-round pick is enjoying a quick rest determined season for Czech 19-year-old Eduard Sale The initial adjustment to life in North America was a struggle He’d previously been able to stay near family Sale was largely unfamiliar with Canada and its narrower ice surfaces — international “Olympic” sized sheets are 15 feet wider Some European draftees — 2022 second-round Kraken pick Jani Nyman comes to mind — spend another season or two overseas rumors spread that he would make the jump immediately The OHL’s Barrie Colts had selected him in the 2022 CHL import draft and when he was cut from Kraken training camp last fall that is where he headed on Barrie’s top line alongside a pair of veterans but no one in the organization could speak Czech with him Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini checked in regularly “I think anytime you take a young guy out of his home country and you bring him to a new environment there are challenges,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Even though he was recovering from a torn muscle and his situation was “not too comfy” physically He joined longtime friends at the prestigious 2024 World Junior Championship in Sweden and recorded seven points in as many games as the Czech Republic won bronze he welcomed a trade with teammate Olivier Savard from Barrie In Kitchener he joined 2023 classmate Carson Rehkopf the Kraken’s second-round pick (50th overall) in the middle of a breakout season Sale also had a friend — someone he could speak freely with He already knew Filip Mesar of Spisska Bela himself a late first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2022 Sale likened the minimal language barrier between the countries to the one between British and American English He decided it was the start of a new season His time there got off to a concerning start as the Rangers finished January on a losing streak but Sale finished with 18 points (eight goals seven assists) in 10 playoff games as Kitchener downed the Erie Otters in six games before being swept by the eventual OHL champions “He finished real strong with a good playoffs,” Francis said “And we did bring him in to Coachella Valley just to get him [American Hockey League] experience and see what it’s all about We’ll get a better read when he comes to development camp and an even better read when he comes to training camp.” Sale and Rehkopf joined the Kraken’s top minor-league affiliate Neither played during the deep Calder Cup playoff run championship series loss to the Hershey Bears Now he’s enjoying some down time in Brno with family and eating plenty of the food he missed for seven months He’s set to leave for next week’s Kraken development camp in the coming days Francis expects they’ll make a decision closer to September “If he surprises us and makes the big team then we can look at Coachella Valley as an option for him,” Francis said “We can look at putting him [back] in junior hockey We can even look at letting him stay another year back home in Czechia so he gets a year under his belt with family and friends in a good environment there Sometimes players return to their native countries and wind up better for it “We’ve got a lot of different options for a guy like him,” Francis said the Kraken will play their preseason slate against a trio of Canadian teams — the Calgary Flames all three preseasons since the franchise launched in 2021-22 The Flames are up first at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday Next is a back-to-back set against the defending Pacific Division champions then close the preseason at home against the Oilers on Oct the 2024-25 regular season will be underway as the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils play the first of two games in Prague as a part of the NHL Global Series The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser The Montreal Canadiens announced Saturday that they’ve reassigned Filip Mesar from the AHL’s Laval Rocket to the Kitchener Rangers Slovakia recorded 51 points (17-34–51) in 52 games with Kitchener last season helping them advance to the second round of the OHL Playoffs following a first round upset of the top-seeded Windsor Spitfires Mesar was Montreal’s first round (26th overall) pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and the Canadiens signed him to a three-year right-winger recorded one assist over his first two games with Laval this season He’s represented Slovakia twice at the World Junior Hockey Championship registering six points (2-4–6) in five games during the 2023 tournament who was Kitchener’s first round (9th overall) pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft burst onto the scene in Kitchener last season recording four points (1-3–4) in his debut on Oct 2022 against Sudbury before netting a pair of goals in his second game on Oct The Rangers are off to a 7-2-0-0 start and carry a four-game winning streak into action on Saturday afternoon in Mississauga They return to home ice on Tuesday night against the Sarnia Sting The #OHLRangers are pumped to have Filip Mesar back in #RTown! pic.twitter.com/EPQsfkOI3P — Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) October 21, 20232025 OHL Playoff TrackerKnights, Generals clash for 113th J. Ross Robertson Cup starting Thursday on TSNGenerals’ Marrelli named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week67’s sign third overall pick Brock ChitaroniKnights’ Elliott named OHL Goaltender of the Week67’s sign Jaxon Williams, son of former NHL star Justin WilliamsRangers’ Arquette named OHL Rookie of the WeekSpirit ink third round selection Levi HarperLondon Knights claim record third straight Wayne Gretzky TrophyOshawa Generals win second consecutive Bobby Orr TrophyRangers’ Parsons named OHL Goaltender of the YearGenerals, City of Oshawa and Oak View Group secure new 30-year partnershipOtters announce changes in hockey operationsKnights’ Dickinson named OHL Defenceman of the YearColts announce 15-year lease extension with City of Barrie101 OHL graduates competing in Stanley Cup PlayoffsSchaefer, Misa lead 64 OHL players on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings303 players selected in 2025 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian SuperstoreOHL Scholarship Program continues funding academic pursuits in 2024-25Big names featured in 2024-25 OHL Coaches Poll resultsPeterborough to host 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects GameRegistration underway for OHL Performance Development Program Which two teams will emerge to compete in the OHL Championship Series View Results – The Ontario Hockey League today announced top performers for the month of November including Kitchener Rangers teammates Filip Mesar and Jackson Parsons Saginaw Spirit blueliner Zayne Parekh and Windsor Spitfires forward Cole Davis Player of the Month – Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers) Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL Player of the Month for November producing points in nine of his 13 outings including six goals in his last five games played helping the Western Conference-leading Rangers play to an 11-3 record forward registered consecutive three-point showings on Nov along with a four-point performance on Nov scoring his first OHL career hat trick in the Rangers’ 10-3 win over the Erie Otters Mesar gives the Rangers consecutive OHL Player of the Month recipients after teammate Carson Rehkopf earned October’s honours Selected ninth overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft Slovakia comes-off a solid first season in the OHL registering 51 points (17-34-51) in 52 regular season matchups Montreal’s first round (26th overall) pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has recorded 26 points (11-15–26) through 15 games with the Rangers this season Defenceman of the Month – Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit) 2024 NHL Draft eligible defenceman Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Defenceman of the Month including nine points in his last five games Helping Saginaw win 10 of a possible 12 games last month Parekh currently ranks second among all defensive point-getters recording 31 points (9-22-31) over 23 games played this season Tallying seven multi-point showings last month he registered three different three-point performances on Nov as well as his first career OHL hat-trick on Nov 8 as the Spirit defeated the Flint Firebirds 6-3 Parekh is in his second OHL season after registering 37 points (21-16–37) over 50 games last season setting a new OHL record for goals by a 16-year-old blueliner with 21 right-shot defender earned a gold medal for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past summer and was recently awarded an A-rating on NHL Central Scouting’s October ‘Players to Watch’ List for the 2024 NHL Draft Parekh was Saginaw’s first round (19th overall) pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection from the Markham Majors U16 program Goaltender of the Month – Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers) Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for November playing to a 9-1 record with a 2.05 goals-against average and .937 save percentage along with two shutouts Helping lead his team to the top of the Western Conference standings Parsons posted back-to-back shutouts on Nov including a 30-save performance against the Owen Sound Attack followed by a 39-save performance against the Peterborough Petes Parson closed out the month with a 40-save performance on Nov 29 as the Rangers bested the Erie Otters 5-4 in overtime Parsons has come back strong from missing much of 2022-23 to injury playing to a 14-5 record along with a league-leading 2.43 goals-against average .921 save percentage and four shutouts so far this season Selected in the third round (53rd overall) by Kitchener in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection Parsons has appeared in 47 career regular season contests 3.30 goals-against average and .902 save percentage over three seasons Rookie of the Month – Cole Davis (Windsor Spitfires) Windsor Spitfires forward Cole Davis is the OHL Rookie of the Month including seven goals and five assists over 13 appearances in November Davis registered four multi-point showings over the course of the month tallying six points in his last five games Davis tallied back-to-back two-point showings followed by a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Peterborough Petes on Nov Davis now leads all rookie skaters in points registering 18 (10-8-18) through 25 games this season Davis spent the 2022-23 season with the Lasalle Vipers of the GOJHL recording 46 points (24-22-46) in 47 games played while also appearing in five games with the Spitfires forward was the Windsor’s fourth round (65th overall) pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection