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
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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
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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
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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, 2023
• 2025 OHL Playoff Tracker
• Knights, Generals clash for 113th J. Ross Robertson Cup starting Thursday on TSN
• Generals’ Marrelli named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
• 67’s sign third overall pick Brock Chitaroni
• Knights’ Elliott named OHL Goaltender of the Week
• 67’s sign Jaxon Williams, son of former NHL star Justin Williams
• Rangers’ Arquette named OHL Rookie of the Week
• Spirit ink third round selection Levi Harper
• London Knights claim record third straight Wayne Gretzky Trophy
• Oshawa Generals win second consecutive Bobby Orr Trophy
• Rangers’ Parsons named OHL Goaltender of the Year
• Generals, City of Oshawa and Oak View Group secure new 30-year partnership
• Otters announce changes in hockey operations
• Knights’ Dickinson named OHL Defenceman of the Year
• Colts announce 15-year lease extension with City of Barrie
• 101 OHL graduates competing in Stanley Cup Playoffs
• Schaefer, Misa lead 64 OHL players on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings
• 303 players selected in 2025 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore
• OHL Scholarship Program continues funding academic pursuits in 2024-25
• Big names featured in 2024-25 OHL Coaches Poll results
• Peterborough to host 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
• Registration 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