Filip Mesar has been a different player since Pascal Vincent left

Marc-Olivier Cook
Filip Mesar has been a different player since Pascal Vincent left
Credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Filip Mesar is in his third season as a professional in North America.

His first two seasons weren't great, as he played under Pascal Vincent in Laval.

But things have been going well for him since Daniel Jacob took over as head coach of the Rocket.

The Canadiens prospect, who was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft (alongside Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson), has tallied six points—including three goals—in his first nine games of the season in the American Hockey League.

Daniel Jacob is also using him on the power play, which is a nice vote of confidence in the small right-handed forward. And clearly, the coaching change in Laval seems to have done him a world of good.

Was Pascal Vincent using him incorrectly? Should Pascal Vincent be blamed for Mesar's poor production in '23–'24 and '24–'25?

Maybe. But there's also a world in which Mesar is more mature on the ice today, which has earned him the trust of his current coach.

He's often been described as a player who made mistakes on the ice over the past two years. And given that he isn't the most physically engaged player on the ice, it was hard to give him meaningful ice time…

At 22, Mesar still dreams of the NHL. Nicolas Landry (RDS) met with him, and the forward told him he wants to prove to the Canadiens' management that they made the right choice by drafting him with the 26th pick in 2022.

But…

But Mešár's strong start to the season doesn't change anything. Why?

Because right now, there's no room for him in Montreal. The Canadiens might decide to call him up as a reward… but if they do, who gets cut from the lineup?

And when Nick Suzuki returns—which could happen soon—it would be even harder to find a spot for him on the Montreal roster…

That's fine for Mesar, if he can find his rhythm and have some good moments down there. But if he really wants to play in the NHL, it's likely to happen somewhere else… unless there's a surprise (or a massive stroke of bad luck with injuries).


In Brief

– Sad news.

– Well done.

– Stay tuned.

– Yeah.

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