(Buffalo, New York) Many words have been said and written about a certain Juraj Slafkovsky since the Canadian made him the first choice in the last draft. It gets people talking in Montreal, of course, but also in Slovakia, a country that has been less blessed with great talent since the golden years of Zdeno Chara, Marian Gaborik and the Hossa brothers.
Posted at 6:33 p.m.
“With us, he is recognized everywhere, told the hope of the Canadian Filip Mesar, Friday. I open Twitter, Instagram and there are articles about him. It’s a lot, but he’s okay with it, he’s mentally strong. »
That said, the “other” choice of the first round of the CH last summer – claimed at 26e rank — finds its account there. “I think there’s too much pressure on him, but it’s easier for me and I prefer not to get too much attention,” Mesar explained.
The striker indeed lives in the shadow of his good friend. But Mesar thus escapes the attention that surrounds any first round choice of the CH, regardless of their rank in this first round.
And that is why the debate “Montreal or Laval? surrounding Slafkovsky obscures another question that would have been talked about in September, in a normal context, for Filip Mesar: Laval or Kitchener? This is the question that the CH staff will have to answer within a month.
A rare situation
Because he was playing in Europe when he was drafted, Mesar would effectively be eligible to play in the American League at the age of 18, which players on the Canadian junior circuits cannot do.
They’re pretty rare to do it for a full season, though. According to Quant-Hockey data, only one 18-year-old played full-time in the American League last season. It was Danila Klimovich, a pick of 5e tour of the Canucks, who amassed 18 points in 62 games.
In 2019-20, there were three, all first-round picks: Simon Holmstrom, Tobias Bjornfot and Moritz Seider. The experience of the latter has obviously not been harmful, if we rely on the Calder trophy lying around somewhere at home.
On the other hand, the four aforementioned players are relatively big, while Mesar, at 5’9 and 176 lbs, is not yet physically mature.
For a European, coming to the American League at a young age is not easy sometimes. If he makes a place for himself, we don’t see why we won’t keep him. But otherwise, it will be in the junior.
Jean-François Houle, head coach of the Laval Rocket
From the point of view of the Habs, a stay in the junior ranks would make sense. The school club should, logically, count young Jan Mysak, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylönen in its ranks, players who must play, at least, in the first three lines to continue their development. Slafkovsky himself could also be traded to the Rocket if the team deems it necessary.
The Canadian has also hired players such as Anthony Richard and Michell Stephens, who are added in particular to Danick Martel and Alex Belzile among those who will form the offensive core of the Rocket.
In short, it’s all well and good to want to keep Mesar in Laval, but it is still necessary that he is not confined to the fourth line because of an overflow of forwards. This may explain Houle’s warning.
Mesar’s preference
The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL own the rights to Mesar should he play Canadian junior hockey. So, which would he prefer between Laval and the city cool people call “K-Dub”?
“We’ll see after the tournament,” he replied first. Relaunched on the question, he admitted that “the American League would be the best option, but the OHL would be good too. »
A significant factor: Mesar has been playing in the professional ranks for two years in Slovakia. He therefore receives a real salary, which he would be entitled to in Laval, where his contract provides for an income of $82,500 per season. In junior, players are only entitled to a modest weekly allowance.
Financially, in the very short term, Mesar would therefore benefit from playing in Laval. But Kent Hughes will obviously make his decision based on what will best serve the interests of the organization and the development of the young man.