See which players stood out the most during the Canadiens’ development camp

The Canadiens’ talent pool hasn’t been this healthy in a long time. Several of these young gems have set off, over the past four days, on the skating rinks of the Brossard complex. Four days when they had the chance to leave a good impression on the team’s staff.

Some of them caught the attention of Rob Ramage, the director of player development. At the end of an intra-squad match won 2-1 by the Reds, the former defender gave his impressions of what he saw.

Lane Hutson

“He continues to impress us. When we drafted him, we had some concerns about his size. But he continued to improve. What he did in his first season in the NCAA reassured us. He compiled excellent statistics. Every game I attended, he had an impact. He was the best player on the ice.

“He’s a very smart guy. He always finds a way to find someone on the ice. When he has the puck in offensive territory, something always happens. His speed and intelligence in the game will help him enormously to stand out. He never gets rid of the puck. He is always dangerous.

“He is getting stronger. His lateral movements are impressive and his explosion continues to improve.

David Reinbacher

“He’s a big guy. He was nervous. It was a big month for him. Earlier, he told me he was disappointed because he didn’t score even though he got chances. I told him: “Relax! We are just in July.” He started the season as the fifth or sixth defenseman and he finished it on the first pair.

Logan Mailloux

“I think I’ve seen him more often in the last year than my own son. He had a great year. He looks like an NHL player. In his case, he has to play. He hasn’t played much hockey in the last three years. He wants to learn. In London, he became a leader. He was playing 30 minutes per game and it was a solid 30 minutes. He will push to find his place, whether here or in Laval.

Adam Engstrom

“He’s quite a player. I saw him play a few games in Rogle. In the first match, he was the best defender. And in the second, he looked like a young boy. It’s the kind of thing you expect. He takes his game to another level. He continues to impress us. He will play another season in Sweden before we bring him here. He’s in a good place there.”

Owen Beck

“Another that I had the chance to see play, in Mississauga and in Peterborough. He is a complete player, very intelligent, reliable and consistent. His coaches love him. He is a leader, a very serious and conscientious guy. He knows how to play hockey and he’s hungry.”

Luke Tuch

“In his first two seasons in the organization, he was not spared from injury. It delayed him a bit in his development. He arrived at camp leaner, in better physical shape. Today he had an impact on the game. He now has to do it more consistently. We want to see that at each of his presences.

Filip Mesar

“I’m not too worried about his production. The plan was to bring him here, to allow him to get used to North American hockey. A smaller ice rink, culture. He lived in Kitchener with a boarding family. It was a challenging year for him, which is not a bad thing.”