Perhaps it’s by choice that Filip Mesar has tried distancing himself lately from Juraj Slafkovsky, his childhood friend, former national teammate in Slovakia and fellow first-round Canadiens draft choice.
After all Slafkovsky, selected first overall in 2022, is playing with Montreal while Mesar, who went 26th overall in the same draft, is attempting to cut his teeth in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. According to Mesar, they might talk or text only every two weeks.
Mesar is 21 and a year older than Slafkovsky. He said it’s imperative he doesn’t compare his career trajectory with that of Slafkovsky’s.
“Each player has a different story to make it to the NHL,” Mesar told The Gazette on Monday, one of 10 Rocket players who participated in a development day morning practice at Place Bell. “I’m trying to focus here on myself. He was a first overall pick. The expectations for him were very big. He got a chance to play right away. I’m not focusing on that. I’m trying to keep getting better and focusing on myself every day because I want to make it (to the NHL) one day as well.
“If I’m going to do those things like I did at the beginning of the season — I played hard and fast — I’m pretty sure the call-up can come at any time and I have to be ready.”
Following two seasons playing for the Kitchener juniors in the OHL, where Mesar was solid if unspectacular, the 5-foot-10, 184-pound forward is in his first full campaign with the Rocket. Mesar was off to a good start, with a goal and five points in five games, before suffering a lower-body injury on Oct. 25 against Utica.
He was out nearly two full months, returning on Dec. 20, and Mesar’s statistical pace has dropped, with a goal and three points in 11 games.
“It’s never easy when you get injured,” he said. “I was injured for a long time. But now I’m back and feeling better. It took me five or six games to get into shape, and get (used) to that pace again. Now I just need to do what the coaches want, work hard and hopefully it’ll be like it was before.”
Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent wants Mesar to be creative on the ice while using speed and skill to his advantage. Like most young prospects, Mesar’s defensive-zone coverage could use some improvement. But given his size, he’s unlikely to make it to the NHL by being sound defensively.
“You get injured early in the season, and I’ve seen it before … the league goes like this,” Vincent said, pointing upwards, “and you’re here, trying to catch up. It takes time and I expected it. He wants to be coached, he wants to do the right things. He’s listening and paying attention. I expected him to struggle a little bit, but it’s normal. And he’s a young player.
“What he was doing really well (before the injury) was moving his feet when he got the puck. He needs to get back to that. He gets the puck and slows down. First thing you know he gets pressure coming to him. When he moves his feet he’s really dynamic. It’s going to come. No worries.”
Vincent likes to shuffle his lines and has been trying to place Mesar in a position to succeed. Friday at Utica, the right-winger played with Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Laurent Dauphin. One night later, back at home against the Comets, Mesar played with Jared Davidson and Owen Beck, the latter recalled by the Canadiens for Sunday’s overtime victory against the New York Rangers.
The pace and physicality of AHL play has proven to be Mesar’s biggest adjustment. He knows when the puck goes into the corner he must be smart.
“It’s not always a bad thing when you’re smaller,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a good thing. You can be faster … quicker and more dynamic.”
Vincent said Mesar must work on his skating, while ensuring he understands the game and anticipates better when he doesn’t have the puck. Attention to detail is imperative while being smart in positioning and working harder than the next guy.
Meanwhile, the Rocket is down to seven defencemen after losing Joshua Jacobs to a season-ending knee injury that required surgery. Jacobs didn’t play last season due to a severe Achilles tendon injury.