As training camp gets closer for the Canadiens, Brossard is starting to fill up with familiar names and a couple of fresh ones.
Filip Mesar was one of the new arrivals on the ice this morning, and the 22-year-old prospect is heading into a season that could say a lot about where he fits in Montreal’s plans. Drafted 26th overall in 2022, Mesar has not yet delivered the kind of production that usually comes with a first-round pedigree. Last season with the Laval Rocket, he put up 27 points in 71 games.
His first three seasons, split between junior hockey and the American Hockey League, have been uneven, but there has been some offensive punch along the way. Mesar has already gone over the 50-point mark twice in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. This year could be a big one in deciding whether he stays in the Canadiens’ medium- and long-term picture.
He skated with a group that included Zachary Bolduc, Phillip Danault, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Jayden Struble.
There were also two former members of the organization on hand: Joe Veleno, now with the New York Rangers, and Raphaël Lavoie, of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The session had the same edge that has been showing up in the club’s summer work, with the coach once again pushing the pace and intensity.
Another name tied to the Canadiens’ system, Kaapo Kahkonen, also had a notable season with Laval. The 30-year-old finished 21-9-7 last year for the Rocket, with a 2.73 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage.
In Other News...
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The uncertainty around the Norris Trophy speaks to a broader challenge smaller players have long faced in hockey, where reputation and perception can lag behind actual impact. Hutson has kept working to push past those old biases, but within the Canadiens room the bigger prize still matters most, with the focus firmly on winning the Stanley Cup rather than collecting trophies for one player along the way. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Prospect Aatos Koivu Is Drawing Bigger NHL Buzz Than Expected
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Still, the excitement comes with the usual prospect caution attached. Koivu remains early in the process, and his long-term path is still far from settled, which is why the next step matters so much for Montreal. For now, the more immediate question is whether he can continue building toward being useful in the AHL picture, where the Laval Rocket could eventually have a role for him if his game keeps trending the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Tough Samuel Montembeault Decision
Samuel Montembeault is still in Montreal after Kent Hughes spent the summer exploring trade possibilities, but the conversation around the Canadiens goaltending has hardly gone quiet. With training camps opening and teams still taking stock of their depth charts, Montembeault remains one of the more interesting names on the market for a club that has been willing to listen, even if nothing materialized before now.
The latest wrinkle comes from Edmonton, where a sudden goaltending need has put the Oilers back into the mix as a possible fit. Hughes would have to weigh whether the timing is right to revisit that path, especially with cap space tight enough that any deal would likely need more than a simple one-for-one structure. For Montreal, it is another reminder that Montembeaults status is still fluid, and the question is whether the Canadiens want to keep managing that uncertainty or finally turn it into a move. [Read more 🡒]