Many of the top Montreal Canadiens prospects are scheduled to hit the ice this week, as the team’s rookie camp transitions from off-ice workouts and medicals to on-ice drills and intrasquad scrimmages.
And while players such as Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux, Lane Hutson, and David Reinbacher will look to build momentum ahead of the team’s main training camp, a slow start to the rookie camp won’t prevent them from being invited to the next stage of the process. It may not seem fair, but they’re among the team’s top prospects, and they’ve already established their value to the organization to a certain extent.
That’s not the case for every player, as there will be a few Canadiens prospects in the mix who will have to play well at the rookie camp to ensure they do not drop in the organizational depth chart. There are also a couple of dark horse candidates who could leverage a solid showing into an extended audition.
Montreal Canadiens Forwards At Rookie Camp
Forwards In Attendance: Florian Xhekaj, Filip Mesar, Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Sean Farrell, Emil Heineman, Riley Kidney, Justin Larose, Israel Mianscum, Logan Nijhoff, Maxime Pellerin, Charles Savoie, Luke Tuch, and Tyler Thorpe.
Much has been made of Filip Mesar’s respectable, if not slightly underwhelming results in his two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL. The argument that he needs to be more engaged in every puck battle holds water, but I’d warn against writing him off this early in the process. He’s on the cusp of making his North American professional hockey debut in earnest, and given that he played professional hockey in Slovakia prior to being drafted by the Canadiens, there’s an argument to be made when it comes to the quality of his teammates in recent years.
I would not want to suggest the Rangers had a poor lineup, but Mesar had to adapt to amateur hockey after gaining important professional experience, which is not always easy. Playing with linemates that have a little more experience may be exactly what the 2022 first-round pick needs to find his rhythm.
We should also note Mesar was red-hot in the 2023–24 playoffs, earning 16 points in 10 games, a very solid production rate considering the Rangers had to face the powerhouse London Knights in the second round. Just one of those points was a goal, which does speak to his penchant for passing rather than shooting in high-danger areas.
A strong showing at the rookie camp would go a long way in convincing Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent that Mesar can be trusted with important minutes in the AHL, thus setting him up nicely for his rookie season.
Riley Kidney, Jared Davidson, Florian Xhekaj, and Sean Farrell will also want to hit the ground running, but they’re not at the point where you’d consider them for a promotion to the NHL should the need arise. Emil Heineman, on the other hand, is in a somewhat difficult situation. It’s not that he played poorly for the Rocket last season, as 15 goals and 14 assists in 48 games was one of the better scoring rates in the lineup. This means he’s inching closer to being ready to play in the NHL, but he’s also at risk of becoming yet another hockey tweener, as his defensive play lags behind his high-end offensive prowess.
On that note, the rookie camp will be a great opportunity for Heineman to remind Habs brass that he’s well ahead of the offensive curve compared to most of his peers, and seeing as the Canadiens lack offensive firepower, a strong showing could improve his standing among forwards who set to receive a legitimate NHL opportunity in the near future. Heineman made waves at prior development and rookie camps, giving him an inside track on some of the younger players attempting to establish their value to the organization.
Montreal Canadiens Defencemen At Rookie Camp
Defencemen in attendance: Lane Hutson, Adam Engström, Logan Mailloux, Simon Motew, Owen Protz, David Reinbacher, and Emanuelson Charbonneau.
We will get a little taste of the future when Hutson, Mailloux, and Reinbacher suit up in a Canadiens uniform this week. Despite most teams suggesting it’s not the case, not all players are given the same opportunity to prove their way. The trio on defence will get as many chances as needed, but that won’t necessarily be the case for Adam Engstrom.
I’d argue he should probably be included in the aforementioned group, at least when it comes to his talent and experience, and that he’s arguably the most underrated defensive prospect in the organization, but the fact remains he’s a late third-round pick that is yet to play professional hockey in Canada, which means he still has some work to do if he’s to convince Kent Hughes and Co. he deserves to jump frog some of the most highly touted defensive prospects.
On that note, don’t be surprised if Engstrom, a silky-smooth skater, flies out of the gate. He’s been playing professional hockey in Sweden since 2022, making him one of the most interesting and well-polished prospects in the organization.
