Victor Mete

It's easy to forget that Mete's still just 20-years-old and prone to a young player's fluctuations. There was a clear line of demarcation in his 2018-19 season. The first 23 games saw him drop from 20 minutes of ice time on Opening Night to a season-low 12 minutes on Nov. 27 -- Mete's final game before a three-week demotion to AHL Laval. The left-handed blueliner has speed, is comfortable in transition and moves the puck well in the offensive zone, but he's on the small side, which often led to high-danger scoring chances for opponents at the NHL level. Three weeks later, after working on his anticipation and checking of opposing forwards, the Habs called Mete up to skate on their top pairing with Shea Weber. Now that he's improved defensively, the next step for Mete will be to work on his shot and overall contributions on offense. The 2016 fourth-round pick had 13 assists last year, and has yet to score a goal in 120 career NHL contests, so there's certainly room for improvement. If Mete shows growth as a point producer early on in 2019-20, he might be worth a speculative waiver claim, but there's no reason for fantasy owners to spend a pick on him during drafts this year.

Mete was a pleasant surprise in training camp and as a result, earned a spot on the opening night roster. For a 19-year old, Mete is extremely poised and skates incredibly well. The Canadiens probably wished they weren't in a position to consider Mete, but they needed a mobile puck-moving defender besides Jeff Petry. Mete began the season on the top pairing, alongside Shea Weber but was then mothballed for a stretch, after making some early mistakes. Once Weber was sidelined by a foot injury and Mete returned from Team Canada's U-20 team, he averaged 16:28 of ice time and was even over 22 games before suffering a season-ending finger injury in March. He finished with seven points and led the defense at plus-5 over 49 games. Coach Claude Julien typically does not tolerate inconsistency from younger players, but may not have a choice with Mete, as Weber will miss the first two months and playing time will be there. Mete needs to grow at the NHL level and a demotion to AHL Laval would be a misstep by the organization at this point.

Victor Mete, a fourth-round draft pick in 2016 and still junior eligible, made the Canadiens roster and will suit up opening night. He had a breakout season with the London Knights of the junior Ontario Hockey League in 2016-17 when he had 44 points and 15 goals in 50 games. What jumps out immediately is Mete's speed and ability to transition. He has offensive upside despite not having one of those booming shots we typically associate with offensive blueliners. Mete counters that with constant movement and an ability to create lanes for himself, getting himself closer to the net. The challenge at the NHL level will be competing with the larger bodies. He's undersized and will be outmuscled. There's a very good chance he's up for the nine-game minimum before he rejoins the Knights in the OHL.