Drafted 100th in the 4th round of this this year’s NHL draft, Victor Mete is a defenseman whose size is unusual for his position, standing 5’10 » tall and weighing in at 174 pounds. GMs nowadays are more and more on the lookout for mobile defensemen with good size. Well, if Mete does not fill the size criteria, he doubly fills the mobility one!
He is a skater known for his agility, explosiveness, acceleration and extremely impressive speed. He can be seen skating the puck up the ice on many occasions and he also possesses excellent hands, which help him exploit his speed offensively. He also possesses a good wrist shot. This last season in the OHL, he obtained 38 points, including 8 goals, in 68 games. This was after an excellent rookie season at 16 years old in 2014-2015, as he even played as the London Knights’ first D-man at the end of the season, before Olli Juolevi’s arrival the following season. He finished that rookie season with 23 points, including 7 goals, in 58 games and was named to the 2nd Rookie All-star team.
It is said that he greatly improved defensively last season, principally by using his speed to maintain excellent position on the ice and that is what he will need to continue doing in order to reach the NHL. He has shown that he is willing to engage in physical battles, however he will need to add strength if he wants to win them more often. He has been playing on the PK last year, which shows the confidence his coach Dale Hunter has in him.
Without a doubt his size played a big role in his late selection. He was seen going between the 2nd and the 4th round, depending on which scout you asked. He possesses a good offensive potential, but it will be hard for him to find a top-4 role in the NHL. I believe he should be seen as a potential 3rd pairing puck-moving defenseman, playing on the power play and obtaining at best 20 to 30 points a year. He is more of a long-term project so it is hard to tell where the Canadiens’ defensive unit will be when he will be ready for the big leagues. He has the potential to produce points, so he could surprise!
He has also shown being able to elevate his play during the playoffs; he obtained 1 goal and 8 points in 10 games during his rookie season, and 4 goals and 11 points in 18 games last season.
We will see what happens with this rather unconventional defenseman, however I am sure he will obtain his fair share of points next year with the Knights and he will have three to five years to gain strength and add some bulk to his frame. After all, he turned 18 last June only
Le Dépisteur 