Filip Mesar - C/RW - HC Poprad - Avg. Rnk - 17.58
37GP - 8G+8A - 7.40% G% 14.81% INV% - 9.12 NHLeScore
Slovakia is in the beginning stages of a relative golden era of young players with names like Simon Nemec, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Dalibor Dvorsky all generating headlines all season for good reason. The name that has always caught my attention for the last two seasons has been Filip Mesar, a forward playing for HC Poprad, and at time of filming, yes, I have him ranked neck-and-neck than fellow 2022 eligible Simon Nemec. Playing against men this season, Mesar has generated rock solid tracked data across the board, with strong rates of zone transition involvement, efficiency in those transitions, especially defensively and extremely strong passing data, completing over 75% of his passes in my sample, matched only by players with significantly smaller samples. Any men’s league player with an offensive threat metric approaching 20 is a solid indicator of potential offensive output, and Mesar brings a nice balance of playmaking and individual scoring chances that blend nicely with the defensive ability he brings according to the data.
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Similar to previously profiled player Jiri Kulich, Mesar is marked by a strong feel for the natural flow of a hockey game, with and without the puck. He can anticipate play well, while using strong edges and speed generation to hunt down opposing rushes and pressure puck carriers around the ice. He may be small, but he’s willing to get physically involved and separate players from pucks and establish strong body positioning. Mesar largely played centre in my sample, and I believe he’s a natural fit there with how he reads space, and attacks quickly with the speed he can generate, and absolutely brings that instinct in the defensive end. Being such a fluid and agile skater unlocks so much potential in a player’s game, and Mesar has an excellent ability to quickly strip pucks and find outlets on the backcheck, which largely fed into his impressively low DCZT% in the 14th highest defensive transition involvement percentage of tracked forwards. Even strictly looking positionally, Mesar often seems aware of where his coverage area is, and how to stay in the way of passing and shooting lanes, often as a pickoff threat.
Of course, while there may be a talented defensive centre with Mesar, what arguably matters more at the top end of the NHL Draft is how a player like that plays on the offensive side, and Mesar is absolutely no slouch. The quickness comes out on offensive rushes often, making himself a target able to separate himself from opponents with ease, keeping things simple and fending off pressure as best he can. He constantly anticipates open space when he smells a breakout, even after getting physically involved. The agility also allows Mesar to work along the boards well at times, even if his raw size and strength isn’t ideal, and he’ll need to build on this area of the game in order to maximize his potential, but the signs are bright in my view. On turnovers, Mesar is often quick to identify targets in open space and executes quickly.
What I love about Mesar is the fluidity and dynamic pace he brings to the game. He makes pass receptions and puck protection seem effortless at time, using pivots, puck skill and his body to open up space and get pucks to safety. He may lack a truly elite top gear speed-wise, but his brain and agility make up for it for now to me, often pulling pressure towards the middle of the ice on breakouts as a centre and hitting targets back on the wings accurately for easier offensive rushes. His quick thinking, quick hands, and mobility on his feet can be chained together at times to make him a very strong conduit in the neutral zone to get pucks up the ice, something I’ve rarely seen in players in this draft class, especially at the men’s level. There’s also evidence of chaining these quick one-touch plays and awareness of space in the offensive zone, something that will certainly come in handy in the NHL, especially if his strength doesn’t develop as much as it could. Similar to Kulich, you can see flashes of something more with Mesar. The puck skill is currently at a high level to solve a layer of defensive systems, but secondary and tertiary coverage can still be an issue.
A lack of speed can and did cause some issues for Mesar when being closed on by multiple defenders, and when his quick thinking and one-touch passing isn’t an option, his effectiveness was somewhat limited. Mesar has plenty of really promising traits in his game, but he hasn’t managed to produce quite at the level you would think based on what I’ve brought up to this point. While I think a lot of traits are pointed in the right direction, I’d like Mesar to use his agility and skill to attack the middle of the ice a bit more himself as over 60% of his shots came from outside dangerous areas. Because when he did use his edges to build up speed with the puck, drop a shoulder and attack the middle, he was certainly impressive.
I’m still unsure of his actual potential as an NHL goal scorer, but not because I’m pessimistic. He has the right instincts and sneakiness to float into scoring position. And I don’t feel that his shot as it is right now is particularly threatening at the next level, but this can be worked on.
His passing, however, is a hallmark of his offensive potential. Mesar has no issue stopping up, slowing things down, surveying the ice and hitting targets to open up defenses. Coupled with his hands, he has some of the nicer high pace, high intensity rushes I’ve seen of men’s league players this year, so I’ll be looking for more of this in the coming years. There’s just so much to like in Mesar’s game with clear signs of potential for further growth in his ability as a 200-foot centre that will help enable scoring wingers to do what they do best.
The Best Part - Fluidity and Mobility
Mesar’s fluid footwork and clear comfort while skating are clearly apparent. He may not be the fastest player on the ice, but he can cover and create space effectively be it defensively, in transition, or sneaking into space in the offensive zone to maintain cycles. It just unlocks so many areas of the game when you can maneuver around the ice like Mesar in all areas, especially when there’s skill like what Mesar has flashed.
The Good Part - Spatial Awareness
Mesar simply feels the game extremely well. Of course, his mobility certainly helps him stand out here, but this is the kind of player I’m always looking for to play down the middle. Bringing a strong sense of responsibility, space, and intensity to the game all over the ice. He makes himself a cross-ice target on offensive rushes, able to take passes across his body and quarterback pucks up the ice.
The Not-So Good Part - Top Speed and Strength
There honestly isn’t a ton that was really troublesome with Mesar. He’s not the biggest centre you’ll ever come across, and that comes with obvious downsides, but with his lack of explosiveness in forward strides can limit his ability to stick to opponents on offensive rushes if they get a step on him. If that speed doesn’t come a ways, he’s either going to need to strengthen himself while carrying pucks or make his decisions with the puck quicker and more effectively to find truly high end results, as opponents closing in on him could hound him into a turnover a little more often than I’d like.
Final Thoughts
So Mesar lands at a 1D, mostly through the optimism I feel for his game, rather than real inconsistencies that limit his effectiveness. He’s got skill, he’s got mobility, he’s got an excellent mind for the game at both ends, and the only real limit is something that often holds back young talent like this. Separation speed and strength on the puck. The way he can effortlessly follow play, chain plays together and rarely put himself out of the flow of the game has stuck out to me since day 1 relative to this draft class. There are just so many flashes of really projectable traits and thinking that kept me moving him up my board throughout the year, especially juggling all these talents together. The way he sneaks around the ice at a variety of paces, gets advantages on defenders, drives himself into open space and controls possession is high end, even if flawed at times, but there’s a very strong baseline to work with.
As with many young players, getting stronger, quicker or both is going to be key to unlocking his potential as a 200-foot puck quarterback, especially those lacking ideal size, but there are signs of a bright future clearly evident now. He’s a great detail-oriented player with a reliable view of the ice, and fixable issues that can be worked on. There’s a high ceiling, but I believe a relatively high floor that has me putting Mesar well into my first round flying a little too far under some radars out there.
Ratings: Think - 1C, Move - 1D, Get - 2A, Pass - 1C, Shoot - 2B, Overall - 1D