When the Montreal Canadiens announced Victor Mete as their fourth-round draft selection in June of 2016, nobody could have expected the defenceman would find a regular role in the NHL just over a year later.
Defencemen take time, as the old adage goes, and that’s doubly true for those drafted in later rounds. Mete, who was the 100th player off the board, apparently didn’t get the memo.
There were 32 blue-liners chosen ahead of Mete in 2016, and a whopping 26 of them have yet to taste a cup of coffee in the NHL, including the likes of fifth overall pick, and London Knights teammate, Olli Juolevi.