The wraparound panel discusses Samuel Montembeault being named to Team Canada roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off Sean Farrell is a hard guy to figure out. He’s a smart, talented player. During his time with the NTDP, he was a mid-level guy. Not a star but a very good player. That seems to still be the issue with him and he may be running out of time to stand out with the Canadiens. During his time with the Chicago Steel, he was a top-notch player. He was away from the program and had a chance to shine. After doing that, the pandemic hit, so he went back to the Steel during the pandemic because Ive League hockey canceled their season. It was smart and he blew up with 101 points and he was over a point-per-game in the playoffs. At Harvard, he exceeded expectations. In his second year, he had gaudy numbers, 53 points in 34 games. After that 2022-23 season, he played six games with the Canadiens and looked like a young player who still had a lot of developing to do. At 22, he was in Laval full-time and had a decent season. Nine goals and 19 assists in 47 games. Not bad. But I was underwhelmed, to be honest. If I took him at face value, as a general fourth-round pick, then he’s probably fine. But I know more about him than some other players and have more expectations. Watching now, he’s defensively aware but he loses puck battles. He has an active stick but loses to someone strong on the puck. Offensively, he has terrific speed and isn’t afraid to go to the net to get a goal. But that’s occasional and after 20 games, he has no goals and two points. It’s as bad of a start as it gets. The Canadiens have one more year of control on him. The clock is ticking. Let’s see if his season gets better.
