Listening to colleagues Éric Fichaud and Mathieu Chouinard share stories about training camps, I got the idea for this blog on Sunday.

Both my acolytes remembered that in every training camp all the aspiring players are convinced that they can make it to the big club. Forcing the organization’s hand to oust a veteran and showing you’re a better option than an established player isn’t easy, but it’s possible.

From the conversation of my two esteemed colleagues came the name Michael Pezzetta. Honestly, before last summer’s training camp, which one of you believed in your chances of playing for the big club?

Well, neither do I.

But ask Pezzetta and he will tell you without hesitation: “YES, I believed!”. That’s the beauty of some training camps, a surprise arrives, an outsider shows up and he makes his place in the sun.

Because that’s exactly what the young winger did. He had a thunder camp last summer and earned auditions in preseason games. He started the season in Laval but as soon as there was an opening in Montreal he got his chance. His playing isn’t transcendent, but it’s honest and inspiring. He did the job nobody dared to do so here he is with a contract in his pocket! Regardless, he knows he has to start from scratch and still earn his place this season.

Who will be the Pezzetta of 2022-2023?

If we trust the line left by the man with the curly hair, the player must have a minimum level of professional experience and be able to fill a gap in the big club.

We agree the Canadian still has some gaps to fill and with no 50-goal scorer to emerge from camp, I believe Raphaël Harvey-Pinard could become the next Pezzetta.

What the latter has in physical intensity, RHP has in attack flair. Supporting stats show his game with the Rocket over the last year is very close to the mark, and Harvey-Pinard knows he needs to continue in the same direction and add even more.

“I have to make myself indispensable and score goals every now and then if I want to play at the top.”

Ironically, these two players end up on the left side in the same fight, but each has different strengths.

It is therefore up to Martin St-Louis and management to decide which type of player they prefer. Because there is currently a lack of space in the sun!