Victor Mete Enjoying Ottawa Way Better Than Montreal

Victor Mete received a second chance with the Ottawa Senators and there's no doubt it's worked out for both sides. The Senators claimed the smooth-skating defender after the Canadiens were caught in a numbers game and had to make a move. Mete now heads for free-agency and is hopeful he gets to call Ottawa home for the foreseeable future.

The 22-year-old spoke to TSN 1200 and had this to say about the difference between the two clubs:

It's a new lease on life, getting claimed by Ottawa. It's been great here. I was able to go out and play my game knowing if I made a mistake, I wasn't going to (get) pulled. The team and my agent are working on a deal. I hope it works out. I want to come back here and be a part of this.

Subtle jab at the Canadiens short leash right there. Mete was a healthy scratch many times this season and averaged 14:09 per night when he did play. In Ottawa his minutes have gone up to 17:27 per night and he's added one goal and one assist in the 14 games with the Senators.

Look for Mete, who's a restricted free-agent to sign a multi-year deal with the Senators as they try to continue their uphill climb to fully rebuilding.