Mathieu Perreault and Cédric Paquette will have to watch out for Jean-Sébastien Dea
Jean-Sébastien Dea signed a one-year, $750,000 deal with the Montreal Canadiens on July 28. From that moment on, everyone has been assigning him to the Laval Rocket, even though Dea has no desire to play for the team. His goal is clear, he wants to surprise and carve out a position with the Canadiens.
"I hear people talk about the Rocket a lot, but my mentality right now is to show up at camp and cause a surprise," said Dea.
The 27-year-old has played 33 NHL games so far and is a dominant player in the AHL. He has what it takes to succeed in the National Hockey League, even more so now that he has matured tremendously. His words and his more balanced lifestyle are proof of that.
"My first goal at the Bell Centre is something I've been visualizing since I was young and I hope it will happen. I'm going to work to make it happen!"
Honestly, with the energy he has right now, he could come and be in competition with Mathieu Perreault and/or Cédric Paquette. Dea can't play a primary role with the Montreal Canadiens, but he can certainly add something to a third or fourth combination. From there, Perreault and Paquette will have to keep an eye on the former Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, who seems more motivated than ever.
"I'll be more of a third or fourth line guy. I will bring energy, heart. I think being a Quebecer, that's what people want, a guy who will work every night, who will go to the corners, who will block shots. That's what I'm going to try to bring every night."
Over the past few years, Dea has realized that he needs to adopt a new style of play to make it in the NHL. In the QMJHL and AHL, he has been able to make his mark offensively with his quick shot and opportunism. However, in the NHL, he can't play that way, so he had to define a specific role for himself that would allow him to carve out a position. That's the mentality he ended up adopting in the last few months.
As they say, that's also a big proof of maturity!
