Mete could round out Canada's best D group in nearly a decade

Team Canada didn't need Victor Mete, but it'll surely take him.

Mete has been given a chance to take part in Hockey Canada's selection camp for the upcoming World Junior Championship by the Montreal Canadiens.

The 19-year-old blue-liner had held his own in 27 games with the Habs this year, picking up four assists, just two penalty minutes, a plus-5 rating, and a 51.0 Corsi For percentage.

The former fourth-round pick is just 5-foot-9, 184 pounds, but he was deemed ready for the NHL as a teenager thanks to his exceptional skating ability and high hockey IQ.

While there's still no guarantees Mete makes the team, it's hard to imagine Canada would leave out a player who's spent all season facing the best players in the world.

Assuming he lands a spot after getting cut from last year's silver medal-winning team, Mete would join what projects to be a stacked blue line - maybe Canada's best in nearly a decade.

Canada's defense grouping reached its apex in 2009, when it featured future stars in Alex Pietrangelo, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Tyler Myers, in addition to highly touted D-men Thomas Hickey and Colten Teubert, who never quite met expectations.

Canada has had some exceptional defensemen don the red, black, and white in the past eight tournaments, such as Morgan Rielly, Dougie Hamilton, Tyson Barrie, Matt Dumba, Aaron Ekblad, Josh Morrissey, and Shea Theodore, but they've never had a unit as deep and dynamic as the '09 team.

This year's D-men could come close. Here's a look at the rearguards vying for a spot:

The returnees

Fabbro, Clague, and Bean will be counted on to lead the way as the three returnees, and they should have no problem doing so. Clague is certainly the most offensive-minded of the three, while Fabbro might be considered the most reliable. Regardless, all three are exceptional skaters and should shine with prior experience in the high-pressure tournament.

The 2016 draftees

Most of Canada's defensemen in camp are made from a similar mold: average-sized or undersized puck-movers who can skate like the wind. The 6-foot-7 Stanley brings a physicality and nastiness that the others don't, giving him a strong chance at making the team.

The 2017 draftees

Makar was chosen so high because of his incredible offensive talent, but given that Canada already has so much of that, it's possible he's left off this roster for someone who plays more of a low-risk game. Foote plays a lot like his old man, and will likely be brought in to play a shutdown role - much like he's done all year in Kelowna.

Projected starting seven

Here are Team Canada's projected starting seven defensemen, and possible pairings:

This would give Canada three right-handed shots and four left-handed shots. Mete has shown the ability to play his off-side in Montreal this season, giving head coach Dominique Ducharme further flexibility.

Despite these possible pairings, Clague, Fabbro, Bean, and Mete will likely be counted on to play the most minutes.

With Carter Hart (1.32 GAA, .961 SV% in WHL this year) returning in goal, Canada will be incredibly tough to score on with this defense corps in front of him. Moreover, the skating ability and aggressiveness the unit provides will help drive an offense that lacks a star presence up front.

If everyone plays to their abilities, this unit will be the backbone of Team Canada for its hopeful return to gold-medal glory.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)