The Montreal Canadiens have one of the deepest prospect pools in the entire NHL, and over the next couple of years, we are going to start seeing an influx of new faces. Owen Beck, a 2022 second-round pick, is among the prospects with a real shot at cracking the Canadiens' roster in this year's training camp.
Beck played his junior career in the OHL, split between the Mississauga Steelheads, Peterborough Petes, and Saginaw Spirit. His numbers steadily increased over his time in the OHL. Beck went from scoring 51 points in his rookie season to 66 in his second year, before he capped off his final junior season with a career-high 81 points. He was traded to the Spirit halfway through his final season, as the team was trying to load their roster to give the team the best chance of winning the Memorial Cup. Beck was the difference maker, recording four goals and an assist in five games, helping the Spirit win the Memorial Cup, where he was named tournament MVP.
OWEN BECK EXTENDS THE SPIRIT'S LEAD! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/oyueb3lteV
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 1, 2024
He moved over to the AHL last season, playing for the Laval Rocket. Beck did not disappoint in his rookie season, putting up 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games. His standout play earned him a call-up to the Canadiens as the team was dealing with a wave of injuries. Beck had limited opportunities, but did not look out of place when he was on the ice. He was most impressive when he got opportunities on the penalty kill, which could give him a leg up on the competition for a roster spot. The Canadiens have real questions about their penalty kill after losing Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak to free agency, and Beck could be in line to help fill one of the voids left by those players.
Beck will have to prove in training camp that he deserves to be in the Canadiens' lineup when the season opens up in October. His development over the past few seasons has not gone unnoticed, and he has positioned himself well for a spot on the Canadiens' opening night roster. With the penalty kill questions going into the season, it gives Beck a real advantage over the rest of the pack. Even if he does not make the team out of camp, it will not be long before we see Beck be a regular in the Canadiens' lineup.