If Evans is forced to miss time, the Canadiens will need someone to step up and fill his role.
During Monday’s practice, Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans were fighting for a puck along the boards. As Suzuki attempted to take possession of the puck, Evans dropped to one knee before immediately leaving the ice. The exact nature of the potential injury remains unclear, but head coach Martin St. Louis said Evans is being evaluated.
Evans appeared to be favouring one of his legs as he left practice. If Evans is going to miss some time, the Canadiens will need someone to step up and fill his role. He had a slow start to the season offensively, but over the last eight games, Evans has two goals and four assists to go with everything he does defensively and on the penalty kill.
With Owen Beck struggling to find consistent playing time since his recall, an extended absence for Evans could give the young forward an opportunity to prove he belongs in the Canadiens' lineup.
The opportunity Beck needed
While no one wants to see their teammate go down with an injury, it still presents Beck with a chance to get more minutes and play a bigger role. Since his call-up, Beck has appeared in just six games. His minutes have been limited, averaging 8:58 of ice time per game, mainly operating on the wing instead of his preferred position at centre.
Beck's ice time has steadily increased since his season debut. After playing just 6:59 in his season debut, he logged 10:21 in his most recent appearance against the Toronto Maple Leafs. As he has gotten more comfortable, his offensive production has improved as well. Going into the game against the Maple Leafs, he was on a three-game point streak, which included scoring his first goal of the season against the Winnipeg Jets.
However, Beck brings more than just offence, and his playing style could make him a candidate to take on some of Evans' responsibilities if the veteran centre is forced to miss time.
Beck has one speed, and that is go. He is an energetic player who will not give up on the play. He is physical and is not afraid to get into the dirty areas to retrieve the puck. His sample size at centre in the NHL is small, but when he gets his opportunity, he has shown an ability to be effective at the faceoff dot. Through 34 career NHL games, Beck has won 56% of his 125 faceoffs. Although his opportunities at centre have been limited in the NHL, Beck has shown an ability to be effective at the faceoff dot.
Defensively, Beck does a good job getting in the way of shooting lanes, recording five blocked shots so far this season. He has yet to really get a chance on the team’s penalty kill, as he has just one second of ice time while the Canadiens are shorthanded. If Evans is out of the lineup, they will need someone to step into that role, and Beck could be one of the players the team tries out in that spot.
Whether Evans will miss time is still unknown, but Beck has been making the most of his limited opportunities. If the Canadiens need someone to take on a larger role, the young forward has given them reasons to consider him.
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