The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is AHL standout Owen Beck.
Beck knew he would need to make an impression on the Canadiens' front office to get any playing time at the NHL level this season. He had glimpses of potential in the preseason, but it wasn't enough to get him a spot on the opening night roster. Beck took the cut as a slight and used it to motivate him for a stint with the Laval Rocket, and he has run with the opportunity.
Beck has been one of Laval's best players this season. He is second on the team in scoring with 22 points in 30 games and is forming a formidable duo with Joshua Roy. It's way too far to look ahead, but we'll be able to reference their time together in the AHL if the pair ever start playing together with Montreal. Roy was ahead of Beck on the depth chart, but there is reason to believe that Beck could be next in line for a promotion.
Look no further than Pierre McGuire's scouting report of Beck after seeing him in Laval earlier this season. "Owen Beck's outstanding, and he's starting to put up big numbers now, too. Dominate with the puck, learning how to play in his own zone, and doing a better job on faceoffs. Even though he's not an overly gigantic guy, he's playing bigger. But what I liked was his puck protection skills and his peripheral vision. So, I'm going to say if he's not up by probably game 50 this year in the NHL, he'll be up at the tail end of the year for Montreal."
The greatest quality for Beck is that he is a winner. He won World Junior gold with Team Canada in 2023, then came up short of the Memorial Cup that same season. However, in 2024 he finished what he started in the previous junior season and won the Memorial Cup with the host Saginaw Spirit, who acquired Beck last season to lead them into the tournament. It has been a successful year for Beck, and it looks like 2025 could be even better.