The Montreal Canadiens will have an influx of prospects joining the Laval Rocket over the next couple of seasons, with hopes of playing in the NHL as soon as possible.
As far as the forward corps goes, Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen stand out as guys who should be in play soon enough. But Beck seems to be a guy, who despite playing in the Ontario Hockey League last season, could make some noise at Canadiens training camp. Whether he makes the Habs or not, is yet to be seen, though not highly likely.
But given Habs director of player development, Rob Ramage's comments about Beck during the Canadiens training camp media availability, he seems impressed by Beck's work ethic. Though he had a long season with the Saginaw Spirit, going to the Memorial Cup final, he didn't take much time off. He spent his offseason preparing for the upcoming season, the first of what will end up being a long, successful professional hockey career.
“We see (Owen Beck) as a leader (among Habs prospects) & he is. He just carries himself like an NHL player already. His fitness testing was NHL plus. This is a guy who went to the Memorial Cup & had a long season but he didn’t take his foot off the pedal with his training this… pic.twitter.com/MUUvbTne93
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 18, 2024
Beck putting the pedal to the metal, should reflect during camp
All of that hard work will not go to waste, and I expect that Habs' management will take notice early on. Sure, Ramage already made comments, but once he hits the ice with the big club, all the work he has done should be obvious early on. The biggest thing about jumping from junior to the pros is the level of competition, but the speed and size of the opposition also.
Beck has spent time around the team, even making his NHL debut, so he is familiar with the NHL game. I expect he will undoubtedly be prepared for the physical aspect of professional hockey, and his speed has always been a staple in his game. I would imagine that with his offseason training ramping up in terms of intensity, he will be prepared for the intricacies of professional hockey.
With so much centre depth, it's hard to imagine that Beck will crack the Canadiens lineup. But when injuries pile up, having some internal options is huge for the teams success. This is where Beck comes in, and could be effective for the Habs fortunes.