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Top 20 Canadiens Prospects: Beck Underrated NHL Value
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- Top 20 Canadiens Prospects: Beck Underrated NHL Value
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Montreal Canadiens have prioritized selecting smart players at the draft, and that certainly includes forward Owen Beck.
It's a logical strategy, as one of the most crucial factors when evaluating a young player is whether they can combine speed, hand-eye coordination, and intensity. To do so, prospects require a strong central computer to put it all together, as making the jump from the Junior ranks to professional hockey is a chasmic change in quality of competition.
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Beck finished his CHL career on the best possible note, winning the Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit in 2024, as well as Most Valuable Player honours (Stafford Smythe Trophy), cementing his spot among the most important Montreal Canadiens prospects in the process.
Given his well-rounded skill set, his ability to immediately make a positive impact on any roster, and his affinity for providing crucial offence when his team needs it most, Canadiens fans have ranked the centre as the No.8 prospect in the system.
Previously published Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings
No. 8 – Owen Beck – 22 – C/LW – Shoots Left – 6'0″ – 198lb – Laval Rocket (AHL) – Drafted 33rd Overall 2022
Now that Beck has completed two seasons in the AHL, it's become evident that the concerns about his offensive potential have been overblown to a certain extent. That being said, when Beck is used in a shutdown role, his production does suffer, but that's par for the course.
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His first year with the Laval Rocket resulted in 15 goals and 29 assists in 64 games, a very respectable production rate for any rookie. He followed it up with a 13-goal, 20-assist campaign in 2025-26, though he only featured in 58 games, as he was called up to the Canadiens for a 15 games throughout the year.
While in the NHL, Beck only scored one goal in 15 games, however, we should note that he was robbed of several points due to questionable officiating, a familiar situation for any Canadiens player.
Additionally, it's quite difficult to produce in a fourth-line role. It's simply not conducive to scoring.
On that note, I'd argue Beck's time in the NHL yielded very interesting numbers beyond his goal.
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When Beck was on the ice, the Canadiens controlled 52.1% of the shots, a strong indication that he made a positive impact despite being a rookie.
Only Lane Hutson (53%), Cole Caufield (52.9%), Alexandre Texier (52.9%), and Nick Suzuki (52.6%) maintained a better shot share last season. On average, the Canadiens only controlled 48.6% of the shots, ranking them 23rd in the NHL. Therefore, we can safely say Beck helped the Canadiens improve an area of weakness
But shot control was not his only value.
His goal share was even more impressive, as he was on the ice for five Canadiens goals, and just one goal against (83.3%). It was far and away the best result from any player who featured in 10 or more games last season.
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He also maintained a 52.2% expected goals ratio, once again placing him among the most efficient Canadiens players from an underlying numbers' perspective.
Simply put, on the surface, Beck only scored one goal in 15 games for the Habs last season, but once we take the time to evaluate his actual impact, his value becomes quite clear.
Owen Beck Projection
Seeing as Canadiens re-signed fourth-line centre Jake Evans to a contract extension that runs until 2029, Beck's value to the Canadiens has become a little murky, at least in the short term.
But Beck has a long history of defying the odds, due to his intelligence, work ethic, and improved physical play. He's also excellent on faceoffs, yet another skill that should help him eventually carve out a permanent position in the NHL.
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It will be relatively difficult to earn a job directly out of training camp, but there's no doubt he'll be among the first players the Canadiens will promote once injuries invariably occur. To make matters more interesting, Beck featured on the wing for several games with the Rocket, adding an interesting element of versatility to the mix.
"He was really good on the wing as well," explained former Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent. "What he needs to do is keep progressing, staying focused. Everybody has a different path. For some guys, it's right away. For other guys, it takes more time. There's no panic, and no rush."
All Montreal Canadiens prospect and Owen Beck statistics via Elite Prospects. Underlying numbers are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick .
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