Montreal Canadiens second round pick Owen Beck has been tremendous since joining the Saginaw Spirit at the OHL Trade Deadline, and somehow he is increasing his NHL potential even more.
Owen Beck was selected early in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. At the time, he was projected as a picture-perfect third line centre who did all the little things right.
Beck still does all of the little things right as a centreman, but his offensive game has taken a leap since putting on a Spirit jersey.
In the first half of the season, Beck was playing with the Peterborough Petes who were in rebuilding mode after the championship win last season. Beck and Jax Dubois were their only natural centres, and wounded up playing heavy minutes for the Petes.
At the OHL Trade Deadline in early January, both Beck and Dubois were dealt to contending teams. Beck was traded to the Memorial Cup hosts — the Saginaw Spirit.
Beck adds to an — already deep — Saginaw lineup, and he bolsters their centre depth tremendously. Michael Misa, Hunter Haight, Matyas Sapovaliv, Ethan Hay — all natural centre options that the Spirit also have.
As we near the very end of the regular season, Beck has established himself as that number one centre — despite this incredibly deep lineup. He plays in all game situations, whether his team needs a goal or is defending a lead, he is on the ice. His utility and ability to be a high-end option in all situations is what makes his game so valuable.
The Montreal Canadiens knew they were at least getting a third line centre with Beck, but as a veteran in the OHL, he is certainly showing that he could be more than that at the NHL level. Beck's currently in the midst of a 17 game point streak, where he has 28 points. As the season has continued on, Beck has continued to get better — at an alarming rate.
He is showing the potential of being a top-six centre at the NHL level, especially in an organization with bleak centre depth like the Canadiens have.
Sure, Saginaw has plenty of big names throughout their lineup, but Owen Beck will be a huge reason for their hopeful postseason success. He can do it all, and there aren't many teams that can stop a player like that.