Owen Beck Back To First
With the World Junior Championship fast approaching and the NCAA vacation schedule taking effect, we’ve reached the rough part of the 2022-23 season for most players in the Canadiens’ potential pool.
With that in mind, let’s focus on one Canadiens candidate who was unfortunately eliminated from Team Canada’s WJC team: Owen Beck.
Beck was among the latest cuts in selection camp, and it turns out that Team Canada’s loss is Mississauga’s win because he returned to the Steelheads’ lineup with the fury of a million dogs.
Or bees.
Or dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you.
Memory:
The Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings are based on the entire season and the last week of promotion. Factors such as the strength of a prospect’s team, the league they play in, their age and expectations regarding their draft position are also considered. However, prospects playing in professional leagues based in Europe will be accepted.
week 1: Lane Hutson takes top spot
week 2: Owen Beck jumps to first
week 3: Lots of movement in the top 10
Week 4: Lane Hutson back in first place
week 5: Prospects heat up ahead of WJC
week 6: Sean Farrell’s impressive score
Week 7: Filip Mesar is beaming
Canada’s Prospect Power Rankings Week 8
1. owen beck, Center, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL). Drafted: 32nd overall (2022), Age: 18
Last week: 3GP, 0G, 6A Season totals: 24GP, 16G, 23A, 39PTS
Previous ranking: 3rd (+2)
Fueled by two 3-pointers after his return to the Steelheads lineup, Beck jumps to first place in the Canadiens’ power rankings this week.
Despite being picked early in the second round, many draft analysts considered Beck a first-round talent, and it’s becoming clear why.
In his draft season, Beck showed a lot of promise. His speed, vision and intelligence were evident, but there were some concerns about his overall production, which slowed towards the end of the season.
Remember, Beck has not played for an entire calendar year due to the pandemic, which not only robbed him of vital development months but also meant he entered the 2021-22 campaign without having adjusted his body to the rigors of a whole season.
Those concerns were allayed as Beck significantly increased his production in his Draft+1 season.
Reminder that Owen Beck has 6 points in 2 games since he was dropped from Canada’s WJC team 👀 pic.twitter.com/K9y99536Hq
— Lauren Kelly (@laurkelly24) December 17, 2022
His scoring rate has doubled, going from 0.3 goals per game to 0.6 goals per game.
As for assists, his performance has almost doubled, from 0.44 assists per game to 0.85 assists per game.
He’s on track for a 95-point season, which is pretty impressive as he’s had a hectic summer that included a great performance at Canadiens training camp and then a hiatus from his OHL season due to being invited to Team Canada’s selection camp .
But even with a chaotic schedule, Beck is currently bottom in the league when it comes to points per game (1.44).
Unfortunately, not all of Beck’s stats have improved. There’s one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Last season, Beck won an impressive 60.6 percent of his faceoffs, the best faceoff efficiency in the OHL.
Tragicallythis season his faceoff numbers are down to… 60.03 percent, putting him number one low Second overall in the OHL.
The horror.
2. Lane Hutson, defense attorney, Boston University (NCAA). Designed: 62nd overall (2022) Age: 18
Points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A Season totals: 16GP, 7G, 11A, 18PTS.
Previous ranking: 2. (-1)
Lane Hutson initially makes room for Beck through no fault of his own.
He is currently preparing with Team USA for the World Junior Championships where he is expected to play a top 4 role which should include some power play appearances.
Team 🇺🇸 Lines for their pre-tournament match tonight against 🇫🇮.
I like the way they put these together. pic.twitter.com/fgNE8FQegF
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 19, 2022
3. Sean Farrell, C/LW, Harvard University (NCAA). Drafted: 124th overall (2020), Age: 21
Points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A Season totals: 11GP, 7G, 11A, 18PTS.
Previous ranking: 2. (-1)
The Harvard Crimson are on their vacation break, which means Sean Farrell won’t be playing again until December 30 when he takes on the Boston University Terriers.
Unfortunately, with Hutson busy elsewhere, Habs fans can’t see two of the most exciting players in the Canadiens’ potential pool, but they can watch Farrell duel against 2020 second-round pick Luke Tuch.
Tuch has three goals and nine assists in 16 games this season.
4. Joshua Roy, right wing, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). Drafted: 150th overall (2021), Age: 19
Points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A. Season totals: 26GP, 18G, 25A, 43PTS.
Previous ranking: 4. (unchanged)
Like the vast majority of Canada’s top contenders, Joshua Roy is currently gearing up for the World Junior Championships, which begin December 26 in Halifax and Moncton.
Roy should play a key role in Canada’s bid to defend their goal-scoring medal and if his warm-up games are any indication, he’s poised and ready to go.
Guess who has the first goal for Canada before the tournament. #gohabsgo Joshua Roy. pic.twitter.com/kVeLWZpNov
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 19, 2022
5. Filip Mesar, right wing, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Drafted: 26th overall (2022). Age: 18
Points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A Season totals: 17GP, 10G, 12A, 22PTS.
Previous ranking: 5. (unchanged)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Mesar is in the Maritimes preparing for the 2023 World Junior Championships.
With Juraj Slafkovsky, his childhood friend and first-round pick, staying in Montreal for the holiday, Mesar will play a crucial role in Slovakia’s bid for the playoff round.
6. Adam Engstrom, defense attorney. Rogle BK Angelholm (SHL). Drafted: 92nd overall (2022), Age: 18
points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A Season totals: 23GP, 3G, 2A, 5PTS. (Roegle BK U-20: 7GP, 4G, 9A, 13PTS)
Previous rank: 6. (unchanged)
Adam Engstrom is currently preparing with Team Sweden for the…come on, you already know where he is.
7. Oliver Kapanen, centre, Kalpa (Liiga). Drafted: 64th overall (2021), Age: 19
Points this week: 3GP, 2G, 0A . Season totals: 31GP, 7G, 7A, 14PTS. (Finland U-20: 5GP, 5G, 2A, 5PTS)
Previous ranking: 9th (+2)
Unlike everyone else, Kapanen is NOT preparing for the Junior World Championships.
Wait.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have breaking news.
We receive confirmation that our previous information was incorrect and that Kapanen IS is indeed close to participating in the World Junior Championships.
Oh, and he’ll play in the top line of Team Finland.
The Finland/USA lines for their pre-tournament match tonight. VAN prospect Aku Koskenvuo starts in the Finnish goal. pic.twitter.com/gzXb92TBSI
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) December 19, 2022
8. Jared Davidson, center, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Drafted: 130th overall. Age: 20
Points this week: 2GP, 0G, 4A Season totals: 25GP, 16G, 23A, 39PTS.
Previous ranking: 8 (+1)
Shockingly, Jared Davidson was kept from the scoring charts in the Seattle Thunderbirds’ 4-1 loss to the Everett Silvertips, although it wasn’t for lack of effort as he netted an impressive nine shots.
And the word shocking isn’t used with the usual sarcasm when it comes to a productive Canadiens perspective.
It was only the fifth time this season that Davidson failed to pick up a point.
In the second leg of back-to-back games against Everett, the seventh 4-point game of his WHL career, he continued his version of a goal drought with a four-point performance.
9. Riley Kidney, center, Acadie-Bathurst Titans (QMJHL). Drafted: 63rd overall (2021), Age: 19
Points this week: 0GP, 0G, 0A Season totals: 28GP, 13G, 28A, 41PTS.
Previous ranking: 9. (-1)
Riley Kidney hasn’t played since he was in the last round of the Team Canada cuts, but there has been some chatter, rumble, tire kicking or chatter and maybe even some palaver when it comes to Kidney’s future in the QMJHL.
MUST READ: Riley Kidney on the move, teams on the hunt
Several teams are currently interested in his services.
10. Cedrick Guindon, center, Owen Sound Attack (OHL). Drafted: 127th overall (2022), Age: 18
Points this week: 2GP, 0G, 2A Season totals: 31GP, 11G, 27A, 38PTS.
Previous ranking: 10. (unchanged)
After a slight dip in production last week, Cedrick Guindon returned to his usual scoring style with a two-point win over the Windsor Spitfires.
#gohabsgo Cedrick Guindon had a target on his stick. The only problem was that insane cross-fold glove save by Brett Brochu. pic.twitter.com/IaXIzOAbZr
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 17, 2022
He was also saved from dropping out of the top 10 when the Canadians decided to call up the AHL’s top scorer, Anthony Richard.
At 25, we have to rate Richard’s success a little differently than most prospects, but there’s no denying he’s doing whatever it takes to earn a legitimate audition in the NHL.
The best of the rest
10 Justin Baron 12. Vincent Rohrer 13. Logan Mailloux 14 Jacob Dobes fifteen. Xavier Simoneau
Vinzenz Rohrer is currently… please don’t force me to say it.
He plays ice hockey.
At a World Cup.
Maybe even a world championship with young players.
Justin Barron is pushing for the top 10 and thanks to his excellent AHL scoring pace Jacob Dobes reappears on the list for the first time in a month on the back of a great run of games for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Do you agree or disagree with Canadians’ candidate rankings? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll take it into account for the next edition.
