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Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings: Owen Beck Jumps To First

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1 year ago

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck

Last week we unveiled the inaugural Montreal Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings, with Boston University freshman Lane Hutson taking the top spot among all the hopefuls.

These power rankings will be based on the overall season, as well as the most recent week of action. For example, last week, Sean Farrell was not included in the rankings given he had only played two games to that point, which is not enough to judge his overall form.

Factors such as the strength of the team, the league in which they play, their age, and expectations related to their draft position will also be considered.

Juraj Slafkovsky is currently playing in the NHL, and thus will not be considered. Prospects playing in professional leagues based in Europe, will, however, be included.

Seeing as we’re still in the early part of the season, expect a fair amount of movement in the first few rankings.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the results for Week 2.

Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings

1. Owen Beck, 32nd overall (2022), Centre, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL), 12GP, 10G, 9A. (Last Week: 2nd)

Considering Beck finished his Draft season with a respectable but somewhat underwhelming 21 goals and 31 assists in 68 games, it is somewhat surprising how quickly he has climbed to the top of the list.

But those who have been paying attention, which includes the vast majority of Canadiens fans, are far from shocked.

Not only has Beck eclipsed his previous scoring pace, but he’s also maintained his usual excellent play in the defensive zone, as well as his elite efficiency in the faceoff circle.

In addition to taking 12 shots in two games, Beck scored 3 goals and added 1 assist for the Mississauga Steelheads last weekend.

He’s currently on pace for a 55-goal, 50-assist season, which might be enough to convince Team Canada he’s worthy of a spot on the World Junior Championship roster.

2. Riley Kidney, 63rd overall (2021), Centre, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL), 17GP, 9G, 18A. (Last Week: 5th) 

Kidney makes the biggest jump this week, owing to his fantastic performance during two home games, which saw the Titan forward score 4 goals and 3 assists. He followed it up by setting up two goals in the Titan’s 6-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Tuesday night.

The second-round pick’s excellent play earned him Player of the Week honours in the QMJHL.

3. Lane Hutson, 62nd overall (2022), Defenceman, Boston University (NCAA), 7GP, 3G, 5A. (Last Week: 1st)

Hutson falls to third, though it’s through no fault of his own, but rather, the fact that he did not play since the last power rankings.

With that in mind, due to his excellent start which netted him several accolades, the 18-year-old holds onto a spot in the top 3.

https://montreal.nationalhockeynow.com/2022/11/02/lane-hutson-rewarded-historically-strong-start-ncaa-career-makar/

4. Filip Mesar, 26th overall (2022), Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers (OHL), 6GP, 5G, 4A. (Last Week: 3rd)

Mesar failed to register a point for the first time in his OHL career in Kitchener’s 1-0 loss to Saginaw but quickly bounced back the following game, earning a goal on Tuesday night’s 7-1 win over Owen Sound.

5. Joshua Roy, 150th overall (2021), Right Wing, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMHJL), 15GP, 9G, 16A. (Last Week: 6th)

Last week Roy was coming off a surprisingly disappointing series of games, which included two games that did not feature his name on the scoresheet. It was only the second and third time this year Roy failed to register a point in a game.

With 3 goals and 3 assists in the following two games, Roy quickly found his rhythm and is currently on pace for a 40-goal, 68-assist season. He ended the week on a less encouraging note as he was held off the scoresheet for a fourth time this season in Sherbrooke’s 2-1 loss to Shawinigan.

6. Oliver Kapanen 64th overall (2021), Centre, Kalpa (Liiga), 20GP, 4G, 6A. (Last Week: Unranked)

At just 19 years old, Kapanen is slowly yet surely improving his scoring pace, which is rather difficult given younger players struggle to earn ice time in Europe, just as they would in North America.

He’s third in scoring among centres on his team, though it’s worth noting both players are older than the Canadiens prospect, at 20 and 24 years old, respectively.

Kapanen is one of the best players in his age bracket, a very encouraging sign given he’s playing in a professional league against older opponents with much more experience.

7. Sean Farrell, 124th overall (2020), C/LW, Harvard University (NCAA), 4GP, 1G, 3A. (Last Week: Unranked)

Farrell scored his first goal of the season, a great shorthanded effort against Brown University.

Given he’s maintaining a point-per-game pace in the NCAA, you could argue Farrell deserves to be a little higher on the list, but we must keep in mind that even though this is just his second year playing for Harvard, at 21 years old he’s older than most other prospects being ranked.

8. Vinzenz Rohrer, 75th overall (2022), C/RW, Ottawa 67’s (OHL), 15GP, 5G, 10A (Last Week: Unranked)

Rohrer makes his first appearance on the list due to a solid week that saw him earn 4 points in 2 games, including a 3-point performance against the Barrie Colts.

He also made significant strides when it comes to improving his overall shot rate, putting 11 shots on net in that time frame.

The 18-year-old Austrian is on pace to shatter his scoring pace from his draft year, and he’s doing it with style.

9. Cedrick Guindon, 127th overall (2022), Centre, Owen Sound Attack (OHL), 15GP, 6G, 13A. (Last Week: 4th) 

Guindon had the biggest drop this week, falling from 4th to 9th.

At 18, he’s still enjoying a fantastic season from a statistical point of view, but he was held scoreless in both of Owen Sounds’ games last weekend.  He did rally late, scoring the lone goal in a 7-1 loss to Mesar’s Rangers.

10. Jared Davidson, 130th overall (2022), Centre, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), 10GP, 7G, 12A (Last Week: Unranked)

He’s a little older than most players in the WHL, but there’s no ignoring Davidson continues to provide sustained offence for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

He’s currently on pace for a 46-goal, 78-assist season as the alternate captain of the Thunderbirds.

He may not be the most hyped Canadiens prospect, but there’s no ignoring he’s one of the most productive players in the prospect pool.

Honourable Mentions/On the Cusp: Logan Mailloux, Jesse Ylonen, Adam Engstrom, Petteri Nurmi.

Players that fell out of the rankings this week: Cayden Primeau. Jakub Dobes.

Do you agree or disagree with the prospect rankings? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll take it into consideration for next week’s power rankings.

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