Kent Hughes and the Canadiens may have found another intriguing piece for the blue line in Owen Protz, a 2024 draft pick who is already making noise with the Laval Rocket.
The 20-year-old defenseman delivered a heavy hip check for Laval and came away without a penalty, another moment that fit the physical style that has started to define his game. He’s been turning heads and continuing to work his way deeper into the Canadiens organization.
Protz is a 6-foot-1, 213-pound left-shot defenseman from Ottawa, and Montreal took him in the fourth round, 102nd overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. The early returns are encouraging. Last season with the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL, he put up 23 points in 64 games while piling up 84 penalty minutes and finishing with a plus-45 rating.
Now in his first AHL season, he’s already showing that his game translates to a tougher level. His physical edge stands out, and the resemblance to Arber Xhekaj is easy to see. Xhekaj, 25, carries a $1.5 million cap hit and has been held scoreless through 11 games with the Canadiens, but he still gives Montreal the kind of bite fans notice right away.
The Canadiens’ blue line is crowded at the moment, with Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Kaiden Guhle, and Xhekaj already in the mix, while Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher are also waiting for their chances. That means there’s no reason to hurry Protz along.
He still has development left, but the package is appealing: a big, left-shot defenseman who can make forwards hesitate before entering his area. If he keeps moving forward, Protz has a real chance to become a valuable fourth-round find for Montreal.
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