Owen Beck looks ready for the NHL. The problem for the Canadiens is that the runway isn’t there.
Montreal enters training camp with a forward group that is already crowded, and the picture got even tighter when the team added Chris Kreider after the Anaheim Ducks terminated his contract. With so many regulars back in the mix, there isn’t much breathing room for players trying to force their way onto the roster.
Florian Xhekaj and Beck have both made noise this preseason, but their paths are not the same. Xhekaj has a clearer route because he brings energy, grit, and physicality, traits Montreal lacks in its lineup.
Beck’s case is tougher because the Canadiens are loaded at centre.
That depth makes his situation complicated, but it does not change how he views himself. “I belong in the NHL, I'm an impactful NHL-level player.
I'm confident in my abilities, I know I can bring value to a team, and I just want to showcase that," said Beck at the start of training camp. If he cracks the roster, it would likely come as an extra forward, a role that may not do much for his long-term development but would at least get him in the door.
For now, the Canadiens appear set to open with Nick Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook/Kirby Dach, and Jake Evans down the middle. That leaves Beck on the outside looking in, even though his body of work keeps making the case for him.
He has already been used sparingly as a call-up over the last two seasons, appearing in 12 games with Montreal in 2024-25 and 15 the season before that. He now sees himself as ready for a full-time NHL job.
This isn’t a new feeling for Beck. He has been close to breaking through for three straight seasons, and he knows the drill by now. “It's been a couple of years, I've tried to do what I can to make an impact at every training camp and it feels like the same situation year after year, but I want to work on my game every day and hopefully break through at some point,” said Beck.
He has earned that chance with production, too. Over the last two seasons with the Laval Rocket, Beck has 77 points in 122 games.
In another era, that kind of resume might have made him a near lock for the roster. But Montreal is past the rebuild stage now.
The goal is no longer just finding young players who can survive at the NHL level. The Canadiens are trying to assemble a team that can contend for the Stanley Cup.
That’s what makes Beck’s situation so tricky. Even if he doesn’t make the team out of camp, the door is far from closed.
Injuries always create openings, and with the schedule rising to 84 games this season, one setback could put him at the top of the call-up list. If that doesn’t happen, next season could bring another opening, with Phillip Danault and Dach both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
If either one moves on, and Beck has a strong year with the Rocket, his path gets a lot clearer.
Trade chatter could change things, too. The Canadiens keep showing up in rumors tied to players such as Kiril Marchenko, Dylan Larkin, or Mark Scheifele.
If Montreal makes a deal, a roster spot could open. Or Beck himself could be part of the return if the Canadiens decide to chase a star.
Teams asking for a top player often want NHL-ready prospects back, and Beck fits that description.
His future looks like an NHL future. The only real question is whether that future belongs in Montreal or somewhere else.
In Other News...
Kirby Dach Is Giving Canadiens Fans A Reason To Worry
Kirby Dach arrived at Canadiens training camp with plenty still hanging in the balance, and so far the early returns have done little to settle anyone's nerves. The forward has looked short on energy, and that has only sharpened the questions around where he fits in Montreal right now, especially as the club tries to sort out its lineup and determine which players are ready to embrace their roles.
Martin St-Louis, as usual, has chosen restraint over public pressure, sticking to a player-first approach instead of airing concerns in front of the cameras. Still, the situation around Dach is a reminder that talent alone does not guarantee traction, and Montreal has seen enough once-promising players drift into frustration to know how quickly these storylines can turn. For Dach, the next stretch is about proving the effort matches the opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Kirill Marchenko Decision They Can't Let Drag Out
Kirill Marchenkos name is already moving through the rumor mill, and that alone makes him worth watching for a Canadiens team that is always keeping tabs on young scoring talent. Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos has linked Montreal, along with Toronto and Edmonton, to the Columbus winger, who is reportedly interested in leaving the Blue Jackets even though no official trade request has been confirmed.
The timing matters because Marchenko is heading into the final year of his deal with Columbus, which only sharpens the pressure on the Blue Jackets to sort out their plan sooner rather than later. For Montreal, it adds another potential target to a market where proven offense is rarely easy to find, and the longer this situation hangs there, the more it feels like a decision other teams will be waiting to pounce on. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Trade Pursuit Could Reshape Their Center Plan Fast
Montreals search for help down the middle may be getting more aggressive than a typical summer check-in. A report from Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet says the Canadiens have interest in Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele as they look to strengthen their center depth, a pursuit that speaks to how seriously the front office is evaluating the position ahead of next season.
Scheifele would not be a short-term patch, either, with a deal that runs through 2030-31 and a recent season that reminded everyone why he remains such an attractive target. Any conversation of this sort naturally turns to what Montreal would have to move the other way, and the names floating around underline the kind of price the Canadiens may need to consider if they want to change their center picture quickly. [Read more 🡒]