The Canadiens are running into the kind of roster crunch teams dream about. With Ivan Demidov among the reinforcements expected back from injury, Montreal is heading toward some real decisions, and the good news is that the issue isn’t a lack of talent. It’s the opposite: there’s a pile of young players pushing for NHL minutes.
That’s where Owen Beck comes in. The 22-year-old Ontarian has been bouncing between the AHL and the NHL this season, and he’s done it without looking out of place.
He has appeared in six games, but not in any kind of steady rhythm, with outings against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 13, the Washington Capitals on Oct. 14, the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 23, the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 31, the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 3, and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 7.
The box score doesn’t jump off the page. Beck has three points, with a goal and two assists, while averaging 8:58 of ice time under Martin St.
Louis. His plus/minus sits at zero.
Still, that’s the point: he hasn’t been a problem. For a young player with limited NHL experience, that matters.
The deeper numbers back that up. Beck has spent the most time skating with Kirby Dach and Jake Evans, and that trio has been used in three games.
In 17:36 together, they posted a 57.14% Corsi for percentage and a 59.09% Fenwick For percentage. Beck’s individual High Danger Chances For percentage is 55%.
That’s the kind of spreadsheet-heavy stuff that usually gets buried, but it points to a player who can hold his own when called upon.
Florian Xhekaj has made a stronger impression in a more physical way. The 22-year-old Hamilton native has played in seven games and also has three points, with one goal and two assists.
His plus/minus is minus-1, but that’s hardly the headline. What stands out is how he’s been used and what he’s brought.
Like Beck, Xhekaj has spent much of his NHL time alongside Evans and Dach. That trio has been together four times, logging just under 22 minutes.
Their 74.19% Corsi for percentage and 80% Fenwick For percentage are both better than Beck’s version of the same line. Xhekaj also made his presence felt around the crease, which helped lead to his first career NHL goal.
He’s also thrown his weight around. Xhekaj has 19 hits in only seven games, a total that looks even more notable when compared with Dach and Chris Kreider, who each had 20 hits entering the Nov. 10 matchup against the Minnesota Wild, despite playing 15 and 17 games, respectively.
Then there’s Oliver Kapanen, who might be the trickiest fit of the bunch. He has played in 10 games, more than Beck or Xhekaj, but the Canadiens still seem to be figuring out how best to use him. He has already been part of seven different trios, a sign of how much the lineup has been shuffled.
Kapanen was pushed into a top-line center role for three games after Nick Suzuki suffered an upper body injury in October, and that stretch did not go well. Cole Caufield kept driving play, but Juraj Slafkovsky looked lost at times.
In the Oct. 23 game in Chicago, the Canadiens beat the Blackhawks 4-1, but Caufield and Slafkovsky were the only forwards with a negative plus/minus. Kapanen did not record either of his two points in those games.
That doesn’t make him a lost cause. There are still moments where he looks useful, especially when he’s paired with lower-line players.
That may be where he belongs for now. He showed enough in 2025-26 to keep the door open, finishing with 22 goals and 15 assists in 82 games.
So yes, Montreal has decisions to make. But this is the kind of problem a team can live with.
Beck, Xhekaj, and Kapanen all have value, even if that means some nights in the AHL or as a healthy scratch. With the trade deadline approaching and injuries always lurking, there’s room for these players to matter.
If a more regular NHLer gets moved for picks, or if the injury bug bites again, the Canadiens already have young options waiting.
That’s why this feels less like a headache than a luxury: a wonderful depth problem.
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