Prospect Info: Owen Beck

[ChesterNimitz]

No question, Beck has explosive skating. When you combine that essential ability with his shooting, playmaking ability and high compete level you have something far more than the potential 4th line center that so many had penciled him as.

For us who closely followed Beck’s development and career in the OHL, Beck’s ‘emergence’ comes as no surprise.

He’s only going to get better.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

and that was the logic used for not resigning Danault, except Evans was the 1 replacing him

eventually you gotta sign people, these type of players very rarely end up becoming bad signings

Danault was the one who did not want to re-sign with the habs.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

And/or trade Evans for a nice haul at the deadline or before. Savard might have negative trade value at this point, he’s so bad.

Ummm.....no

He will have value as a great penalty killer and his game is more translatable to the playoffs where size/strength are much more important when the refs put the whistles away. Throw in the leadership/character/Stanley Cup winner variables along with nothing left on an expiring contract and he easily gets a return of some sort.

Depending on how his season finishes it could be anywhere from a 3rd to a 5th imo.

 

[yianik]

Just a week or so ago I said Beck has to be harder on the puck.
3 unassisted's in two games man I love a player who listens to advice.

There are a few guys I would like you to speak to next, Oh Hab Whisperer

 

[Redux91]

and that was the logic used for not resigning Danault, except Evans was the 1 replacing him

eventually you gotta sign people, these type of players very rarely end up becoming bad signings

Yeah I'm definitely not for chucking away centers like they're nothing..
We're not 'loaded' there..
Beck will easily replace Dvo
But that certainly doesn't mean you just throw Evans away too

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

No question, Beck has explosive skating. When you combine that essential ability with his shooting, playmaking ability and high compete level you have something far more than the potential 4th line center that so many had penciled him as.

For us who closely followed Beck’s development and career in the OHL, Beck’s ‘emergence’ comes as no surprise.

He’s only going to get better.

I think most people have pencilled him in as a 3rd line center which is still his most likely landing spot in the NHL on a playoff team. I was singing his praises before we drafted him and he has been as advertised. He does not have the creativity to play as an ideal 2nd line center on a good team imo although he may be able to fill in when needed.

He is a smart kid so who knows, maybe he develops a more creative lens through which he sees the game, I am not ruling that out but his current makeup screams 3C on a good team. He should also see time on the 2nd PP and be a top pker which is an extremely valuable asset and nobody should fret at the assertions that I am making about him.

 

[le_sean]

and that was the logic used for not resigning Danault, except Evans was the 1 replacing him

eventually you gotta sign people, these type of players very rarely end up becoming bad signings

Evans isn’t Danault. Danault had even been our top centre for a little while. He went through a playoff run shutting down some great players. Evans is a 4C that’s playing like a 3C for the first time in his career because it’s a contract year.

Signing Evans would be akin to Bergevin signing Armia. He’s an okay player to have, but he will be easily replaceable by cheaper players.

 

[TT1]

Evans isn’t Danault. Danault had even been our top centre for a little while. He went through a playoff run shutting down some great players. Evans is a 4C that’s playing like a 3C for the first time in his career because it’s a contract year.

Signing Evans would be akin to Bergevin signing Armia. He’s an okay player to have, but he will be easily replaceable by cheaper players.

i didn't say he was Danault, he's a cheaper version of him tho, if Danault was worth 5.5M Evans is worth ~3.5M

 

[LaP]

i didn't say he was Danault, he's a cheaper version of him tho, if Danault was worth 5.5M Evans is worth ~3.5M

There's no way i give 3,5 to Evans for multiple years and if KH gives him that than he's dumber than the previous management imo.

No question, Beck has explosive skating. When you combine that essential ability with his shooting, playmaking ability and high compete level you have something far more than the potential 4th line center that so many had penciled him as.

For us who closely followed Beck’s development and career in the OHL, Beck’s ‘emergence’ comes as no surprise.

He’s only going to get better.

At the same age Beck looks better than Plekanec.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Evans isn’t Danault. Danault had even been our top centre for a little while. He went through a playoff run shutting down some great players. Evans is a 4C that’s playing like a 3C for the first time in his career because it’s a contract year.

Signing Evans would be akin to Bergevin signing Armia. He’s an okay player to have, but he will be easily replaceable by cheaper players.

First of all, he isn’t playing like a 3C because it’s a contract year. He’s doing so because the middle six centers (dvo, Dach) have been AWOL. He stepped up.

He’s not easily replaced. 40+ point pace, leads league in SHTOI, leads team in Dzone starts.

If they let him walk, here’s the “proven NHL center” depth:

Nick Suzuki

 

[TT1]

There's no way i give 3,5 to Evans for multiple years and if KH gives him that than he's dumber than the previous management imo.


At the same age Beck looks better than Plekanec.

we'll see when he gets signed then, of course i could say i'd sign him at 2.5M and i'd love to do that.. that's just not reality based on his production/how he's playing and the quality of minutes he plays (and his position)

ya you have Beck coming but Dvorak is leaving and if you don't sign Evans you only have Suzuki as your only other legit center

the going rate for a 30-35 point defensively reliable center (in his prime) is easily 3.5M+, look at what Armia and Byron got as wingers for playing in those roles... and that was years ago

 

[JeffreyLFC]

First of all, he isn’t playing like a 3C because it’s a contract year. He’s doing so because the middle six centers (dvo, Dach) have been AWOL. He stepped up.

He’s not easily replaced. 40+ point pace, leads league in SHTOI, leads team in Dzone starts.

If they let him walk, here’s the “proven NHL center” depth:

Nick Suzuki

Evans is nothing like Armia, he is way more consistent and reliable. He is better than given credit for by all. Re-signing him would not hurt the team long term in term of cap space and he would be a great transition from him to Beck, Hage, other? Eventually. The only issue IMO is the duration of the contract anything above 4 years (unless at a great discount) should be avoided.

 

[TT1]

Evans is nothing like Armia, he is way more consistent and reliable. He is better than given credit for by all. Re-signing him would not hurt the team long term in term of cap space and he would be a great transition from him to Beck, Hage, other? Eventually. The only issue IMO is the duration of the contract anything above 4 years (unless at a great discount) should be avoided.

agreed the main point of contention with Evans is definitely gonna be term, 4 years is ideal but he knows he can easily get 7 years as a UFA, and i'd say even ~4M for 7 years

ultimately i think it'll come down to Evans wanting to accept less to stay here, will he be happy with 4-5 years @ 4M? that's my max/$ offer, if not i guess we're forced to trade him, signing Evans for 7-8 years isn't ideal

adding that 5th year might be what it takes to keep him, if Evans wants 7-8 years i'd do it for ~3M-3.25M

 

[Ozmodiar]

At the same age Beck looks better than Plekanec.

That’s usually how it goes when comparing 3rd rd picks to 1st rd picks while they’re still prospects.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

At the same age Beck looks better than Plekanec.

Plekanec was a fine and productive center for the Canadiens for a long time.

Plekanec was your prototypical tweener, an interchangeable 3rd/2nd line center, who was responsible defensively could contribute offensively (he had seven seasons where he scored between 20-30 goals) and he could play in all game situations. While Plekanec was a good skater, he lacked Beck's explosiveness and he certainly didn't have Beck's shot. While I believe Beck has a higher offensive upside potential than Plekanec, I don't think anyone here would be disappointed if this fine young player has a career that only mirrors Plekanec's.

We should only be so lucky.

 

[Redux91]

There's no way i give 3,5 to Evans for multiple years and if KH gives him that than he's dumber than the previous management imo.

People have to learn how things work when it comes to the Salary Cap world of pro sports
3.5M Four years ago is not 3.5M today
And especially not with the Cap back to rising again
Evans already makes 1.7M
4 years later that 1.7M could be 2.5M+ for someone else
It was already a bargain deal to begin with and he admitted as much when he signed he practically took whatever just to stay, 'no brainer' he called it
so doubling his 1.7M to 3.5M is nowhere near the end of the world, deserves a lil raise ANYway
especially with Armia's 3.4M coming off the books
We don't have Centers coming out of our ears btw
And also, you know, he's been playing GREAT

agreed the main point of contention with Evans is definitely gonna be term, 4 years is ideal but he knows he can easily get 7 years as a UFA, and i'd say even ~4M for 7 years

ultimately i think it'll come down to Evans wanting to accept less to stay here, will he be happy with 4-5 years @ 4M? that's my max offer, if not i guess we're forced to trade him, signing Evans for 7-8 years isn't ideal

adding that 5th year (with a bigger cap hit) might be what it takes to keep him, if Evans wants 7-8 years i'd do it for ~3M-3.25M

Lol sheesh
Teams are not stumbling over themselves to throw 7 years deals at Evans... this is nowhere CLOSE to a possible outcome this summer
And I like AND want to re-sign him lol
But nobody, not even the Habs are giving this guy 7 year deal offers
That is ludicrous lol
Danault himself barely got 5 years at the same age

 

[TT1]

People have to learn how things work when it comes to the Salary Cap world of pro sports
3.5M Four years ago is not 3.5M today
And especially not with the Cap back to rising again
Evans already makes 1.7M
4 years later that 1.7M could be 2.5M+ for someone else
It was already a bargain deal to begin with and he admitted as much when he signed he practically took whatever just to stay, 'no brainer' he called it
so doubling his 1.7M to 3.5M is nowhere near the end of the world, deserves a lil raise ANYway
especially with Armia's 3.4M coming off the books
We don't have Centers coming out of our ears btw
And also, you know, he's been playing GREAT

Lol sheesh
Teams are not stumbling over themselves to throw 7 years deals at Evans... this is nowhere CLOSE to a possible outcome this summer
And I like AND want to re-sign him lol
But nobody, not even the Habs are giving this guy 7 year deal offers
That is ludicrous lol
Danault himself barely got 5 years at the same age

dollar amount is different, diff impact on cap hit, there's a trade off between $ amount vs years

with Danault the risk was paying a high cap hit and having him regress offensively, then you'd just have a very good defensive center. for Evans you're not paying that much for his offense, you're mainly paying for his defensive play (PK + D-zone starts) and around 30-35 pts a year, there's way less risk which makes a longer term contract for Evans more palatable

UFA is a bidding war after all, it only takes 1 team that wants him badly, i personally wouldn't give him 7 years but i could easily see it happening, Danault at 5.5M with him regressing down to 30-35 pts is different than Evans's current situation, with Evans there's much less downside risk (even if he regresses from 30-35 pts offensively he'll most likely be a 25-30 point player, getting 35-40 pts from him a few years is the upside)

if you take Marcus Kruger as a comparable for Evans who was purely a defensive 4C (very little offensive upside but a very strong defensive player, defensive specialist basically) he got 3 years/3M a very long time ago (2016), Evans plays similar quality of minutes but he has more offensive upside

this is what people miss with Evans (yearly o-zone vs d-zone starts), there's not a lot of sub 4M players that can have those d-zone starts and produce offensively

 

[le_sean]

First of all, he isn’t playing like a 3C because it’s a contract year. He’s doing so because the middle six centers (dvo, Dach) have been AWOL. He stepped up.

He’s not easily replaced. 40+ point pace, leads league in SHTOI, leads team in Dzone starts.

If they let him walk, here’s the “proven NHL center” depth:

Nick Suzuki

It’s his first time playing anywhere near this level in his 5 NHL seasons. He’s 28 years old. This isn’t a breakout. His career high is 29 points. Stop being fooled by a guy that’s fighting for a contract.

 

[KevSkillz4]

I really like him since his draft year, so I'm happy to see he play really well with Laval and produce a lot of points.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

No question, Beck has explosive skating. When you combine that essential ability with his shooting, playmaking ability and high compete level you have something far more than the potential 4th line center that so many had penciled him as.

For us who closely followed Beck’s development and career in the OHL, Beck’s ‘emergence’ comes as no surprise.

He’s only going to get better.

Do you think 2nd line center is possible? 60 points?

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Do you think 2nd line center is possible? 60 points?

This is a dedicated, smart athlete who has explosive skating, a high compete level, good vision (think of the backhanded pass he used to set up Engstrom for a goal) and an excellent shot that is now overpowering AHL goaltenders. I would be disappointed if Beck's ceiling only turns out to be 60 points. As I have said, Beck needs to play with highly skilled players. If the Canadiens are smart and can shed the maddening mindset that Beck is only a defensive style center and play him with equally talented players, I believe he can do much better than 60 points.

I encourage readers to subscribe to Flohockey and listen to 'away' broadcasts of Laval's games to get a sense of what other teams think of Beck's potential. They are unstinted in their praise of this emerging star. They don't see Beck as a mere bottom six player, but what he should be regarded as: a top six player who will do well at the next level.

People really should stop just accepting as gospel what they read on the internet (including this writer's opinion) and actually watch the flow of play and come to their own conclusions.

Independent thought is a good thing.

 

[zzoo]

At time being, I'd rank him higher than Roy, but that might change next month

 

[JeffreyLFC]

At time being, I'd rank him higher than Roy, but that might change next month

Way more projectable to the NHL than Roy. Although Roy has more offensive upside.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Way more projectable to the NHL than Roy. Although Roy has more offensive upside.

With respect, teams would be lining up to obtain Beck if we would be foolish enough to consider trading him. I don't think you could generate any where near as much interest in Roy. Everyone has seen the limitations in Roy's skating and compete level.

These two players are completely different species.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

This is a dedicated, smart athlete who has explosive skating, a high compete level, good vision (think of the backhanded pass he used to set up Engstrom for a goal) and an excellent shot that is now overpowering AHL goaltenders. I would be disappointed if Beck's ceiling only turns out to be 60 points. As I have said, Beck needs to play with highly skilled players. If the Canadiens are smart and can shed the maddening mindset that Beck is only a defensive style center and play him with equally talented players, I believe he can do much better than 60 points.

I encourage readers to subscribe to Flohockey and listen to 'away' broadcasts of Laval's game to get a sense of what other team's think of Beck's potential. They are unstinted in their praise of this emerging star. They don't see Beck as a mere bottom six player, but what he should be regarded as: a top six player who will do well at the next level.

People really should stop just accepting as gospel what they read on the internet (including this writer's opinion) and actually watch the flow of play and come to their own conclusions.

Independent thought is a good thing.

Sounds encouraging! He certainly will get the chance to make the top 6, that 2C hole will still be up for grabs next season.