Laval – When he was cut by the big club and invited to go to Laval to begin his first professional season, Owen Beck essentially only received a recommendation from the Canadian.
Be yourself and speed up.
The Habs are not asking their hope to compete with Connor McDavid in a straight line. No (who would dare?). The center player has no reason to be self-conscious about his skating anyway.
“What I was told when I was sent here was to get acclimated to the pace of play in the pros and learn how to play my style of hockey at that level,” Beck clarifies. […] That’s what I focus on; make my reads and plays faster, while maintaining my efficiency. »
After 11 games, that’s what he’s doing. Wonderfully. To the point where Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent can only say he is “impressed” by the performance of his recruit.
“He’s on a mission,” marveled the coachMonday, after his team’s training session. “He looks up and he wants to go up. »
In the event that the Canadian loses patience with a veteran, or that an injury forces him to call for reinforcements from Laval, Beck is making sure for the moment to remain visible in the list of potential candidates.
Of all the skaters in the school club, Beck is at the time of writing the one with the best differential at plus-9. Across the American League, that ratio puts him atop the rankings among rookies, tied with forward Justin Hryckowian and defenseman Lian Bichsel, both of the Texas Stars.
According to data collected by our collaborator Sportlogiq Billy Bertrand, Beck found himself on the ice during 10 goals scored by the Rocket at five on five this season. Conversely, the opposing clubs only scored three goals in numerical equality when CH’s 2nd round choice in 2022 (33rd) had both skates on the ice.
Added to this responsible defensive play is the fact that he blocks 0.82 shots and spears 1.45 pucks on average per game, which placed him 41st and 35th respectively in the AHL among 408 forwards who have played at least 50 minutes this season before the games scheduled this week in the circuit.
“It’s going well so far. We don’t give much defensively, so I’m quite satisfied with this facet of my game at the moment. »
And he can also be for his offensive production. With 3 goals and 7 assists on his record, the MVP of the last Memorial Cup is flirting with an average of one point per game. Only Joshua Roy (12 points) and Alex Barré-Boulet (11 points) amassed more points than him among the Rocket forwards.
It is mainly thanks to his playmaking skills that Beck has so far managed to stand out on offense in the AHL with 2.1 passes towards the slot completed on average per game according to Sportlogiq. Only 20 other attackers on the circuit were doing better as of Monday.
Blanked from the scoresheet on only three occasions this season, Beck also maintains a streak of five games with at least one point which he will try to extend this evening in Rochester against the Americans.
“I think I adjusted quickly to the tempo of the game [dans la Ligue américaine]. It was difficult in the first matches, but I adapted and things started to slow down around me,” says the young Ontarian.
“It’s coming, all I’m trying to do is keep up and make the plays I normally would make. […] There’s still room for improvement, obviously, but I’m watching a lot of video to see the different things I can do. »
This is precisely one of the reasons why Beck stands out, notes Vincent.
“He’s a sponge,” praises Rocket’s teacher. “He absorbs the information we give him very quickly. This is not fair to the gameit is also his way of preparing and evaluating himself. He is able to apply information in very specific actions.
“And there’s his skating,” adds Vincent. Again this morning in training (Monday), he was dominant. He’s a guy who is physically strong and he’s going to get even stronger because he takes his job seriously. Even though he is still young, he knows that it is his job. »
As he announced at the start of the campaign, Vincent offers the Habs’ next generation every opportunity to develop, in all playing situations. Renowned for his effectiveness on faceoffs during his junior training, Among other things, Beck gets his share of opportunities to perfect this know-how among the pros.
In enemy territory, no Rocket center obtains more repetitions than Beck per 60 minutes of play (23.3), records Sportlogiq. There is certainly still work to be done with an efficiency rate below 50% (47.7%), just like in the defensive zone where he displays an efficiency of 41.9%, but Beck will continue to be entrusted with his fair share of responsibilities, Vincent promises.
“He earned this opportunity through his work ethic. »
Will it be for a full season in the American League? We’ll see. Beck is anything but against the idea.
“If management estimates that a full year [dans la LAH] will benefit me, I agree. The important thing is to adapt to the level and speed of the professional ranks to stand out and continue my development.
“If they change their mind, well I’ll have another mountain to climb, another jump to make. The tempo will increase further and I will have to prove that I am able to adjust quickly. »
