Team: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Date of Birth: February 3rd, 2004. Port Hope, ON, Canada
Height: 6’0”/183 cm
Weight: 190 lbs / 86 kg
Position: C
Shoots: Right
Player Introduction:
Owen Beck was taken with the 29th pick in the OHL priority draft in 2020, by the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League and is currently on pace to have the best offensive season of his young career in the year that he is NHL draft eligibility. He has 19 goals, and 28 assists for 47 points in 62 games with the club and is projected to end with 53 points in 68 games. Beck has been ranked at 51 on the Recruit Scouting pre-WJC 2022 NHL draft rankings and has been ranked as high as #39 by Bob McKenzie.
“Owen Beck may not have the highest upside in the draft but offers NHL-ready side and play style. What Beck excels at is being a two-way player and being a coach’s player. He puts in 100% effort every shift, making smart and efficient plays at a high pace. His physicality, maturity and leadership are all great qualities in a top prospect.”
~ Gavin Chiasson (Owner of Rec Scouting)
Offensive Ability:
Owen Beck has a very high offensive upside and has the confidence to show that at the next level. He is the type of player that seems to always be doing something right in the offensive zone, he doesn’t have many knocks against him when it comes to his offensive abilities. Beck plays a strong speed game that allows him to carry the puck into the zone and maintains that control and can allow him to set up the next play or the next shot. His puck control can be deceiving while using his speed to make things happen, one thing that Beck has that compliments his game very well is, his hockey IQ. His ability to think the game while rushing the puck into the attacking zone is very impressive. He has the chance to be dangerous on every shift, even when he is given a small amount of space, or using his transitional skills to create space off a turnover. Beck’s decision-making is one of his strengths, which ties in with his vision, the ability to put the puck where it needs to go is a strength that will surely pave your way to the NHL.
In this clip below, you can see how good defence can turn into a good offence, Owen Beck (#92 in Blue) comes up on his opponent’s heels and use his good stick checking skills to get the puck free. He then takes the puck up ice and leads to a clean controlled entry.
In this next clip, you can see Owen Beck (#92 in White) put multiple skills to use, one being his decision-making, he was quick with it, and it resulted in forcing a turnover, this also shows how good he is at stick checking.
Defensive Ability:
Owen Beck’s defensive game is sound, he is often considered the best defensive player on his team. This goes back to his hockey IQ, and the ability to be in the right spots at the right time. He works hard to regain control of the puck and then will transition that into an offensive zone entry with his teammates. He does lack a physical aspect to his game, when in on the forecheck he uses his stick, and positional play to force the opponent to make a play, rather than going in hard and using his body, but that is a by-product of today’s game. His stick awareness is one of his best qualities on the defensive side of things, he can force a turnover down low on the forecheck or as the 2nd forward in he can generate that turnover in the middle of the ice. I noticed that his style of play at the center position is that he would be a good 2nd or 3rd center in the NHL that can contribute offensively, but play the hard minutes against the other teams, top guys. I do believe that his game will change with maturity and experience in the NHL, and he will develop a physical element that can be an asset to him, which is why I feel that he can be a good supporting center to the team’s top line.
Here, Owen Beck (#92 in White) uses his speed and forechecking skills to pressure the goalie to decide what to do, the goalie turns over the puck and Beck scores.
Owen Beck (#92 in Blue) uses his speed and positional awareness in the defensive zone to create the fast break that leads to his controlled entry.
Conclusion:
Overall, Owen Beck has real potential to be an above-average NHL’er in his career, with the offensive and defensive abilities that he possesses he can be a great second-tier player on just about any team. I feel that Beck will be overpowered as a top-tier player in the NHL, with all the pressure that comes with that role, but if the team that drafts him eventually puts him in a role like a Phillip Danault role for the LA Kings, I feel that he would find a lot of success. Of course, with every prospect, there could be a chance that he doesn’t work out and reach the potential he was projected to, but with a player like Beck, there is the option for a team to use him as the 3-hole center.
The comparisons that come to mind are as mentioned before Phillip Danault of the Los Angeles Kings (Ceiling) or David Kampf of the Toronto Maple Leafs (Floor). His assignment would be to match up against the other team’s top guys and shut them down, and I feel that Owen Beck can do that. I feel that Beck has the potential to have more of an offence upside than a Danault or Kampf, but I feel that he can strive in a role like theirs at the NHL level. He has the skill and IQ on both sides of the puck, and the potential to be a top 6 player in the NHL. I currently have Owen Beck ranked at #28 of the 1st round, but I think he can be selected in the range of 25-35 in the draft and can be a sneaky pick for one of the league’s top teams.
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