Canadiens sign Beck to NHL entry-level contract, cut seven from camp

It didn’t take long for forward Owen Beck to impress Canadiens management.

On Tuesday, GM Kent Hughes announced that Beck had agreed to terms on a three-year, NHL entry-level contract that will pay the 18-year-old centre US$775,000 at the NHL level in 2022-23, US$835,000 in 2023-24 and US$855,000 in 2024-25. The contract, which also contains signing bonuses of US$95,000 each year, will pay Beck US$82,500 per season at the AHL level.

The Canadiens selected Beck with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall) at this year’s NHL draft and he has been very impressive during training camp and in preseason games.

“He plays a very mature game,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said after Beck’s first preseason game, in which he played on a line with Cole Caufield and Mike Hoffman while captain Nick Suzuki was sidelined with a lower-body injury. “He doesn’t play like an 18-year-old.

“He was in tonight with Cole and Hoff with Suzy being out right now,” the coach added. “It’s an opportunity for him and I thought he took advantage of it.”

Beck posted 21-30-51 totals in 68 games last season with the Mississauga Steelheads, finishing fifth among OHL rookies in scoring, and won 60.6 per cent of his faceoffs.

“It’s a huge honour to sign a contract in my first NHL camp,” Beck said after taking part in the Canadiens’ morning skate Tuesday in Brossard. “It’s a great feeling that the organization has that kind of trust in me. I think it’s just a testament to the hard work I’ve put in over the summer and getting ready to do my best here.”

Beck had a 93 per cent grade average in Grade 12 at Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga. His grades included 96 per cent in advanced functions, 93 per cent in university chemistry, 94 per cent in kinesiology, 91 per cent in calculus and 93 per cent in university biology. Beck said he’s going to put university on hold this year to focus on hockey.

“I’ll see how the first part of the year goes,” he said. “If I’m a little bit bored and feel like I have a lot of time on my hands I might pick up a class or two in the second semester. But as of right now I haven’t started any courses.”

The Canadiens are expected to send Beck back to the Steelheads for a second season in the OHL. St. Louis noted that Beck has maturity in his game and is consistent in making good decisions on the ice. The coach added that Beck has a good shot, is dangerous when he gets scoring chances and is also responsible defensively.

St. Louis also said Beck can go back to junior with a lot of confidence after a good NHL camp and signing his first contract. St. Louis added that Beck can take everything he learned at this camp and execute it both on and off the ice at the junior level while taking more of a leadership role with the Steelheads.

“Owen Beck is a 200-foot player,” Martin Lapointe, the Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting, along with Nick Bobrov, said after the draft. “Plays the right way. He’s a student of the game. He’s a good student at school. He does good things on the ice. He’s got A’s at school, he does A things on the ice and it reflects on his play. Everything is detail oriented. He’s been the best faceoff guy in the OHL. Competes, can skate, can make plays, supports his defencemen really well. He’s below the puck all the time. He just plays the right way.”

Meanwhile, forward Filip Mesar will start this season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket after being selected in the first round (26th overall) of this year’s NHL draft. Mesar will be joined by defenceman Mattias Norlinder — a third-round pick from the 2019 NHL draft — forward Xavier Simoneau and goalie Kevin Poulin in Laval.

The Canadiens made those moves Tuesday afternoon and also announced that forwards Alex Belzile, Anthony Richard and Mitchell Stephens had been placed on waivers.

scowan@postmedia.com

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