The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a position where they have too many NHL-ready bodies and insufficient spaces to put them in. Currently, they have three goalies, nine defencemen and 13 forwards; if you do the math, that’s 25 players for a 23-man roster. For the Habs to make room, two players either need to be moved or will have to start the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Laval Rocket. To top it off, we are still weeks before training camp, and we all know that some other players could surprise everyone and make an impact in the preseason to challenge for a spot in Montreal. Here is a look at three potential prospects that could challenge for a roster spot this season.
Owen Beck
Owen Beck is one of the best centers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He uses his speed to ensure he is always in position, whether in the offensive or defensive zone. He is one of the best two-way centers the Canadiens have in their system and could become one of the best centers in Montreal shortly. He has top-six capabilities and can be a force killing penalties and helping the team score short-handed. In split time with the Mississauga Steelheads and the Peterborough Petes, he scored 24 goals and 66 points in 60 games last season. He also played one game with the Canadiens and didn’t look out of place, playing just under ten minutes, going one for three in the faceoff circle and blocking one shot.
Beck is a long shot to make the team, but he could force management’s hand with his work ethic and speed. He cannot go to Laval because of his age, so if he doesn’t make the Canadiens, he has to go back to the OHL and play for Peterborough until the end of the OHL season and playoffs. Montreal having six centers this season will also hinder Beck from making the team. Christian Dvorak will start the season injured, which could give Beck an opening, but he would have to outplay Jake Evans to earn a spot, which is unlikely. If anything, he could be in Montreal near the latter half of the season when the playoffs are done for the Petes.
Emil Heineman
Emil Heineman was part of the return in the Tyler Toffoli trade to the Calgary Flames. He was drafted in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Florida Panthers. He spent all his time playing in Sweden and has been with the Swedish Hockey League’s (SHL) Leksands IF since 2019-20. He is a solid two-way forward who can play in any situation; if I had to compare him to anyone, it would be former Canadien Artturi Lehkonen. After playing in the professional league in the SHL, where he had moderate offensive numbers in a bottom-six role, he joined the Rocket near the end of the season. He dominated in a top-six role with the team, scoring seven goals and nine points in 11 games.
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Heineman is the most likely of this group to make the team out of training camp. He has all the qualities that the Habs are looking for in a bottom-six player, but he will have to fight hard for a spot in the bottom-six. Michael Pezzetta, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylonen are also fighting for a place, which will put Heineman behind the eight ball. However, he may have the skill set to surpass Pezzetta or Ylonen, but Harvey-Pinard’s strong showing in 2022-23 almost guaranteed him a spot in Montreal this season. There is no rush for Heineman to be put in Montreal – he has only 11 games of North American hockey under his belt – but he sure showed he can play on the smaller ice surface and succeed.
David Reinbacher
David Reinbacher was the surprise pick of the Canadiens in the 2023 Draft. Taken fifth overall in a forward-heavy draft, many questioned general manager (GM) Kent Hughes’ decision to go with a defenceman. Reinbacher is a big rugged defenceman who can close the gap quickly and match speed with the forwards. He may not have been the sexy pick everyone hoped for, but he was the best defenceman in the draft and has played in the Switzerland professional league (SL) with EHC Kolten since he was 17. He scored 11 points in 25 games in his first season and doubled that total the following season in 46 games climbing the ladder to play top-four minutes on the team as an 18-year-old. He projects to be a top two defenceman in the NHL – depending on what scout you listen to – but he will definitely be a top four.
Reinbacher is an interesting case because he is only 18 and still needs time to develop. The Canadiens, however, are very young on the blue line and have little right defence depth, which is somewhat better now with the acquisition of Gustav Lindström from the Detroit Red Wings. They have five right-handed defencemen in Montreal with David Savard, Chris Wideman, Justin Barron, Lindström and Jonathan Kovecevic. Of those five, only Barron projects to be a top-four defenceman, and he still has some development to do. If Reinbacher can outplay any of these guys, there is a good chance he will make the team, but he will have to be outstanding, and odds are he goes back to Switzerland to play top minutes with Kolten.
These are the three prospects likely to steal a spot, but others should be at least mentioned, like Sean Farrell and Joshua Roy. Both have the skill set to surprise people at camp, but with the boatload of forwards the Canadiens have, a year in Laval to develop would do wonders for them. With Montreal’s roster issues, any of these players will have to stand out to steal a spot, and it’s possible but highly improbable that is what happens. Realistically you will probably see these guys closer to the end of the season after the trade deadline or if injuries again start piling up.