Canadiens’ Youth Depth Is an Enviable Problem

A few days ago, fellow Montreal Canadiens scribe William Borget wrote that the club will have big roster decisions to make when reinforcements such as Ivan Demidov return from injury. This much is true, given that Demidov is a cherished piece of the Habs’ puzzle should they enjoy a deep Stanley Cup playoff run. To what degree young players want to remain in the American Hockey League (AHL) is up for debate, but Montreal has a problem to luxuriate in: lots of depth.

Owen Beck: Up and Down Player

The above subhead is a bit of a cheat. By “up and down player,” we don’t mean to say Owen Beck is mediocre. Rather, his 2026-27 season thus far has seen him called up from the AHL to the NHL and sent back down in fairly rapid succession.

The 22-year-old Ontarian has participated in six contests this season, but rarely consecutive ones. He suited up in games against the Buffalo Sabres (Oct. 13), the Washington Capitals (Oct. 14), the Chicago Blackhawks (Oct. 23), the Pittsburgh Penguins (Oct. 31), the Winnipeg Jets (Nov. 3), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (Nov. 7).

His statistics do not necessarily scream out at the casual fans. Martin St. Louis has given him an average ice time of only 8:58, and he has tallied three points in those six contests via a goal and two helpers. His plus/minus is the prime meridian: zero. 

But those numbers suggest he isn’t a liability. Again, for some, that’s nothing to get excited about, but how many young players with limited NHL experience flop on the rare occasions they see big-league action?

Although the popular stats don’t pop (goals, assists, points), he has been involved in the action. The line he has spent the most time on has been with Kirby Dach and Jake Evans. The team called in that trio for duty in three matches. With a total of 17:36 of ice time, their Corsi for percentage (CF%) is a solid 57.14%. The trio’s Fenwick For (FF%) is superior at 59.09%. As an individual player, his High Danger Chances For percentage (HDCF%) is also a respectable 55%.

This exercise is obviously digging into some deep numbers. Excel spreadsheet-worthy material. Suffice it to say that Beck is a more than decent player to call up with a game night roster that requires support. 

Florian Xhekaj: The Deputy Sheriff

Another, arguably flashier player who has retained attention is Florian Xhekaj, Arber’s younger sibling. Also 22, the Hamilton native has had the pleasure of being involved in seven games this season. 

Like Beck, Xhekaj has totalled three points by way of netting once and assisting on a pair of other goals. His plus/minus is not quite as impressive, but no one will put his feet to fire for a minus-1.

Incidentally, the young Xhekaj has similarly spent most of his NHL time this season lined up alongside Evans and Dach. They’ve been a trio four times already for just under 22 minutes. At 74.19%, their CF% is even better than when Beck forms part of the trio. Furthermore, the FF% is slightly better at 80%. His crease presence is strong, which led to his first career NHL goal. 

It helps that the forward gets involved in the action in ways that the more diminutive Beck – relatively speaking – cannot. Like his older brother, who plays defence, Florian is a big body, and it shows in the hit column: 19. That’s a significant number considering he’s only played seven times. Entering the Nov. 10 matchup against the Minnesota Wild, Dach and Chris Kreider have laid the body 20 times each, but have played 15 and 17 matches, respectively. 

Oliver Kapanen: X Factor

Perhaps the puzzle piece without a definitive home at the moment is Oliver Kapanen. He has suited up for more games than the two teammates we’ve discussed (10). Nonetheless, it seems as though the coaching staff is unsure of how to make the best use of him.

Consider that he has been a part of no fewer than seven trios through those 10 contests. Lines get shuffled throughout games depending on circumstances, as well as between games due to challenges like injuries to other players. To that point, the Swede functioned as the top line centre for three games in the immediate wake of Nick Suzuki’s upper body injury in October.

That proved borderline disastrous. Cole Caufield looked to still be making things happen on the ice, but Juraj Slafkovsky seemed utterly lost at times. On Oct. 23 in Chicago, they were the lone forwards with a negative plus/minus despite a 4-1 victory against one of the worst sides in the NHL. Moreover, Kapanen’s two points on the season were recorded in none of those games.

This is not to say that the 23-year-old is a bust. There are moments when he looks good, but it seems to be when he’s partnered with players on lower lines. That’s perfectly fine. Not everyone is going to become a top-line centre and captain of a club. His 2025-26 season showed enough glimmers that there is something worth working with, as he finished with 22 goals and 15 assists in 82 games. 

About Those Big Decisions

William is correct when he argues that the Canadiens have big decisions to make in the near future. Only time will tell what they will be. Nevertheless, these players, even Kapanen, are valuable pieces. Yes, they might need to play in the AHL or be a healthy scratch on given nights, but as the trade deadline gets nearer – it’s not near at the time of writing, but it will be – Kapanen, Florian, and Beck may have roles to play. 

Maybe a more regular player gets traded for picks, thus opening a more consistent spot on the roster. Injuries are a fact of life in the NHL too. Whatever happens, as it stands now, the Canadiens have what can be described as a “wonderful depth problem” since they have so much of it.