Owen Beck compares his playing style to that of Bo Horvat

The last draft brought its share of excitement among Habs fans. Obviously, the team had the first overall pick, which helps.

But the following picks also created a lot of anticipation. There is Filip Mesar, who was chosen 26th, but also Owen Beck and Lane Hutson, who were taken in the second round.

More and more, Hutson seems to become one of the favorite hopes of the supporters of the Canadian. Some recruiters, but also members of the media, such as Renaud Lavoie and Tony Marinaro are particularly impressed by the young man.

Hutson and Beck recently responded to questions posed by fans on Twitch. In particular, they were asked about the players from whom they wish to inspire their style of play and the two young men offered very interesting answers.

Who between Owen Beck and Lane Hutson is nicknamed ‘Sneaky’? 🤔

There’s only one way to find out 👇#GoHabsGo https://t.co/NLU3fYZ0ww

— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 27, 2022

Here is Beck’s answer to this question:

I like to play like Bo Horvat. I think he’s a great skater, great in the face-off circle, and a really good two-way forward who sees the game the right way. I feel like we have a lot of similar qualities.

When he was drafted 33rd overall by Montreal a few weeks ago, the center was described as a very smart player who plays well both ways.

Last year, in the OHL, he even won more than 60% of his faceoffs.

We’re not talking about someone who will score 40 goals a year in the NHL, but he has a rather interesting offensive potential.

His comparison with Horvat is therefore completely legitimate. The latter, who has been the captain of the Canucks for several seasons, generally registers between 50 and 60 points per year. He even received a vote (from fourth place) for the Selke Trophy last season.

A few weeks ago, Beck also reportedly said he wanted to emulate Philip Danault’s style of play.

In short, in his case, we can realistically expect him to become a second or third line center. It certainly won’t transform the CH, but it could become an interesting piece over time.

Then, considering the fact that he probably slipped in the draft because he did not play in 2020-2021 (season canceled in the OHL), he could turn out to be a good choice.

Remember that Beck was invited to Canada’s camp for the World Junior Championship.

For his part, Lane Hutson also offered a fascinating answer to the question:

I’ve loved watching Adam Fox for the past few years. He sees the game really well and he is very deceptive. He looks in one direction and can pass the puck in the other. I like to notice certain plays he makes and he’s not shy defensively. It’s exciting to watch him play and try to inspire me with certain aspects of his game.

Praised for his great offensive talent, it will be interesting to see if Hutson will be able to follow in Fox’s footsteps. The latter was absolutely dominant when he played for Harvard in the NCAA. In his second season in the NHL, he even won the Norris Trophy.

Hutson has also been compared to Torey Krug and Quinn Hughes in the past, but expectations will have to be tempered. We are talking here about a very small player (5’9 and 150 pounds) who will certainly have to earn some money to hope to play in the NHL.

But Hutson’s growth was stunted by a bone problem. It is therefore expected to grow a little more in the coming years.

The comparison game is fun all the time, but you have to be careful. Sometimes they can create inflated expectations. You have to remember that these players are only 18 years old and more often than not, second-round picks never make it into the NHL.

A lot of

– His autonomy is obviously not going as planned…

For the same agent as Matthew Tkachuk! 🏒https://t.co/cujY8MVry4

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 27, 2022

– It would be very big for CF Montreal and Koné, but it might be desirable for the young man to play one more season in Montreal.

– The spotlight will certainly be on Hockey Canada in the coming weeks.

– That’s a young team!

– They will need it.