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The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Owen Protz to a three-year entry-level contract — but what kind of player are they really getting?
Shaun Starr and Marco D’Amico break down Protz’s profile as a physical, shutdown-style defenseman, what sets him apart in the Habs prospect pool, and why his game fills a need in the organization.
We also dive into when his contract officially begins, what his pro timeline looks like, and whether he’s destined for Laval or could climb the depth chart faster than expected.
Plus, where does Protz fit within the Canadiens’ defensive depth moving forward?
#montrealcanadiens #nhl #hockey
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on St. Catherine across from Westmount Square. It's Little Bear pet supply. Brought to you by McClain's
pub. Head over to McClain's pub, 1210 Peel Street in the heart of downtown Montreal. Great food,
cold drinks, and big games on all the screens. McClain's pub, good times, and great company.
There's Marco Domingo. I'm Sean Star. What a pleasure it is to be with you is we wind down the
month of March, looking forward to seeing so many loyal supporters of this darn Domingo show at McClain's,
the real deal on Peel coming up. Sunday afternoon, we're going to be there live starting at 4 o'clock.
Already it was fun to see Marco in the live chat during our Friday stream. How many people are
ready to come and enjoy the great atmosphere and the awesome vibe that McClain's on Peel does
provide before and after every game and the chicken tenders and the chicken tenders great like I can't
wait. No doubt. It's an awesome place, as I mentioned before and after every game, a proud supporter
of these star and Domingo show. Let's dig in. The Montreal Canadians announced a new signing.
Can Hughes announced on Friday the team agreed to terms Marco on a three year entry level deal
with defenseman Owen Pratt. Let's dig in. Let's learn about Owen Pratt. What type of player? Who is
this guy? Owen Pratt is a train in the sense that. Oh, yes. And he has a significant motor. So
he was a fourth round pick in the Montreal Canadians in 2024. Same draft is Demidov, same draft
as Michael Hage. But he's a big boy. Six to two hundred and seven pounds already. Just turn 20
in February. That's all the way you have to understand that there's a big boy. And one of the
things about Owen in my conversations with him, I didn't see this contract coming so soon. Apologies
for not being on top of this one. I was dealing with a new board at home. So I haven't been in the
I haven't been making as many calls. But I knew that they were the Canadians had an interest
in signing Owen Pratt. Owen Pratt's needed to be signed prior to June 1st of this year,
or else the Canadians were going to lose his rights because you only have up and, you know,
we'll obviously that's going to change with the new CBA. But as of right now, you only have two
years to sign players out of junior. He was drafted in 2024. So it only makes sense that June 1st,
2026 was the cut off. The Canadians were very happy with him. Sean, because he plays for a power
house team in Brandford for the that are the bulldogs, not Brampton and not Hamilton. Correct. So
and that it's a powerhouse team. Again, he he plays on what probably is one of the best if not the
best defensive pairing in the entirety of the CHL between Owen Pratt's and St. Louis Blues
first round pick. Adam Eurocheck also picked in the 2024 entry draft. Yeah. So it's um
what kind of player is he? Smash mouth defensive defenseman open ice hitting monster.
He does shoot from the left. This is a guy that you want on the penalty kill. Takes up a lot of
space. Very rangy kind of defenseman hard against the the the opposition and the boards.
But you know, I'll give you a line that he told me in the in an interview I did with him in
December. He said, I'm never going to be the kind of defenseman that's going to go end to end.
I know that you know, I focus on the details in the game. I'll let the offensive
defenseman do their thing. My thing is to defend to clear the front of the net and to you know,
when the opportunity strikes lay the open ice hit.
Brother, that's music to my ears. Love hearing that. Love that scuttle report. Now it's
about living up to the potential. Make sure you stay with us in this conversation.
We're going to talk about the new signing on on Pratt's and are we already projecting his role
on the Montreal Canadians? Is there someone on this team that maybe with Pratt's arrival and we'll
talk about the timeline? Is there a leveling up situation? We're going to get to that question
and that answer in a matter of minutes with Marco Domingo and Sean star right here and
star Domingo. As always, like and subscribe as we march towards 15,000 subscribers, Marco.
What about this three-year entry-level contract in terms of the details? When does it begin?
What's that look like? And we'll dig into the options as well in the timeline for his development.
Yeah, so given his age, he had no choice but to sign a three-year deal between ages 18 to 21.
It's three years after that. It's two and one and so on. So with with Owen, like we said,
he had to sign a contract by June 1st. Now his contract kicks in effective July 1st,
2026. That means his contract doesn't start this year like Bryce Pickford did. His contract
starts next year. There's a guy with a fire, by the way. Yes, yeah, yeah. I think medicine had it
a pretty good start to the WHO playoffs last night. Yeah, we've got, sorry, we've got goals in
nine-stri playoff games. I mean, it's crazy. I mean, first of all, it just goes to show you how good
he was in the playoffs last year, but no, back to Owen Pratt's. This is going to be a guy to watch
in the playoffs as well because in the playoffs, yes, there's ridiculous amounts of scoring in the
first round. We all know how, you know, they try to bring in the most amount of teams to play in the
playoffs. And that sometimes creates a mismatch between the top seeds and the ones that just
squeaked in, but where it really becomes important is when you start getting into those third and
fourth rounds. And that's where a player like Owen Pratt comes in, right? So a lot of people have
asked since the signing, oh, okay, well, now that he signed his entry level contract, can he come to
Montreal? The answer is no. He can't come to Montreal this season because his contract only kicks in
next year. Right. He and the brandford bulldogs will be going on a lengthy or projected lengthy
playoff run. They're one of the top teams in the entirety of the CHL. They've got elite talent on
that team. You know, Jake O'Brien, Caleb Mahotra, Jett Luchenko for those that appreciate him as well.
I've just talked about Adam Yearichek, you know, Pratt's being part of that combination as well.
Merrick Vannecker was one of the best goal scorers in the OHL. So they have a dynamite team.
But what happens if the bulldogs get, you know, upset? Well, he did it last year and there's an
opportunity for him to do it again this year. And that would be to sign either an amateur professional
tryout to join the Laval rocket for the remainder of the playoffs or even the season and then the playoffs.
There is an opportunity for that. I just don't know how early the bulldog season is going to end
because they look really good. And I think it might go down to the finals for them. And the
finals will bring them right around the beginning of May. So beginning of May in the AHL playoffs,
I think you're getting into like the end of the second round beginning of the third round.
So, you know, obviously you hope that Laval goes on a lengthy run, but it's all a question of timing
as you could see. But you also have to factor in playing time. Because right now you have Adam
Engstrom, you have William Trudeau and you have Luke Middlestadt as your left defenseman
for the Laval rocket. So if he is brought in on an ATO, you know, it would most likely be as a
seventh defenseman that could get into games if there's an injury, right? So if you're a Montreal
Canadians fan, I personally the way I see it, you want the bulldogs to go all the way
win the AHL championship, go to the Memorial Cup in Colona and you know, get that experience
because I don't foresee him getting a ton of playing time in Laval if he were to join them
in the middle of the playoffs on an ATO. He's a 20-year-old kid. He's from Ottawa, you know,
as you pointed out, I mean, friends from all your boys. Top team in the Ontario Hockey League,
and as you alluded to earlier in this conversation, you know, he's not in his own words, he's not an
end-to-end guy, right? Five goals, meeting assists, but also takes a lot of penalty minutes again
to your point about, you know, his role, how he plays 190 penalty minutes in his OHL career,
84 of them came this season. Is a reasonable expectation for the Canadian fans to look
forward to this rugged kind of no nonsense defenseman to be with the Laval Rocket in the fall
of 2026? Is that the next level up for him? And I guess I'll follow up to that. So I guess a
two-prong question. Laval next fall. And what can you tell me about the challenges of development?
Let's go extremes. Like a high-end skill player like Lane Hudson versus the more
prototypical stay-at-home defenseman. Which do you think is the harder path to get to the NHL
and stay there? I think it all has to do with with opportunity as well, right? The thing with,
like, you know, for example, we're going to talk about Bryce Pickford a lot over the next year or
two, right? I think the biggest problem for Bryce Pickford getting a spot with the Montreal
Canadians is that if he isn't going to get first or second power play wave, you're wasting his
best attributes. Whereas if you know you have Noah Dobson and Lane Hudson signed as your top
offensive defenseman, which they are, well then you can... you have an easier time thinking,
okay, we have those types of personas. Now we need to go and get other profiles that are more
defensive oriented, more physically oriented. Like it's not, it's not by chance that the Canadians
main roster on defense has solidified itself because now Caden Gouli has returned to that smash
mouth, hard-hitting defensive style that made him such a coveted prospect coming through the
CHL ranks and in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. Well, I feel like it's easier to round out
your lineup with those kinds of guys than it is to try and continue to add the high skill players.
Not that I don't think Bryce Pickford's going to have a lengthy NHL career. He's well on his way
to do so, but maybe the fit may not be there considering the elements that are in the lineup. Of
course, you know, he's not a bad defensive player and he's a rare right shot. So he may very well
force his way onto that lineup, but not to say he'd be more of the same, but it would just,
he would need to add or he'd need to really develop aspects that his game that would diversify it
so that he would be able to find value at five on five or potentially, you know, on the penalty kill.
Well, I will think you really have to worry about that with Owen Prats. And this is not me saying
that Owen Prats is a better prospect than then Bryce Pickford, not even in the stretch of the
imagination. Different players, though, that's fair, right? Exactly. It's more it's more, first of all,
that would be a crazy good pairing those two together on your bottom. I love it. Yeah, yeah,
probably be excellent, but I just feel like given the personas that are signed long term,
Owen Prats' skill set, a very defined skill set, is what's lacking right now for Montreal.
vis-a-vis what Bryce Pickford is doing, Bryce Pickford is doing historical things. Absolutely,
historical things, but he is primarily an offensive defenseman. So, you know, just to juxtapose,
I think both of them are going to play in the NHL. I think both of them are going to be NHLers.
And like I just said, wouldn't that be an interesting third pair for Montreal, right? Or you have a
Pickford that can produce offense at five on five, and then in Owen Prats, that's more the
defensive rock that's able to, you know, run guys over in open ice hits, because that's an
element of Owen Prats' game that's just incredible to watch. He has mastered the timing of the
open ice hit. He's so good at that, and it's even in junior, you kind of see it. His physical
ability, like if you see him, he's still got that baby face on him. He's still got to fill out,
he's still got to get stronger, which is a scary thought considering how big he is already.
So, to me, my projection for him is a third pair left shot defenseman. That's my projection.
And the Canadians have a lot of time, because I know a lot of people are going to, and we're going
to talk about this, but oh, left shot defenseman, right? Whereas you always want to add and stack
right shots because they're, they're rarer in that regard. Well, I don't know that the Canadians
have a player like that that could play that kind of a detail-oriented game, really good at
using a stick, really good at, you know, separating player from puck, stands up for his teammates,
like you won't believe, can't very much open to dropping the gloves, and I think that's going to
be an element of his game as well. And again, a guy that you could put on special teams on the
penalty kill and, you know, not, not blink and eye. So, a guy that can bring you definitive
elements and, you know, that you can allow to develop in LaValle without having to worry about
rushing him to the NHL, because there are players ahead of him in the pecking order that maybe
we'll get a cup of coffee first. I look forward to the summer months for a variety of reasons,
right? I look forward to, you know, what we're going to do on this channel, you know, with daily
haps coverage. And just on topic, because if we're talking about, you know, Bryce Pickford,
ultimately, we'll dive into him, no doubt, and feature episodes, and what he's doing. Owen
Proz here now, if you're just joining us, signing a three-year entry-level deal with the Montreal
Canadians that kicks in in July of 2026, left defenseman, big body, violent, nasty, no nonsense,
love all that stuff, right? It builds waves, like you can have Kate and Gouli on the left side
being mean and nasty. And then he gets off the ice, and potentially Owen Proz comes in after
a wave. That's what the Canadians are lacking. No doubt. I mean, we spend most of the season talking
about and being critical of that. But if you've noticed the way that the Canadians have drafted
in the later rounds over the last two, three drafts, they're really going for that role, like
the defined role style players, right? Like Florian Jaca in the fourth round. You look at Tyler
Thorpe in the later rounds. You look at Hayden Papanicus in the third round. You look at
Owen Proz right now. You look at Andrew McNeil that they drafted recently as well, like
big boys. Guys that aren't necessarily going to be sexy when you do your stat sheet and try to see
who the top prospects of a given team are. But they have a role. But the kind of player that when
they've had two years in the American hockey league, you have an injury and you want to bring up a
guy that's going to be able to like bring something different. That's when it comes in handy.
And worst case scenario, then if not, then there are really good pieces to have with your AHL
team, ensuring that your AHL team continues to be competitive because there is value in that.
And your AHL team being competitive, having a positive environment for the prospects,
a higher-end prospects that you funnel in as well. So there's two-fold benefit. But having spoken
to the player, having spoken to the coaching staff, having spoken to players around him,
I have of the belief that he will be an NHLer.
So who's sweating this? You know, Marta San Luis can ice five pairs of defense.
You know, so like going into camp next fall, the big camp, right? I mean, there's a legitimate
case if they're still part of the organization, depending on what happens between now and next fall.
We're talking about Adam Engstrom. We're talking about David Reimbacher, maybe making the leap,
breaking camp as Canadians. Something has to give. And we're going to spend time, you know,
in the coming months talking about and reacting to, because I think Marco believes it, I believe it,
something's going to give. And the Canadians are going to make a couple of moves in order to make
room. That allows Owen Pratt to graduate and play for the LaValle Rocket, right? So like, I got
to believe if we're talking about on the left side today, you know, Jaden Strubel is under under
pressure in terms of, I mean, he's been playing well, granted, since MSL has kept him consistently
in the lineup, but he's on the left side to Lane Hudson, you know, more often than not in the last
five or six games here. So if you're talking about Owen Pratt's and the role he plays, I think
Arbor Jack, I potentially RFA coming up at the end of the season, Jaden Strubel, these guys
are under the pressure test here. Well, especially, I think Adam Angstrom is the biggest threat to the
two players that you just brought up. Okay. Now, he's the closest to, I guess, right? Yeah. Yeah,
my opinion, he's NHL ready. Right. But then after that, what's what's the next wave? And I think
that's the thing, Jaden Strubel will see what happens. Arbor Jack, I, I part, I am of the belief,
I, this is not based on internal information, but I'm of the belief that the Canadians probably
are going to move on and try to find him a place where he can continue his career and find a niche.
That is my feeling on the subject. I don't think the signature of Owen Pratt's impacts anybody
on the main roster in the foreseeable future. I think if he's an NHLer, he's two years away
from the start of next season, right? So let's say two and a half years away from being a legitimate
option for the NHL. And there's nothing wrong with that. Take your time, work your way up,
and then you're going to get your games, right? Like, I don't think anybody, when he was drafted,
thought that Jared Davidson was going to play NHL games. He played NHL games earlier this season
because he just worked and worked and worked. Now, the Canadians have a ridiculous amount of
forward depth. So they're not going to be calling anybody from Laval and they reclaim Samuel
Blay. So you know who the first call is probably going to be at forward. If there is one,
the same applies here with Owen Pratt's. I think they're going to take their time with Owen Pratt's.
I think the player that is out and I don't think that, you know, I don't know that Canadians fans will
really worry about this, but William Trudeau is probably the one that's going to be on his way out.
And I, you know, I feel for the guy because I think he's an elite defenseman in the NHL,
but I feel like, again, with Montreal and all the left shot defenseman they have,
he may seek an opportunity elsewhere in another organization that is weaker at left shot at left
D where he may actually have the legitimate option of a call up. So I do hope that for William
Trudeau, because with Angstrom, with Luke Middlestat, you bring in an Owen Pratt's. Toby Pockett
Bisson is with is around the team as well. You know, you don't, you don't want to have too many
rookies. You also want to sprinkle in some veterans in there as well. And we know that next year,
there's the possibility of having as well David Ryanbacker and Bryce Pickford, you know,
is a sophomore in a rookie. You know, you just got to, David Ryanbacker is not theoretically a sophomore
but the amount of games he's played. Let's call him one. But, you know, you want to put some veterans
in there. So this is why I say Pratt's, it's a project, but it's an intriguing project because
if he hits, those are the kinds of defenseman that persona, those are the kinds of defenseman teams
will spend second and first round picks on at the trade deadline to shore up the roster. Well,
if you're able to develop those players internally, then you continuously have waves of these
players that come in on cheap contracts that are able to be that higher end depth and eventually
have given the opportunity, steal a spot on the roster. So that's, that's the way I see it for Owen
Pratt's. If my projection stands, hard hitting left shot defenseman that you would put on your
third pair that you could play on the penalty kill that could take, you know, that could change
the momentum of a game with a, you know, strong open ice hit or some really well time defensive play.
That's my projection for him. Looking forward to seeing everybody. Sunday afternoon, starting at
four o'clock for the live presentation from our home away from home. That's McLean's pub, the real
deal on peel. It's a great vibe. Awesome place before and after every game, every major sporting event
from soccer to football to baseball and its opening days in the opening week of a brand new
MLBC season. And of course, the national hockey league and the Montreal Canadians push for the playoffs.
There's no better place to watch or take in the post game festivities. Then with our friends at
McLean's pub, we look forward to meeting and greeting everybody. Sunday afternoon, starting at two.
Of course, the links to all of our proud sponsors. We love to support local from cheapest t-shirts,
the McLean's, the best in home security at Cabletel. You got a bachelor bachelor at party. You got
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And of course, our friends at Little Bear Pets apply where they got their spring savings.
50% off. The rebate will be applied when you shop online or go shop and store on St. Catherine
across from West Mount Square. Marco, thanks as always. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday morning
live at 10. And then at McLean's Sunday afternoon. Thanks, brother.
All is a pleasure, guys. Have a great day.
