Canadiens Top 20 Prospects: Protz Personifies Physicality
The Montreal Canadiens established a simple modus operandi once Kent Hughes took over as general manager in 2022.
While the previous regime often discussed the importance of drafting players with size that had professional potential, they rarely achieved their goals, whereas Hughes and Co. have followed the directives to a tee.
This led to the team selecting violent defenceman Owen Protz in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Canadiens fans voted the truculent blueliner as the No. 14 prospect in our yearly rankings.
Without attempting to sensationalize Protz’s style of play, the term violence is quite accurate, though in his case it’s controlled, rather than being unhinged.
Previously published Montreal Canadiens top 20 rankings
No. 14 – Owen Protz – 20 – Defenceman – Shoots Left – 6’2″ – 210lb – Brantford Bulldogs – Drafted 102nd Overall In 2024
Much like the endless stream of traffic in Montreal, Protz is very hard to avoid when you’re on the rush. He uses good gap control to give his opponents the impression they may be able to sneak by without incident, before obliterating them once they fall into his trap along the boards. Protz also tends to avoid additional penalty minutes or supplemental discipline, relative to his workload, while serving as one of the heaviest hitters outside the NHL.
He adores landing open-ice hits, though it’s a particular skill that can lead to a defenceman taking himself out of position. However, we must make one thing very clear: Protz is no Alexei Emelin.
There are always exceptions, but he rarely pulls himself out of the ideal defensive setup to landing a massive hit. In that vein, he also tends to focus on separating the player from the puck, rather than simply winning the battle of attrition. Therefore, it’s fair to say there’s clear-cut value to his physical play, as it leads to turnovers and takeaways.
NHL teams have evolved to a point in which they can no longer afford to have players in the lineup who pad their hit stats without actually providing any positive impact.
While Protz is a physical defenceman who clearly enjoys rattling bones whenever the opportunity arises, he’s quite adept at defending the crease, while shutting down passing and shooting lanes. I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest he’s a defensive dynamo, but his play in his own end is well above average, and he can easily absorb a heavy dose of penalty kill minutes.
Owen Protz Projection
Even though Protz fits the bill in terms of size, he still has a few issues to work out before we can suggest he’ll soon be knocking on the NHL’s door.
He will spend the entirety of the 2026-27 season with the Laval Rocket, which will go a long way in establishing whether his average skating can sustain his style of play in the professional ranks. His offensive output in the OHL, which saw him score five goals and 18 assists in 64 games as an overeager last season, also leaves much to be desired.
As a reminder, the jump from the CHL to the AHL is absolutely massive. It can often take a few years, or more, for defensive players to establish their rhythm.
The good news is that he’ll be surrounded by quality development coaches, veteran teammates, and several defensive prospects who are slightly older than him. This is the type of insulation you need to allow a player to find his rhythm in the AHL. The Canadiens have already offered Protz an entry-level contract, which confirms they’re quite excited by his long-term potential.
Once Protz is NHL ready, the consensus is that he projects as a bottom-six defenceman who can confidently cover important specialty-team shifts.
All Montreal Canadiens prospect and Owen Protz statistics via Elite Prospect
