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  • Minnesota Wild Call-Up Adam Beckman Has To Step Up

    Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
    Carlton Bloom

    By Carlton Bloom -

    It's been a long wait for Adam Beckman to get his NHL shot this season. The Minnesota Wild's cap crunch meant that until Jared Spurgeon's injury freed up money, there wasn't even enough room for the Wild wing prospect's modest $894K salary. In the meantime, Beckman embarked on his fourth season with the Iowa Wild. 

    Beckman surely was hoping to build on his success last season, when he scored 24 goals and 36 points in 53 AHL games last year. Not only did he light the lamp consistently, he was once again one of the most prolific shooters in the league, with 3.58 per game. Instead, as the club in Des Moines has sagged from their status as a playoff team last season, Beckman's also taken a step back.

    Beckman has nine goals and 19 points in 37 games this season. That's fifth on the team in points, but he's struggled to create his own shot with a less talented cast around him. Beckman is only shooting 2.38 times per game -- over a full shot fewer than last season -- which is doing his stats no favors. 

    Now Beckman gets his chance, getting the call-up to the NHL on Monday. He has a shot to make an impression on new coach John Hynes, and he needs to seize the opportunity. 

    That might be unfair to say about a kid who won't turn 23 until May, especially since Beckman's record as a prolific shooter in the AHL shows promise. But Beckman will likely be fighting a numbers game shortly. The Wild have bottom-six wingers Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno, and Freddy Gaudreau re-signed for the foreseeable future. Marat Khusnutdinov could be fighting for another wing spot in about three weeks. Danila Yurov and Liam Öhgren are expected to be in the organization in the next year or two.

    Beckman's waited for this opportunity. Let's see what he does with it.

    That's Wild

    Off the Trail...

    By Carlton Bloom  

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    Citizen Strife

    He will if he impresses.  If he plays completely invisible, then forget it.  That's the opportunity he's given.  Plays balls out and don't fuck up.  If it shows that he's an impact on the ice in what time he has, great.  Otherwise, there are tons of people that can take his place.  

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    mnfaninnc

    A couple of things that were missing in this article were that one reason Beckman wasn't called up earlier (when the injuries happened) was he, too, was injured. He has also been working on a more complete game this year, focusing on defense. 

    It should also be mentioned that Beckman has been wearing an A in Iowa. So, leadership is another aspect he's focused on. I do think he's been playing a little lower in the lineup this season. We'll see how he looks, but aside from the score sheet, I want to see his board battles and front of the net battles. If those aren't better, he's got a pivotal offseason ahead of him for strength/weight gain just like Rossi did. With that aspect, the puck's definitely in his corner.

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    mnfaninnc

    Also worth mentioning, Yurov and Firstov picked up apples last night. Yurov is up to 46 points and Firstov has a respectable 32 points. Dino got nothing, but may not have played. 

    With Sochi out of the playoff picture, I wonder if they might release Dino, and he can get here quicker? 

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    B1GKappa97

    I'm not sure why we're counting on Oghren to make the club anytime soon. Its not like he was considered a top-6 winger when we took him, more of a middle-6 kind of guy. Based on how we've treated other picks, he's probably spending at least 2 seasons in the AHL. 

    I wouldn't expect to see him in the big-leagues until at least '26-'27 and that's if his development doesn't hit any snags. There is absolutely no rush to bring him up anyway after the Foligno/Hartman/Gaudreau signings. 

     

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    Will D. Ness

    I think Beckman has a good chance to demonstrate he should be up here vs all the other guys that have been called up.  Actually, it shouldn't be too difficult to shine vs the lackluster contingent so far.

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    TheGoosesAreLooses

    Brutal lines coming up. Johansson on the second line, Rossi stuck with Gaudreau on the third line. Looks like Letteri will be back to take the cup of coffee from Beckman with Lucchini and Duhaime.  

    Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello

    Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy

    Foligno-Rossi-Gaudreau

    Duhaime-Lucchini-Beckman/Lettieri

    🤮

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    raithis
    35 minutes ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

    Brutal lines coming up. Johansson on the second line, Rossi stuck with Gaudreau on the third line. Looks like Letteri will be back to take the cup of coffee from Beckman with Lucchini and Duhaime.  

    Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello

    Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy

    Foligno-Rossi-Gaudreau

    Duhaime-Lucchini-Beckman/Lettieri

    🤮

    Not sure how that is brutal.  Aside from the 4th line, that was the lineup for quite a few games.  Gotta do something.  Other than Kaprizov and Ek, none of the forwards are very consistent.  I like Rossi, but he hasn't been doing much on the top line.  Honestly, I feel like he is better suited to play as a winger unless he can stand his ground more.

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    MNCountryLife
    45 minutes ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

    Brutal lines coming up. Johansson on the second line, Rossi stuck with Gaudreau on the third line. Looks like Letteri will be back to take the cup of coffee from Beckman with Lucchini and Duhaime.  

    Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello

    Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy

    Foligno-Rossi-Gaudreau

    Duhaime-Lucchini-Beckman/Lettieri

     

    Ouch.  That is not a pretty line up.  We are so thin any injuries appear catastrophic.  

    I would alter it a bit though.

    Kaprizov, Rossi, Zuc

    Foligno, Ek, Boldy

    Beckman, Freddy, Hartman

    Duhaime, NoJo, Lucchini

    Mostly because I prefer to give NoJo less ice time.

    Edited by MNCountryLife
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    raithis

    Also, can Chicago just not be in the Classic for 10 years?  There's been 15 and they've been in 4 already.  How about Colorado?  Edmonton?  Vancouver?  Hell, even LA or Tampa Bay, though obviously they'd have to be the away team.

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    TheGoosesAreLooses
    24 minutes ago, raithis said:

    Not sure how that is brutal.  Aside from the 4th line, that was the lineup for quite a few games.  Gotta do something.  Other than Kaprizov and Ek, none of the forwards are very consistent.  I like Rossi, but he hasn't been doing much on the top line.  Honestly, I feel like he is better suited to play as a winger unless he can stand his ground more.

    lol yes, it has been and look at our record....

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    Protec

    Beckman shoots the puck naturally. He's a gut who can score if he gets chances. If he's defensively solid, I like his chances. He's gotta be hungry to earn a spot. This is a great time for him to do something impressive. I'm really pulling for him to make it.

    BUT, has he added the required beef mnfaninnc demands to the tune of twenty-five additional lbs???😁

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    raithis
    9 hours ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

    lol yes, it has been and look at our record....

    That's kind of my point.  It's not really that much different than it has been.  Why call it brutal if it's the same as it's been?  Doing so suggests that there is something different and that it's much worse than usual.  The only thing different is that the lines are shifted around, and given that we've not been able to generate any consistency, that's completely warranted.

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    B1GKappa97

    What's the team record for overturned goals in a season? Rossi has had, what, like 4 goals robbed from him now because of a linemate's undisciplined play? 

    Gotta be close to the record.

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    mnfaninnc
    23 hours ago, B1GKappa97 said:

    I'm not sure why we're counting on Oghren to make the club anytime soon. Its not like he was considered a top-6 winger when we took him, more of a middle-6 kind of guy. Based on how we've treated other picks, he's probably spending at least 2 seasons in the AHL. 

    For those interested, I looked up some SHL stuff this morning as I've been sort of focused on the K this season. March 12th is when their regular season ends. Currently, Ohgren's team, Farjestad, is in 2nd place in the league, so I'd expect playoffs to go to the finals. That could mean that he would be able to come over for a couple of games at the end of the season. I believe he's already signed his ELC, and I wouldn't want to burn it at this point.

    I do see him as a middle 6 type of winger, but that could also be top 6 or line 2. I think he'll start on the 3rd line, and could be Foligno's wingman along with a center like Ek? He's got the NHL frame already, now it's a matter of the speed of the game. Can he adapt to the N speed?

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    mnfaninnc
    15 hours ago, Protec said:

    BUT, has he added the required beef mnfaninnc demands to the tune of twenty-five additional lbs???😁

    Gotta have the beef! If he can compete on a longterm basis along the boards winning battles and winning front of the net battles I'll be fine. However, it was pretty obvious he was not physically ready in the previous callups. 

    Bottom line is that he needs to position himself between 200 and 210 with his frame. It's not so much about pushing others around, it's about being able to win battles and absorb punishment from defenders. I would assume that the extra strength would also make him a little more explosive of a player, something he'll need to make the jump.

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    mnfaninnc

    Well, last night I got blacked out again. How did we look? 2-1 doesn't seem like an exciting score. Any good highlights? Scoresheet looked like it was Foligno night!

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    Pewterschmidt

    Looks like zero TOI for Beckman last night

     The Vin Man is back from injury and played like he wants a spot in the lineup.  This is called creating your own opportunity.  It’s not about having the coach put you in a position to succeed.  It’s about showing up and showing Coach you’re ready for more responsibility.  Hope you’re taking notes Beckman.  We need you to go full Rossi starting next season.  Get a start on that during any garbage time you get this season

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    mnfaninnc
    48 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

     It’s about showing up and showing Coach you’re ready for more responsibility.  Hope you’re taking notes Beckman.  We need you to go full Rossi starting next season.  Get a start on that during any garbage time you get this season

    Nice take and motivation! This is a make or break summer for the player. He makes the choice. Puck is in his corner!

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