On Friday night, the Bruins will make a pick in the first round for just the second time in the last four years… assuming they don’t trade it between now and then.
The only other first-round pick they’ve made in that time was John Beecher, whom they took 30th overall in 2019. So, now seems like as good a time as any to take a look at how things are going with Beecher and what kind of player he might eventually be for the Bruins.
It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Beecher since the Bruins drafted him, especially this past season. He had hoped to make the U.S. World Junior team for a second straight year, but a positive COVID-19 test during camp put an end to that. Then Beecher suffered a shoulder injury in February that brought an end to his sophomore season at the University of Michigan.
With the NCAA season already shortened by COVID, Beecher wound up playing just 16 games. He was solid but not great when healthy, recording four goals and four assists.
Appearing on the latest episode of The Skate Podcast, Hockey Sense’s Chris Peters broke down Beecher’s season and development and explained why this upcoming season will be “a huge year for him.”
“It was a weird year for him, really tough year,” Peters said of Beecher. “Dealt with injury. There was a positive COVID test that cost him a shot at the World Juniors. So that was really tough for him to go through that. I think the thing with Beecher is that we just didn’t get a chance to really see him this year. I don’t know necessarily if that positive test, if he would’ve ultimately made the team or not, because it was a much more competitive year than it was the year before at forward.
“But he averaged about a half a point per game for Michigan for the games he was healthy for. I think this is a huge year for him, where he needs to, one, be a leader on that team, because they’re going to be very young. They’re going to potentially, if Owen Power and Matty Beniers, who could go to the NHL, if they both come back, you’re looking at a potential national title contender with Beecher playing a key role as a junior on that team.”
Power and Beniers are projected to be the first and second overall picks, respectively, Friday night. Teammate Kent Johnson is expected to go in the top 10, as is incoming freshman Luke Hughes. Another incoming freshman, Mackie Samoskevich, could go later in the first round.
There is a decent chance Power, Beniers and Johnson all return for their sophomore seasons, which could result in the Wolverines, who had to drop out of this year’s NCAA tournament due to positive COVID tests, having more first-round picks on their roster than any team in college hockey history.
And as Peters points out, Beecher will be one of them, and he’ll be expected to take on more of a leadership role as a junior. It would seem to be a great situation for the Bruins prospect, and could set him up well to take the next step in his development.
Peters said Beecher certainly has all the physical tools, but that he still needs to put it all together into a more complete package.
“He’s an incredible skater, one of the best athletes right now, just the way that he moves, his strength, his physicality,” Peters said. “I think the hockey sense remains the biggest concern. Does he have the ability to put it all together, to be in that incredible physical package, but take the next steps necessary to finish more plays, to be a more consistent scorer, to be able to see the ice better, to have better vision? That’s a big leap for any player, especially one that’s now heading into his third season of college hockey.
“So this is a show-me year for John Beecher. I think he has a real opportunity if he can put it together, because he is such a rare commodity with his size and speed. I really hope he does take that step this year, but we’re going to need to see it before we can say it’s realistic. I’d say I’m a little lukewarm on him. I wasn’t necessarily a huge fan of the pick at the time, just because these same concerns were evident then in terms of the hockey sense and the overall skill level.”
As for projecting what Beecher might eventually be for the Bruins, Peters said he still sees a future in the NHL for him, but that it may have to be as a bottom-six forward.
“I do think there’s room for him to grow and to find a role,” Peters said. “Will it be as a top-six guy? I highly doubt it. Can he be a good depth player on an NHL roster? I do think that is a possibility for him. That might not be what Bruins fans want to hear, but I think ultimately if you can come out of a draft with multiple NHL players in a single draft, then you’ve done pretty well for yourself, even if they don’t necessarily live up to the slot value that you took them at. So, I still believe Johnny Beecher is on an NHL track. It just might not be at a high level.”
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