The Calgary Flames have claimed John Beecher off waivers. The former Boston Bruin was placed on the waiver wire yesterday after playing six games for the team and recording just one goal.
Getting to know John Beecher
The former 2019 first-round pick was selected by the Bruins following a 20-point season in the USHL with the USNTDP Juniors. Playing on a very stacked team, he finished 15th in team scoring that year, behind most of the team’s regular skaters. Even barely an NHL defenceman, Henry Thrun had more points than him that year.
Nevertheless, he was selected near the end of the first round and went on to play three years at the University of Michigan, finishing his final season with 15 points in 35 games. Last year, Beecher was a regular NHLer, appearing in 78 NHL games and putting up 11 points. This was good for 15th on the team.
Why the Flames picked up Beecher is beyond me. They have Rory Kerins and Sam Morton, who can both play centre already in the organization. On top of that, the team has Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, and Morgan Frost centring the top three lines and Connor Zary at centre on the fourth line of late, and Martin Pospisil is injured for now; this team really doesn’t need another depth forward.
Hopefully, he turns out to be more than just another marginal forward, but taking a chance on a reclamation project at this time when you have other wingers and centres that show promise, is bizarre.
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