Can the jump up to the pro game actually help John Beecher realize his potential with Bruins?

A prospect like John Beecher checks off plenty of boxes when it comes to what talent evaluators are looking for in everyday NHL contributors.

As soon as Boston selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Elmira, New York, native’s skating talents were immediately praised — with the center’s ability to glide through the neutral zone and orchestrate clean zone entries carrying over into collegiate career at the University of Michigan. 

With a 6-foot-3 frame and weighing in at 209 pounds already, Beecher already has a pro-ready body capable of withstanding the punishment that awaits at hockey’s highest level of competition — with his aforementioned wheels making him a unique talent when it comes to his ability to inflict some welts on the forecheck and maneuver around the ice better than other traditional "power forwards". 

And while it often takes some time for young skaters to hone their D-zone game and other finer details, Beecher was routinely praised for his two-way acumen with the Wolverines — especially during a junior season in which he was handed plenty of reps at the 3C spot and on the penalty kill.

So, given all of the established skillsets that the 21-year-old Beecher already wields at this stage of his young career, one has to assume that the B’s prospect is ready to step into a semi-regular role with the big club in 2022-23, right?

Well, not exactly. 

For all of the talent that Beecher does boast, there is one flaw in his game that has stalled some of his momentum when it comes to a jump up to the NHL ranks. 

That tangible O-zone production (or lack thereof).

Buried on a stacked U.S. National Team Development Program roster that featured the likes of Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, Matt Boldy, Alex Turcotte and Patrick Moynihan up front, Beecher’s scoring totals didn’t exactly pop (43 points in 65 games) during his draft year, with Boston hoping that established top-six minutes at Michigan would give him the opportunity to really take the next step in his offensive game.

Alas, be it injuries, an influx of more high-end talent to the Wolverines program or just a plateaued O-zone output, Beecher was not an offensive juggernaut during his time at Ann Arbor — only scoring 19 goals over his 81 total games. 

That dearth of scoring isn’t lost on Beecher, who didn’t mince words during last month’s Development Camp when asked about his top focus entering his first full season of pro hockey. 

“I think for this offseason, it’s been scoring goals,” Beecher said of his top focus this summer. “I mean, obviously, it's no secret that I've struggled with it in the past. … Just kind of dissecting the shot, where to look at goalies when you're coming down on certain angles and things like that. So obviously, still trying to get better in all areas. But that's definitely been a big focus for me as well.”

There’s no question that the Bruins were likely hoping that a first-round pick like Beecher was going to be able to draw more out of his O-zone game during his time in college, but they’re also not ready to close the book on the youngster’s game at the next level.

While it’s rare to see players make sizable gains in scoring upon jumping up to another tier of competition, one could make the argument that the pro game (be it in Boston or in Providence) might fall more in line with Beecher’s style of play — especially when it comes to his knack for throwing his weight around and causing havoc in Grade-A ice thanks to his forechecking effort.

Such sentiment was reinforced by Beecher’s short stint in Providence this past spring — where, after posting just 15 points over 34 games with Michigan, he went out and scored three goals and five points over nine games with the Baby B’s.

“I think that's a big thing that has always been in the back of my mind, going through college,” Beecher said of his playing style being more catered to the pros. “I mean, the pro game is big, and it's fast and it's physical. And that's pretty much right in my skill set. So I was able to kind of showcase that over there in Providence and hopefully get a couple more chances.” 

Now, feeling more comfortable in the bruising game of the AHL/NHL does not mean that Beecher is suddenly going to morph into a 30-goal scorer, nor should it be expected that the young center is going to continue to operate at a close to point-per-game pace in 2022-23 with Providence.

However, Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel was impressed with what he saw out of Beecher during their short time together last season.

“It's a tough thing to step right in, especially in the heat of the moment in the American League,” Mougenel said of Beecher. “There's a lot of movement, and we had, at that time, a lot of opportunities to play and he played a lot of minutes, a lot of heavy minutes. Obviously, his skating stands out right away. He's gonna have to develop different ways to score and that is what the American League is about. ... Like Taylor Hall, I think, I don't know how many years he is into his career, but he found a way to score different ways last year and I think he's a great example for Beech, who has relied a lot on his legs to create and score.

“He's gonna have to find different ways and I think he's committed to that. But he's put in a lot of time in Michigan. He's working with Jack Studnicka. So I talked to Studs quite a bit, so he's keeping a good close eye on him and Studs is a guy that works his tail off as a student of the game and we had a good chat about Beech the other day and he's been impressed with his work ethic and his commitment to the game.”

As we noted in our latest prospect ranking (where Beecher earned the No. 4 spot), the 2019 first-round pick should still offer value to this organization even if he doesn’t take another step forward offensively. 

With his skillset, Beecher should be able to earn minutes on the fourth line sooner rather than later, and routinely reminds me of Sean Kuraly — albeit with a bit more of a mean streak. Perhaps that’s not a player that a first-round talent should be compared to, but the Bruins from 2017-21 sure seemed to reap the benefits from what a forward like Kuraly provided during his time here.

If Beecher can eventually settle in and serve as Boston’s 4C for the future once Tomas Nosek’s contract expires, Boston will certainly take it. But with a full season of pro hockey on the horizon in 2022-23, both Beecher and the Bruins hope that last spring’s promising returns signal the start of another major step forward in the prospect’s offensive game.