If you were to say John Beecher has solidified his role in the Boston Bruins’ starting lineup, I’d tell you it’s a little too soon. A rookie on a two-way contract slotting in on the fourth line is always at risk of being bumped out of the lineup, whether it be external forces – such as fresh blood coming in via a trade or bad luck with injuries – or their own doing with a string of subpar performances.
But Beecher isn’t too far off. After competing with a number of up-and-coming forwards this summer, he’s proven that he can fill those skates on the fourth line and is showing signs of climbing the ladder, but holding on to a roster spot in his situation is difficult when you’re not blowing the coaching staff, management, and fanbase away.
Beecher’s Rookie Season
In 20 games this season, Beecher has notched three goals and an assist. It’s nothing that’ll blow one’s socks off, but nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to a fourth liner. Expectations for offensive production are low, especially for a rookie, and you’re really looking for a player who can help keep the puck out of your own zone, play physical, and chew up some clock, especially on the penalty kill – all things he has done successfully.
Beecher is also above 50% in the face-off dot, which is key for any centerman in the league especially those on the fourth line who are likely seeing the majority of their chances coming in the defensive zone.
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Beecher has also thrown 30 hits, blocked 13 shots, and registered 19 shots on goal. All three are minor stats that may not ultimately factor into whether or not a player is up to snuff to make the starting lineup night after night, but they show a player who knows his role and has relatively high confidence.
Reasonable Expectations
My expectation would be for Beecher to finish out this season on the fourth line, and perhaps truly solidify himself in that role. It can easily be taken away externally – like a trade that includes another depth forward coming Boston’s way, a top-six center that bumps him out of the lineup, or an injury (knock on wood) that ends his season. Internally, it would take a downward spiral in Beecher’s play.
But if Beecher keeps playing how he has been, I don’t see a reason for coach Jim Montgomery to take him out of the lineup. He’s helping the Bruins, even if it’s by a slim margin, and hasn’t done anything to hamper their success so far this season.
Beyond this season, I expect Beecher to slot into a third-line, two-way role. Becoming a top-six center would be going above and beyond – I wouldn’t write it off completely but, based on what we’ve seen at this point, it doesn’t seem entirely likely.
Beecher Comparisons
The easiest comparison for Beecher is probably right here in Boston: fellow 6-foot-3 first-round draft pick, Trent Frederic, has seen a similar path.
While Frederic may be a bit more of a firecracker, his stature and playing style seem to match that of Beecher’s. Frederic did have more success in the NCAA offensively, but the two seem to be on similar trajectories. Frederic scored just four goals and one assist in his 42-game first “full” look in the NHL back in the 2020-21 season. In the following campaign, he notched 18 points in 60 games and then 31 points in 79 games last season with 17 goals. He’s currently on pace for his first 20-goal season.
Solidifying His Spot
If he’s to play all 82 games this season, Beecher is on pace for 12 goals and 16 points in total. He’s got the attributes of a fourth-liner: he’s hitting, he’s fighting, he’s pitching in offensively and eating up minutes on the penalty kill. He has not played badly whatsoever, but with a number of factors marking him as a candidate for demotion if the Bruins do make an addition at center, he needs to turn things up a notch to truly take himself off the bubble.
But Beecher is proving to be an NHL-ready center – something the Bruins are certainly in need of.