BREAKING NEWS: Boston Bruins reassign former first-round pick
Boston Bruins forward John Beecher has returned to the AHL with the Providence Bruins after being reassigned on Sunday, according to CapFriendly.
The 22-year-old center/winger had primarily played in the NHL this season. He earned a spot on the opening-night roster and made his NHL debut over four years after being drafted by Boston with the 30th overall pick in 2019. Although he was sent to the minors for the first time this season on January 20, he was recalled on three separate emergency loans earlier this month and had been on the NHL roster since March 16 after being moved between leagues multiple times within a short period.
Beecher had participated in four consecutive games before being sidelined due to illness in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Flyers. During that time, he scored one goal on three shots, contributed an assist, and maintained a +1 rating, playing reliable bottom-six minutes with an average ice time of 12:28 per game.
It was anticipated that he wouldn’t remain on the active roster much longer, especially as an emergency recall. With winger James van Riemsdyk returning from illness against Philadelphia, the conditions that necessitated Beecher’s presence as the 12th healthy forward were no longer in place. To bring Beecher back up without any other roster absences, the Bruins would need to use one of their three standard recalls post-deadline.
Following an injury-ridden collegiate career at the University of Michigan and modest offensive output in the minors, it appears unlikely that the 6-foot-3 pivot will fulfill the expectations Boston had when they selected him in the first round. While his 54.7 faceoff percentage stands out, his performance in a fourth-line role hasn’t been overly encouraging, with just six goals and three assists in 43 games. He also holds the lowest even-strength Corsi For percentage (CF%) of any Bruins skater with at least 10 games played, along with the team’s lowest expected plus/minus rating of -6.3.
Beecher has shown some progress with Providence this season, tallying 4 goals, 4 assists, and a +9 rating in 17 games, compared to 9 goals, 14 assists, and a +9 rating in 61 games last year. Currently in the second year of his three-year, 70K salary at the minor-league level.
