Des Moines — With this being Adam Beckman’s third pro season in Iowa, he’s well past the adjustment phase from the WHL to the AHL and so at this stage of his career, his focus is to keep building on the previous season.
For Beckman, who is still young in his age-22 season, the goal is to look back at the end of the season and see that he’s “developed in all areas,” he said.
“Consistency is the biggest thing,” Beckman told The Hockey News Friday, “just trying to be a good player every single night — and try to make an imprint on the game.”
Beckman, the Minnesota Wild’s 2019 third-round pick, has seen his numbers rise since his rookie season: 11 goals and 34 points in 68 games in 2021-22 (.50 point-per-game rate), 24 goals and 36 points in 53 games (.68 PPG rate) last year and a 24-goal, 48-point pace so far.
“He's just become a really good all-around player,” Iowa Wild head coach Brett McLean said, “and that's what we want to challenge him to continue to do (while) obviously still being a real good offensive weapon for us.”
There’s one more thing they wanted from him.
“We wanted him to take a step in a leadership role,” McLean said.
And that’s what happened as Iowa named Beckman — who had an ‘A’ with the Spokane Chiefs during the 2020-21 campaign — an assistant captain with Steven Fogarty and Nic Petan this season.
“Anytime you get recognized for that, it's an awesome thing,” Beckman said. “You want to try and be a leader, obviously, to be kind of a leader of this group…and so it means a lot.”
Jake Lucchini, acquired in free agency this summer, has been linemates with Beckman so far this season and remembers the first time he met him.
“He’s a funny guy,” Lucchini said. “The first time I met him, just kind of, he’s all jolly, and it’s like we’ve known each other for our whole lives.”
Added rookie defenseman Carson Lambos: “He definitely can brighten the mood on the bad days…(and) he really has made me feel comfortable.”
Beckman has five goals and 10 points in 15 games and has scored some important goals, McLean said, like Saturday night’s extra-attacker marker on a one-timer inside the final two minutes, which forced overtime against the Rockford IceHogs.
Lucchini has noticed Beckman’s scoring ability, his speed and his energy — the latter, he said, is especially something he enjoys having on their line.
The 28-year-old veteran forward also has seen Beckman's impact off the ice as a leader already in his short time in Iowa.
“He’s taking that leadership role really well,” Lucchini said, “and he’s one of those guys that other guys kind of gravitate to just kind of his energy, his attitude and just kind of how he goes about his day to day life and how he approaches it.”
All data via AHL.com