The Saguenéens starter has been excellent in the playoffs, and now signs his ELC.
Lucas Beckman has lost just one game, regular season and playoffs combined, since being traded to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the holiday trade period.
Now, he's signed his entry-level NHL contract with the Ottawa Senators as his QMJHL team gets set to start the third round of the playoffs on Thursday.
Beckman, 18, had a 17-15-3 record, .917 save percentage and 2.60 goals-against average in 38 combined regular season games between Chicoutimi and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar this season.
Lucas Beckman with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. (Photo: Jonathan Roy)While these base stats look pretty good from the surface, it can really be called a tale of two seasons for the Montreal native.
He started the season on a league-worst Drakkar team, where he was the lone bright spot and almost the only reason they won the games they did.
Then, after being dealt to a loaded Sags team, his numbers have absolutely flourished. In 23 combined regular season and playoff games for Chicoutimi, Beckman has a 22-1 record.
His save percentage was at .940 with Chicoutimi in the regular season, and has somehow improved in the playoffs, sitting at a .962 after the first two rounds.
He's an excellent goaltender playing behind one of, if not the best team in the entire CHL. There's a good reason why this Saguenéens group could be considered Memorial Cup favourites, and Beckman is just the icing on the cake.
Now, he gets rewarded with an ELC with the team that drafted him 97th overall in last summer's NHL draft.
The next steps for Beckman should be having another outstanding QMJHL season at 19, and pushing to make Canada's world juniors team in 2027 before ascending to the professional ranks in the Senators organization.
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