Adam Beckman was so very close to making the Minnesota Wild out of training camp last season. He turned heads for a couple of weeks in the fall, and looked poised for a roster spot in the NHL before ultimately getting sent back down to the minors.
That was the beginning of the end for Beckman last season.
Though he made his NHL debut on Oct. 30, 2021 against the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, Beckman spent most of his time trying to make a mark with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League. He finished with 11 goals and 23 assists in 68 games.
“Sometimes the results didn’t come, and that was something that was a little bit hard,” Beckman said at Wild development camp last week. “You’re playing against men. It’s a different game than when I was younger. Just learning to work through those things and stay positive is a big thing I’m trying to work on and bring with me this season.”
If he’s able to do that, Beckman has a chance to make an impact this season.
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There is a roster spot up for grabs heading into training camp, and while top prospect Marco Rossi appears to be the favorite to win that competition, Beckman shouldn’t be overlooked. He has spent this offseason working to get stronger while also trying to improve his shot.
“I think I had over 200 shots or something like that last season and they didn’t find the back of the net too often,” Beckman said. “It’s a positive to be getting those looks. That said, I want to be able to finish, so I think that’s something I need to work on.”
Though it was frustrating for him not to bury those chances last season, Beckman took solace in the fact that he was getting so many good looks.
“That’s a positive,” he said. “If I’m in certain situations, I need to know where I’m going to put it. If I’m getting a shot, I need to be able to put it where I want, rather than just putting it on net. That’s something I’ve been working on. Just puck placement and trying to change the angle and stuff like that.”
As far as his experience at training camp last season, Beckman is using that as motivation moving forward.
“It gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “There were a lot of positives that I took away from it and I think a lot of that has helped me this summer. Just realized what I’ve got to work on and try to put myself in another position to try to make the team again.”
Asked about making his NHL debut last season, Beckman called it a dream come true. That’s another thing driving him heading into next season.
“It makes me realize how much I want to stay there,” he said. “Just getting an opportunity to play this game is a big privilege, and it’s really been motivating me this summer to put myself in a position to do that long term.”
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