Checking in with: Adam Beckman

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- A little more than one year ago, Adam Beckman looked poised to earn a spot on the Minnesota Wild roster. A successful September training camp with NHL counterparts, then 20-year-old Beckman was turning heads and garnering plenty of attention from the organization and fans alike.
But, to the surprise of many, Beckman began the 2021-22 season down I-35 with the Iowa Wild as one of the team's final cuts. He was recalled for three NHL games (Oct. 30, Nov. 2 and Nov. 6 -- recording his first NHL assist) but ultimately spent the year refining his game and playing against men in the American Hockey League.

"I think the training camp was a big positive for me," Beckman said at this year's development camp. "I think it gave me a lot of confidence going into the beginning of the year. The year was a little bit up and down. 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 realize what I've got to work on and try to put myself in another position to try to make the team again."
The Saskatoon native, drafted by the Wild in the third round (75th overall) in the 2019 entry draft, tallied 11 goals and 23 assists through 68 regular season games. He tacked on another five points (three goals and two assists) through nine playoff games.
Those numbers were lower than what Beckman had been accustomed to as the top scorer in the Western Hockey League just two seasons prior. In 2019-20 he led the Spokane Chiefs with 48 goals, and finished second in goals in the WHL in 2020-21 with 17 goals in 21 games played in the COVID-19 shortened season.
The 6-foot-1 forward went from finding the back of the net regularly to finding it just 5.4% of the time with Iowa (203 shots).
"You want to be getting those looks. That's a positive. If I'm getting those looks I've got to find a way to bury it," Beckman said looking back on his first year as a pro. "Talking with the coaches and stuff just continue to work on my shots and if I'm in certain situations just know where I'm going to put it. Maybe if I'm getting that shot I can put it maybe where I want it 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.
"I think sometimes the results didn't come and that was something that was a little bit hard. It's an up and down season. 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. I think I had over 200 shots or something like that, and they didn't find the back of the net too often. It's a positive to be getting those looks. At the same time I want to be able to finish so I think that's something that I need to change and work on my shot a little bit more."
It's that reflection that the organization wants players to see. Development camp is not only a way for Beckman to improve, but a chance for him to see how far he truly came in his game following last year.
"It's great for a guy like Becky to come back and really recognize how much better he's gotten," Wild director of player development Brad Bombardir said. "Because sometimes you kind of lose that as a as a first-year kid in the American Hockey League. It's tough. It's a tough league. And you know, he was Canadian Player of the Year and he piled up the points in junior hockey, you come down and you play the American Hockey League. It's a totally different game, and it's a tough game for these guys. And, and there it is a roller coaster of a season for him.
"But I think it's great for him to come back and see how he measures up against these guys (at development camp) and recognize really the step he actually did make because you kind of get lost in that step because you're playing in the American Hockey League gets really good players. And sometimes you kind of forget and then all sudden you skate with these guys. And you feel as if you can see like, oh my gosh, I got a lot better.
"I think it's good for him to leave camp here and feel confident about himself and so when he shows up in September, he's ready to go and it feels good about his game."
Beckman said there will be no lack of confidence heading into training camp this fall. He's that close, and he's going to make sure his name remains in the conversation as highly as it was last year.
"Preseason is one thing, but to get the opportunity to play in the NHL was a dream come true," he said. "It kind of makes me realize how much I want it and how much I want to stay there. Just getting an opportunity to play this game is a big privilege and it's really motivating me this summer to put myself in a position to do that long term."