[united]

Wow, I see on Natural Stattrick that Beecher has a career offensive zone start percentage of 14.5 (!). There is being deployed defensively, then there is getting buried defensively, then there is whatever the Bruins have been doing to Beecher. Quite odd deployment for a prospect, that is for sure.

For context, over the past 10 seasons, here is the list of centres with less favourable starting environments - again courtesy of Natural Stattrick:
- 2015-16 Paul Gaustad
- 2022-23 Tomas Nosek
- 2022-23 Nic Dowd
- 2023-24 Nic Dowd
- 2023-24 Noel Acciari
- 2023-24 Jeff Carter (split time on wing)
- 2024-25 Nic Dowd

Now, I don't think Beecher is a hidden gem about to explode or anything...but it's a free look at a player who might be able to impress with even slightly better circumstances. The Flames likely see him as a potential poor man's Adam Lowry.

I do think zone starts are generally overrated, however they also are not linear in their impacts and these edge cases are hard to reconcile as it relates to other play-driving metrics.