[News] Flames claim Beecher off waivers

[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.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Tomasino is on waivers today, I think he would be a much better pickup.

I would say I like Tomasino too, but it seems like a bad thing when so many players I like are going on waivers…

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Sandman

He’s huge, skates very well, and plays a rambunctious physical game. I expected more offense from him in his career, and I can’t defend those fancy stats, but he has a reasonable amount of skill and smarts. Maybe he needs a change.

He only has 6 shots this season, 5 of them from right in front of the net. I bet the first thing the coaches tell him is to shoot the puck from everywhere.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Calgary is currently in the first claim position right? This might be a guy who had a claim or two

I would wager he did.

[topfiverecords]

They were talking about Beecher on Kyper/Bourne/McKee yesterday and were hoping the Leafs put in a claim so I hope Treliving also wanted him.

[MolsonInBothHands]

Maybe Pospisil's recovery isn't progressing as well as hoped.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Hahahahahaha.

Maybe it will work out or not but I just laughed. We already have an excess of spare parts, what is another.

Exactly. Why not give Morton an extended look here in this role as he has a ways to grow with limited NHL use at this point. Beecher has already proven he has pretty much hit his ceiling and this is why the Bruins waived him.

[Royle9]

1. Kadri nothing imminent - So this has nothing to do with it
2. Gives Calgary a younger option for 4th line duty - Great F/O %
3. Plays fast/heavy - Both of which Calgary needs more of
4. Low cost
5. Toronto rumored to have a claim in as well - F.O Bradly!

Not much to complain about here,

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Royle9

1. Kadri nothing imminent - So this has nothing to do with it
2. Gives Calgary a younger option for 4th line duty - Great F/O %
3. Plays fast/heavy - Both of which Calgary needs more of
4. Low cost
5. Toronto rumored to have a claim in as well - F.O Bradly!

Not much to complain about here,

That's never stopped us before!

[devo22]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Tomasino is on waivers today, I think he would be a much better pickup.

I still wonder what happened there. Made the Preds roster as a 20 year old, spent the whole season in the NHL and put up a solid 32 points in 76 games. Decent start to his pro career, but it never really clicked for him afterwards. Thought he'd found a home in Pittsburgh last year, but nope.

[Bonded]

If Beecher is a serious impediment to a prospect advancing then they aren’t that good anyways.
Can we get an update from all the hand wringing about Soloyov? I haven’t looked but I’m guessing he hasn’t exploded into a top 4 role.

[Harry Lime]

As a 4th line center, he's high end, as a third line center he's low end. He joins lomberg, kadri, and backlund as the only forwards on the flames with a well defined role. This probably puts an end to brining in players to shoehorn into a checking role, when they are horrible checkers.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Bonded

If Beecher is a serious impediment to a prospect advancing then they aren’t that good anyways.
Can we get an update from all the hand wringing about Soloyov? I haven’t looked but I’m guessing he hasn’t exploded into a top 4 role.

9 games, 0 points, -4. Only averaging about 10 minutes the last 4 games.

[MrMike]

Kirkland center replacement on the fourth line really

[Sandman]

With the amount of defensive zone starts he was being given in Boston, I don’t think we can accurately say what Beecher is going to be for us yet. Let’s see what he can do.

[Caged Great]

The Flames have a lack of center options in the organization. If Beecher figures out how to be an effective two way player, that's basically found money.

Size and speed with a guy who can win faceoffs, sure why not.

Worst case is he's just another guy who sticks for a bit while the team tears down and move on when better options come available.

Free is always a good price.

Wouldn't mind taking a flier on Tomasino too. Why not.

[FanIn80]

Win-now mode is still a go!

[Sample00]

Are the Flames able to make two consecutive waiver claims?


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[bubbsy]

Meh, don’t mind trying another C I guess…. I don’t see why they don’t just give Zary a top 9 C spot in a lost season to see how he can progress.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Does this help or hurt Mission: McKenna?

Hurts if he wins more faceoffs than the alternatives.