Once a staple on the Bruins fourth line, Johnny Beecher will get a fresh start in a new city, with Beecher claimed off waivers by the Flames.
Calgary had the best odds of nabbing Beecher, too, as they are currently the worst team in the NHL, giving them top priority on the waiver wire.
In his six-game run with Boston this season, Beecher scored one goal on six shots, and added four blocks and seven hits, while going 0-for-3 at the dot.
To keep it as simple as possible, the Bruins by all means chose Jeffrey Viel over Beecher. And that was a seemingly easy decision based on what Bruins head coach Marco Sturm saw out of Beecher this season.
“For me, as a new coach, I gave him a new opportunity and quite frankly I thought he would be a little bit better, more effective, and I thought he wasn’t,” Sturm said of the decision to waive Beecher. “And at some point, I think we have to make a decision to move forward, and I think that’s where we’re at.”
Sturm also cited Beecher’s effort and consistency as issues this season.
“I know it’s not easy being out of a lineup, but I have guys just waiting for this moment,” Sturm said. “And at the end of the day, it’s always up to the player. He had a new voice, new fresh set of eyes, I didn’t really care about his past. But it was up to him. That’s how I see it. For some reason, it didn’t work out.”
A first-round pick of the Bruins in 2019, Beecher totaled 11 goals and 22 points, along with 204 hits and a 53 percent success rate at the faceoff dot, in 136 games with the Bruins over the last three seasons.
The Flames’ claim on Beecher comes with Calgary having the ninth-worst penalty kill in hockey, and with Calgary ranking 21st in faceoffs.
Beecher is on a one-year, $900,000 contract for the 2025-26 season, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
From a Boston scope, with Beecher off the roster, the Bruins are now able to recall a defenseman from AHL Providence for the team’s four-game road trip that’ll include stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, and then Long Island.
The Bruins could recall Michael Callahan, who has already made three appearances for the Big B’s this season, while Victor Soderstrom and Billy Sweezey are among the right-shot options for the B’s.
