WILD WEDNESDAY - Youthful Chances
When Will They Get Their Chance?
Adam Beckman, 22, thought he was finally getting a chance to play with the Wild this season when he was recalled from Iowa on Monday, Feb. 5. Instead, he found himself sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch in last Wednesday’s game against Chicago. He was recalled after Pat Maroon was placed on the IR from undergoing back surgery and Bill Guerin insisted this was Beckman’s chance to play, but it was not going to be that night.
Beckman was reassigned to Iowa before the Penguins game Friday but was called back up two days later to - you guessed it - be a healthy scratch again. He was recalled because Marcus Foligno sustained a lower-body injury during Friday night’s game, but Connor Dewar was activated from the IR in time for the game against Vegas, leaving no spot for Beckman in the lineup. Foligno replaced Dewar on the IR to keep cap space available and may return as early as Saturday, which would probably send Beckman back to Iowa.
So, why call him up in the first place? That question is still unanswered, but it must just be the simple answer of Guerin changing his mind. Now, the Wild are on a three-game winning streak and Guerin and John Hynes seem persistent on not making any changes to the lineup until they deem it necessary, which also leaves defenseman Declan Chisholm out of the lineup.
“Some of it might be based on performance,” Hynes said. “If guys play really well, we’re not going to yank a guy out to put him in... We’ll have to let it play out here a little bit.”
Jon Merrill and Dakota Mermis, the two defensemen Chisholm would likely replace, have played solidly the last three games earning their spot on the roster.
So, unless there are any injuries or major mistakes from Merrill or Mermis that fuel a Wild loss, Chisholm will likely remain the extra defenseman until then - the same issue he faced in Winnipeg. The same probably goes for Beckman with Guerin and Hynes’ idea of continuing with what is currently working, but Guerin originally did say this is Beckman’s chance, so time will tell. If Foligno misses more than two games, that increases the chance Beckman gets to fight for the last spot on the team.
Bold Boldy
Matt Boldy was in no doubt the best player on the ice against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights. He tallied a goal and two assists with seven shots on goal. He also recorded a goal and an assist with five shots in the previous game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This proves that when Boldy is zoned in, he can be one of the most valuable players.
However, many people scrutinize Boldy’s play since he can go from having a multi-point game to being almost nonexistent in the next. Boldy had a slow start to the season under coach Dean Evason but has recently seemed to pick up where he left off last season where he recorded 31 goals and 32 assists. This season, he has 18 goals, 20 assists in 45 games with six of those points being in the last five games. While Boldy undoubtedly underperforms in some games like he did in Chicago, the same be said for every NHL player.
Many people forget that Boldy is only 22 years old, so he is still developing as a player and should be praised for how he has performed in his career so far. Hopefully, the last two games for Boldy serve as a reminder of how good he can be.
Onto Arizona
Tonight, the Wild face the struggling Coyotes who are on a six-game losing streak. There are no changes to the lineup from the last game except for Marc-André Fleury back in net. Two huge points on the line tonight for the Wild as they try to get within three points of a Wild Card spot.
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