It seems that one of the injured forwards for the New Jersey Devils, who began the season on injured reserve, is on the mend. The Devils announced that 23-year-old forward has been placed on waivers. He and Julien Gauthier from the New York Islanders were the only players added to waivers. The Devils plan for him to clear waivers so he can be reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
He did not take part in the Devils’ training camp or preseason due to a lower-body injury, which left him listed as day-to-day since September 20. His first appearance since then was on October 19, when he skated as a substitute for the sick Jesper Bratt during the morning skate. Bratt played later that evening against the Washington Capitals.
Now, Beckman will head to Utica unless one of the other 31 NHL teams claims him. The Devils obtained Beckman from the Minnesota Wild in a trade that sent Graeme Clarke in the opposite direction.
Beckman was picked in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, just five spots after Clarke. Both players were seen as potential NHL contributors, but they haven’t quite met expectations with their previous teams.
If Beckman clears waivers, he is expected to take on a top-six role with the Comets. Last season, he tallied 19 goals and 33 assists in 51 games with the Iowa Wild, where he also served as one of the team’s alternate captains. In the 2022-23 season, he had an even stronger performance, scoring 24 goals and accumulating 56 points in 53 AHL games.
Throughout his three seasons with the Wild, Beckman appeared in 23 NHL games, managing to register just one point during that time.
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