In the first move of the offseason for the Minnesota Wild organization, GM Bill Guerin announced that they had traded the signing rights to UFA forward Adam Beckman in a one-for-one trade with the New Jersey Devils. The Wild are receiving the signing rights to forward Graeme Clarke in return. Both skaters are prospects who have floundered a bit in their AHL careers and a fresh start may be what they need to find their footing.
Clarke is 23 years old and played for the Utica Comets last year. He played 67 games with Utica and totaled 49 points (25 goals and 24 assists). He also played 3 games with the New Jersey Devils last season, but didn’t put up any points. Originally from Waconia, Minnesota, Clarke was chosen 80th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Devils.
Beckman is also 23 years old and played for the Iowa Wild in the AHL last season. He played 51 games while scoring 33 points (19 goals and 14 assists). From 2021-24, Beckman played in 23 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild. He put up 3 assists during his time in Minnesota. Beckman was picked 75th overall by the Minnesota Wild during the 2019 NHL Draft.
Beckman was a beloved part of the Wild association, but a fresh start may help him get back to the goal scorer that he was drafted to be. He dazzled during his first post-draft year while playing for the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL, scoring 107 points (48 goals and 59 assists) in just 63 games. Since then, Beckman has struggled to find the same kind of scoring as a higher level, but still has plenty of potential left to tap.
Clarke may not find a spot in Minnesota due to the tight salary cap, but he may be given a chance sometime down the line. He could, however, bring some renewed offense to the Iowa Wild, which struggled last season as their team was decimated by injuries and NHL call-ups.
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