Does Adam Beckman have a shot to make Minnesota Wild roster?

Adam Beckman has little reservation to put the puck on net.

The 20-year-old forward has showed that in the past as he scored 97 goals in 152 games over three seasons with Spokane of the Western Hockey League, beginning in 2018.

Will that aggressiveness lead him to having a shot in making the NHL roster now? He is one of the prospects that will be in the Minnesota Wild’s training camp that opens Thursday at the TRIA Rink in St. Paul.

It might be difficult in a crowded field of forwards with the Wild but he might be an interesting call-up to the squad at some point in the season.

At the very least, he has at least one fan of his game.

“I personally I love it,” Wild general manager Bill Guerin said in a media availability session on Sunday afternoon. “The kids are so skilled nowadays that they want to pass the puck into the back of the net. We pass up so many great opportunities to shoot that,  hey, you know what.  if you have one guy that loves to be the trigger man, that’s fantastic.”

“I really like his game,” Guerin said. “His skating is good and his competitive level is really good. If he’s playing with two guys who like to pass the puck, (shooting is) a good mentality to have .”

Beckman did not score in either of the Wild’s two scrimmages with the Chicago Blackhawks during the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, but that is far from the norm. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native had 44 goals in 41 games with the Battleford Stars, an U18 AAA program, in the 2017-18 season.

“Yeah, I obviously like to shoot the puck. That’s something that I spend a lot of time working on,” Beckman said during a media availability session on Sunday. “I think in games like (the scrimmages) where it’s a little bit sloppy (play) and it’s a little different hockey than you’re used to because there’s not that chemistry, it’s important that you try and shoot the puck. It opens things up.”

A left winger, Beckman was selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (75th overall). He spent nine games with the Iowa Wild last season in which he totaled three goals and five points.

What did he gain from that brief experience?

“Just the pace of play,” Beckman said. “I think just how quick it is and how little time you have to make plays.  I think one of the biggest things for me is just to try to continue to create space for myself. Try to make some simple plays and try not to overcomplicate it.”

And his feelings heading into training camp?

“I just want to prove I can play in the NHL,” Beckman said. “That’s everybody’s goal here and it’s definitely my goal. I think if I continue to progress and be confident that I can hopefully put myself in a good position to have a chance.”