Johnny Beecher Gives Blunt, Realistic Take On His One-Year Deal With Bruins

Johnny Beecher has shown plenty of flashes of the player the Boston Bruins envisioned him becoming when they used a first-round pick on him in the 2019 NHL Draft.

He knows it’s not incumbent on him to be more consistent in that as his career reaches an inflection point of sorts.

Beecher is back with the Bruins this season after signing a one-year, $900,000 deal as a restricted free agent in the offseason. He became an NHL regular this past season, scoring three goals and eight assists across 78 games.

The 24-year-old was never expected to be a prolific scorer, rather a speedy playmaker who is difficult to play against defensively.

There is always room on an NHL bottom six for players who can do that effectively night in, night out. Beecher told The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont he wants to become that for the Bruins.

“At the end of the day, it’s a go-out-and-earn-it deal,” Beecher said of his contract.

“I’ve got a season in front of me, I’ve got to go and prove that I belong, not only in the NHL but on the Boston Bruins,” he added. “I’m really excited for it, it’s a fresh start.”

It’s good perspective for a player who still has room to reach his ceiling, and the opportunity for him really couldn’t be better. The retooling Bruins have plenty of jobs up for grabs, and that openness lends itself to opportunities for players of Beecher’s ilk to step up.

That Beecher has plenty of motivation is an encouraging sign for a Bruins team that would love to see some big jumps from their homegrown talent in 2025-26.