PIB’s Blackhawks Prospect Rankings #2 Kyle Beach

PIB Co-conspirator Christopher Ralph

This is the second article featuring top Blackhawk prospects. As described previously, profiles will be released in order of their ranking, with the Top 20 to be eventually released. The portal place to find Blackhawk prospect information here will through the Future Blackhawk page. 

Some fans might have been lead to believe the prospect cupboards were getting bare for the simple fact that all the young talent we have graduated in recent years to the NHL. Contrary to this belief, is the fact that there are plenty of Hawks prospects exuding tons of potential and having great years throughout various levels of hockey.

The #1 ranked prospect by Paint It Blackhawk is blueliner Dylan Olsen. 

Kyle Beach, 11^th overall 2008 1^st rounder, is tight behind Olsen as the second ranked prospect in the Hawks organization.  The 6’3, 210 lb emerging dominant power forward winger is posting fantastic numbers this season, now his fourth in the dub (WHL).

The Blackhawks, of course, signed left wing Kyle Beach, to a three-year entry level deal in May of this year.

Current Season Update:

While goalless in his last couple of games, Beach has notched an impressive 19 goals in 24 games. He has added 9 assists for 28 points, to go with a plus 9 rating and always the aggressor, has 78 penalty minutes.

Future Considerations aptly calls Beach “an enigma wrapped in a riddle and topped with a question mark.” They also noted in a November game against the Calgary Hitmen “His emotions get the best of him. It’s when he plays his most dangerous hockey – and sometimes best.

And here he was in Calgary tonight playing with the Spokane Chiefs, top five in the league in goals.

There wasn’t a skater on the ice that played and looked better than the Kelowna, BC. native. Beach scored the game’s first goal and had another waived off on a briefly delayed penalty to teammate and Team Canada hopeful Jared Cowen. Beach was aggressive on the puck. He was physical. He was dynamic. He created offensive opportunities.

Sounds good?

He was also undisciplined, taking two unnecessary penalties that shifted the momentum in the game in Calgary’s favour. He spent 10 minutes, split between the second and third periods, after receiving a 10-minute misconduct for playing without a mouthguard.”

Notes From Hawks 2009 Summer Prospect Camp:

Chris Kuc reported in talking with Beach:

“Mostly it’s going to be my skating that is the question mark,” said Beach, who will head to Boston after the Prospects Camp to work on his skating with Hawks skating coach Paul Vincent. “I’m taking big steps this summer to improve that.”

Second City Hockey was less than impressed with their summer viewing:

“Kyle Beach seemed disinterested at best. He was lackadaisical away from the puck, which directly caused a 2-on-1 goal against with only Beach himself back to defend. Additionally, he seemed content to leave drop passes all afternoon long as soon as he gained the offensive blue line, rather than using his alleged power and size on the outside to shield the puck and go hard to the net. And does he ever try to agitate. Subtle little elbows here, there, and everywhere, and the mouth is always yapping. That being said, he still had his chances around the net, and he fed Leblanc on a pretty 2-on-1 at the end of the first period with a faked slapshot that absolutely froze the goaltender.”

International Tournaments:

- Beach helped Team Canada finish fourth at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2007.

- As AM 1150 recently reported:

“Kyle Beach isn’t holding his breath on playing for Canada at this years world junior hockey championships.

[He] was not on the list of Western Hockey League players named to the roster for last month’s Subway Super Series against Team Russia.

“An incident that got blown out of proportion at the Under 18’s has me on the outside. I got into the Super Series last year and played really well, so I thought I would get a chance but didn’t even get an invite to camp. It’s disappointing, but hopefully I can play well over the next couple of weeks and maybe get an invite to the world junior camp.”

ETA = 1 year

(*Cap crunch next season will likely benefit Beach getting a shot next season, although a season in the AHL might serve him better.)

Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 4/5   Reward = 4.5/5

NHL Potential: 2-way physically dominant, agitating power forward (Top 6 forward)

Beach’s notorious reputation for attitude problems, immaturity and lack of discipline precedes him. However, this season Kyle seemingly is growing as a person and a player. The Pipline’s Guy Flaming talked to his head coach in Spokane, Hardy Sauter, who felt “he felt the criticisms directed at Beach early on in his WHL career were “fair” but again pointed out that the player has matured and there hasn’t been a problem with him whatsoever this year.” Flaming “also asked Mitch Wahl who confirmed that he and Beach have become friends. Wahl described Beach as a person and player who every team in the league (and their fans) might hate but all of them would love to have him on their roster… once they got to know him.”

Strengths: As THN sums it up: “Likes to rile up opponents, and is at his best when throwing them off their game. [Beach] boasts a lot of scoring upside. [He] is willing to go to the front of the net in order to score goals. [Kyle]can also drop the gloves.”

As NHL Central Scouting’s Blair MacDonald stated:

“Kyle Beach is one of the top forwards in this year’s draft and is probably the most competitive – from the blue line in there is no one that competes like him. He’s feisty, he’s got a reputation for being physical and agitating a little bit, but he definitely ranks in there as a power forward and is the power forward in this year’s draft. He has good scoring skills and a very accurate shot, and from the blue line in, once he gets the puck, he almost owns it.”

Flaws/Things To Work On: His agitating ways can occasionally go too far, which can negatively impact his team and lead to issues with teammates. He could use more work on his defensive play, his on-ice focus, as well as skating (which he addressed over this past summer).

Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 8.5/10   Defensive = 8/10

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Imagine some combination of: Claude Lemieux, David Backes, Alexandre Burrows, and David Clarkson.

Video(s):

2008 Prospect Profile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaLAykM5bTE&feature=fvw

Fight: http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/88703

Interesting Notes: (from NHL.com prospect profile)

• The one person he would invite to dinner is his favourite player, Calgary’s Jarome Iginla because he plays all roles, is a leader and is someone he looks up to.
• His second cousin is Oakland A’s pitcher Rich Harden.

Tags: Alexandre Burrows, Chicago Blackhawks, Claude Lemieux, David Backes, David Clarkson, dylan olsen, kyle beach, Milan Lucic