Devils News
Devils Trade AHL Leading Goal-Scorer to Minnesota Wild
New Jersey Devils right wing Graeme Clarke (92) controls the puck against the Boston Bruins in the first period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The New Jersey Devils announced on Friday that they’ve traded their AHL leading goal scorer, Graeme Clarke, to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Adam Beckman. The Devils trade was announced by General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Assistant GM/Utica Comets GM Dan Mackinnon.
The Devils drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, 80th overall.
Clarke played three games for the Devils in his tenure with the New Jersey organization. He has been the Utica Comets’ leading goal scorer in back-to-back seasons, leading the team with 25 goals each year.
In 218 AHL games playing for the Comets/Binghamton Devils, Clarke has scored 68 goals and 81 assists, a total of 149 points while in New Jersey’s organization.
In exchange for Clarke, the Devils receive Beckman, a 23-year-old forward who can play both the wing and center.
Beckman was drafted in the third round, 75th overall of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Wild. According to EliteProspects, “Beckman has an excellent release and great sense for when to use it, beating goalies with consistency from the slot and from the circles.
“He shows hockey smarts as indicated by his positioning and play reading.”
The press release states, “Beckman, 23, has played in 23 career NHL games and made his NHL debut with the Wild on October 30, 2021, at Colorado. The 6’2”, 180lbs. forward recorded his first NHL point, an assist, on November 6, 2021, at Pittsburgh. Beckman has three career assists and 14 career penalty minutes, all with Minnesota. He played in 11 games with the Wild last season, a career-high, tallying two assists. The 11 games all came in Minnesota’s last 20 contests of the 2023-24 season.
“Beckman scored 33 points (19g-14a) last season for Iowa of the American Hockey League, leading the team in goals, and finishing fourth on the club in points. The left handed shot played in parts of four seasons with Iowa at the AHL level, from 2020-21 to 2023-24, and totaled 108 points (57g-51a) in 181 regular-season contests. He also appeared in two games during the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2023, scoring one goal.”
The Devils trade feels like a change in scenery -type trade for each prospect.
For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now and like our Facebook page.
Follow us on 𝕏:
@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL, @NickNatale10
And on Threads:
