Kyle Beach: The Next Blackhawks' Rookie Stud?

The Chicago Blackhawks have had a terrific run of excellent draft classes and saw it translate into the best season at the United Center in 15 years.

For his efforts in the 2008-2009 season, Kris Versteeg was honored by being selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team, and ended up third in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year.

This comes on the heels of the Blackhawks jump starting the franchise in consecutive drafts, and then bringing their top picks from 2006 (now-captain) Jonathan Toews and 2007's top overall pick Patrick Kane to Chicago in the 2007-2008 season.

Kane would win the Calder Trophy in 2008.

Among the other studs the Blackhawks have added through the draft are:

• 2002 - Duncan Keith (2nd round), Adam Burish (9th)
• 2003 - Brent Seabrook (1st), Dustin Byfuglien (8th)
• 2004 - Cam Barker (1st), Dave Bolland (2nd)

With the young nucleus playing well together, and with some roster spots likely to open up in the coming two summers, who is the next rookie Blackhawk to burst onto the scene?

How about Kyle Beach.

Entering the 2008 draft, Beach was a bit of an enigma; some compared his game to that of the great big forwards of the past 20 years, while other scouts saw a kid with a lot of issues and a questionable sense of humor. Most agreed that he had top-ten talent and a mid-to late-first round brain.

When he fell to the Blackhawks with the 11th pick, many scouts were intrigued. On a young roster full of so many skill players, adding a kid with such a high ceiling seemed like a worthy gamble.

Beach, who won't turn 20 until next April, is a big kid at six feet three inches tall and over 200 pounds. One part of his game that hasn't been questioned is his ability to put the puck in the net, and he continued to impress this past season. He had 63 points (24 G, 39 A) in 54 regular-season games between the Everett Silvertips and Lethbridge Hurricanes.

His temper didn't disappear, though; he ranked fourth in the WHL with 165 penalty minutes.

In the Blackhawks locker room, Ben Eager and Burish are usually the guys that mix it up. Eager showed some good skills moving the puck up the ice as the last season moved along, and Burish is a fan favorite for his leadership and scrappy play. But neither projects to be a point-per-game threat in the offensive end.

Beach could, however. Putting his offense into the context of serving nearly two penalties per game, Beach could move on to bigger and better things if he can avoid the box.

The Blackhawks are looking at a summer with Marty Havlat and Samuel Pahlsson as unrestricted free agents, potentially opening up a spot for a forward in Chicago. The problem with potentially losing Havlat is the offensive production he brought to the team last year. This puts an unwritten requirement of offensive production on the man filling that spot on the roster.

There are other names in the system that are likely ready to come to Chicago, such as Jack Skille and Tim Brent, but Beach might be a sleeper to jump into the mix and be the next stud youngster on the Blackhawks' roster.