Chris Beckford-Tseu

Does anyone know why he hasn't even played a game with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL yet? I thought he was looking like a pretty good prospect during training camp.

Does anyone know why he hasn't even played a game with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL yet? I thought he was looking like a pretty good prospect during training camp.

Just traded to Kingston.

http://www.oshawagenerals.com

This is one of the reasons why I don't like the stats package that the OHL uses. Beckford-Tseu's stats with Oshawa are now gone, and they don't appear with Kingston yet.

So much for being able to save every prospect's stats on a monthly basis and see how they're progressing... Grrrrr...

PB

Beckford-Tseu was getting outplayed by a rookie...

Ryan Gibb ran Beckford-Tseu out of town. Gibb went 3-0 in the regular season when Tseu was at training camp then when Chris came back he won one game and was pulled twice. This could be because the Generals played him too much last year but Beckford-Tseu is a playoff goalie and the Generals dont exactly have a great defense or a great offense but Kingston has something to play for this season and thats a new arena. They had a game rained out because there was a hole in the arenas roof. I think you'll see Beckford-Tseu's numbers go up but its a shame he got run out of Oshawa by an OHL undrafted rookie.

From what you have seen from him with the Blues this season, would you say that he has what it takes to become a successful defenseman in the NHL?

Could he become a top 4 defenseman, #5,#6 - defenseman?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

From what you have seen from him with the Blues this season, would you say that he has what it takes to become a successful defenseman in the NHL?

Could he become a top 4 defenseman, #5,#6 - defenseman?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

Definatley a top 4. He is almost there. I can see him being sent down still ye tthis season. But Im pretty sure he will be up permanantly next season.

His improvement from last year to this year is staggering, last year I couldnt give a **** what happened to him. Now he looks like he is well on his way to being a very solid top 4 guy.

thanks guys, that is definitely nice to hear.

From what you have seen from him with the Blues this season, would you say that he has what it takes to become a successful defenseman in the NHL?

Could he become a top 4 defenseman, #5,#6 - defenseman?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
His stock in St Louis has soared since playing well to fill in injuries. They really like his instincts so far and his play. The AHL reports on him last season was less than stellar, seems like a big move forward now though. A lot of people think he's almost ready but others have a legitimate point that he has not seemed to play as they hoped when he crossed the pond but perhaps he's changed that. To me its NHL play that matters most and if he plays his cards right, he'll get his chance to stick. Especially with all the injuries we have been getting.

I've thought that his play has been much better than several of the other Blues defensemen, namely Khavanov. It's a shame that Backman doesn't have to clear waivers to be sent back down, because that should not be the reason for the demotion. It should be based on play, something he's done quite well.

Backman looked slow in training camp - a step behind the play, not real solid. I figured he'd need at least another year in the AHL to develop. His play with the Blues has been surprisingly good given his training camp play.

He made a nice play against LA rushing the puck into the offensive zone to help set up the first goal.

He made a nice play against LA rushing the puck into the offensive zone to help set up the first goal.

It was a great play. He impresses me more every game I see him play. Hopefully we'll keep him up from here on out, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

It was a great play. He impresses me more every game I see him play. Hopefully we'll keep him up from here on out, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
Is it me or do some athletes sometimes just show up when they are not the pros, especially in a sport with so many intangibles. I've seen players who were downright awful despite having the talent as amateurs or lower levels. The when it comes to the bright lights its show time. Does anyone think that maybe this is happening with Backman. I heard the reports that basically painted him as not adjusting well and not really impressing people. Now people are amazed by his improving mental game and his quicker adjustment. DO you thing a renewed focus has something to do with it.

Christian Bäckman is getting a lot of ice-time and is seeming to do well. How does he play? I have just seen him once this season, and in Sweden they almost just broadcast the Ontario Battle. When he was in Sweden he mostly was in the third pairing playing a simple game. Nice to see he is doing so well!

He is on the 2nd pairing and has played as a number 2 a few times this season. After his poor showing in camp, everyone pretty much wrote him off, but when they called him up due to injuries, he blew all of us fans away.

He is a solid top 3 d man and will only get better. He moves the puck well and is somewhat physical. He makes the smart play. In Dec and Jan, when he was 1st getting PP time, his shot release was slow and he got blocked on more then a few occassions, that has changed. He usually gets it on net, but not w/ MacInnis power.

He has more upside, IMO, then Jackman, but doesn't have his presence on the ice.

Seems St Louis have a good tandem on defense in Bäckman and Jackman for the future. Any chance we will see the paired with each other?

Backman was really good in the playoffs too, at least offensively. He started to show us his offensive upside in a couple of the games, which is a little different from outlet passers/pp qb's like Pronger(not that he's a bad passer). Backman knows when to step up into the slot for a big shot and even takes the puck there himself sometimes.

Seems St Louis have a good tandem on defense in Bäckman and Jackman for the future. Any chance we will see the paired with each other?

Possibly on the power play at some point in the future, but I'd expect to see Jackman paired up with Pronger, and Backman with the 25-28 year old stay-at-home defenseman the Blues will sign or trade for in the off-season.

PrussianBlue

what i like most about backman is how he can just take the puck and carry it by himself into the offensive zone.. brushes sticks off him and just goes..

he is becoming one of my favorite players.

Christian has been invited to Team Sweden for this years World Championships. :)

Possibly on the power play at some point in the future, but I'd expect to see Jackman paired up with Pronger, and Backman with the 25-28 year old stay-at-home defenseman the Blues will sign or trade for in the off-season.

PrussianBlue

PB, personally I would like a Salvador-Pronger, Jackman-???(Weinrich if he's around), and Backman-New addition. I think Jackman would benefit from being the main guy of a defensive pairing, and I think Salvador is good enough to handle the lines Pronger will be matched up against. It spreads out the defensive well, and makes it hard to completely dominate our blueliners.

This guy used to be my best friend... lost contact with him for years... then went to his signing party this summer...

Haven't spoke with him since. lol.

So... is he playing in the ECHL this year? I assume he'll be the starter, right?

Should be.

Probably would have been in AHL this year if not for trade for Cash.

Feature on Beckford-Tseu in today's Peoria Journal Star Rivermen guide IceTime (http://www.pjstar.com/sports/ssections/2004/icetime/).

Goalie prospect will follow suit
Beckford-Tseu has all the tools to reach next level
(http://www.pjstar.com/stories/102104/RIV_B4GGOR7S.NW1.shtml)

Disappointing start to the season for Beckford-Tseu, I imagine. From Rivermen pick up prime-time player (http://www.pjstar.com/stories/102104/RIV_B4GHL4QD.077.shtml):

Peoria placed rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu (ankle sprain) on injured reserve.
We're looking forward to seeing him in goal in Peoria when he's healthy.

Beckford-Tseu earned his first professional win for the Rivermen last night.
From the Peoria Journal Star (http://www.pjstar.com/stories/110704/RIV_B4LCGLLP.077.shtml):
Peoria rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu made a highlight-reel save on Nowak at 5:55, doing the splits as he thrust out his glove to snatch a bullet from between the circles ticketed for the lower right corner.

That wasn't his only highlight save. This kid is incredibly quick.

We've seen some good men in goal in Peoria, but B-T is looking outstanding.

He looked good at camp 2 years ago, he might not ever get a shot though with the Blues though.

Apparently Chris Beckford-Tseu is being called up to take Sanford's place on the roster. No idea on Sanford's injury - once someone gives details, I'll get 'em posted.

Beckford-Tseu has been playing with Alaska of the ECHL, where he was 9-0-1 with a 1.66 GAA and .936 save percentage to go with 1 shutout (not counting last night's game, in which he played and the Aces lost 5-4 in OT). He's been named the ECHL goalie of the week at least twice and was the October ECHL goalie of the month.

They wouldn't keep things this way,if Sanford is out a while,would they?It's just because of waivers or...no time to get Divis back here?

Both Divis and Lalime would have to clear recall waivers, and apparently management thinks there's a chance someone would claim one of them and stick the Blues with half their remaining salary.

I've got thoughts on this - I'll post shortly.

Err... this is my n00b post. Be easy on me...

We'll miss Beckford-Tseu here an Alaska, regardless of how long he's gone. He's been an absolute wall for us. I hope to see him get some playing time for you in StL. But please, send him back to us soon. We're in a tight race for the lead in our division.

Err... this is my n00n post. Be easy on me...

We'll miss Beckford-Tseu here an Alaska, regardless of how long he's gone. He's been an absolute wall for us. I hope to see him get some playing time for you in StL. But please, send him back to us soon. We're in a tight race for the lead in our division.
Apparently the Blues are recalling Divis, but he has to clear waivers to get to St. Louis and that takes 24 hours. The Blues didn't have 24 hours for him to clear, so Chris had to be called up.

If/when Divis clears, Chris will get sent back down - but it's unclear if he'll go back to Alaska or if he'll go to Peoria.

And yes - I saw that at 17-3-3, the fact that you guys are in a hell of a fight for 1st in the division is kind of scary, especially considering the 3rd place team is just 5 points back with a game in hand.

Well, we're luck to have 2 legitimate #1's, but we'd prefer to keep them both.

Yes, we're greedy!

The faster we get Beckford-Tseu out of a Blues uniform, the less of a chance there is that he suffers a big injury... :shakehead

Anyways, Beckford-Tseu appears to be dominating over at Alaska. If he doesn't go this year, I'd like to see him with the Rivermen. Having Divis and Lalime there seems like waste in the long run. Hopefully, we can move one of them out soon (although Lalime will be gone for sure since he's an UFA this summer).

I'd like to see the Rivermen pick a goalie and give him the majority of the starts instead of splitting the starts 50/50 like they've done for a while now.

I'd like to see the Rivermen pick a goalie and give him the majority of the starts instead of splitting the starts 50/50 like they've done for a while now.


I'd assume in the short term, that Lalime would get the majority of the action. Having him sit for a number of games would be pretty counter-productive in all scenarios (recall, trade, etc.).

Beckford-Tseu and Underhill have been splitting games 50/50 so far, and it seems to be great for both of them. I wouldn't normally be in favor of that type of situation in net, but Payne obviously knows what he's doing.

Beckford-Tseu and Underhill have been splitting games 50/50 so far, and it seems to be great for both of them. I wouldn't normally be in favor of that type of situation in net, but Payne obviously knows what he's doing.
Since you seem to have a handle on what's going on with the Aces, is Justin Maiser just that pathetic now or is he just stuck on the 3rd and 4th lines and not being given a chance to produce? Considering THN ranked him about 59th the year he was drafted and the Blues took him at #165, it's really disappointing to think he's gone that far backwards since.

For the most part, he's failed to impress. He'll have a flash of something everyone once in a while, but he's been unable to string it together. I thought he looked pretty solid in camp, so I'm not sure what happened to him.

On a side note, Peoria and StL should be taking a good look at Chris Minard. Everyone outside of Alaska last season seemed to think he was only as good as the guy feeding him the pucks (Gomez). But this season, without his NHL buddy sending those passes his way, he's managed 26 points in 23 games with a +19. I'd hate to lose Minny, but he's earning a shot.

Does Barrett Heisten look like someone who should clearly be playing at the next level?

He does, but I don't know how easy a time he'll have finding a team willing to use a vet spot on him. He's a 3rd liner, probably. Always hustles though... wheels are always moving. He's a pretty tough kid, too.

Good story about the Heisten brothers (http://www.nhl.com/features/echl/echl121605.html)

Hey TIO, stick around would ya, we need an Alaskan source here :handclap:

According to tonight's radio broadcasst in Anchorage, Beckford-Tseu is on his way to StL. Has there been any word yet on the extent of Bacashihua's injury? We're guessing CBT will miss this week's ECHL All Star Game. Small price to pay for a chance to play at this level. He's been playing very well... it would be nice to see how he would respond should he be lucky enough to play.

Bacashihua may go on IR today - the team is apparently awaiting the results of the MRI on his shoulder. Either way, they don't expect him to be available to play on Monday, so the team needs a backup. If they wanted to bring up Lalime or Divis, either would have to clear waivers; since it's the weekend, that would take 48 hours instead of 24. The team doesn't have 48 hours to wait and see if either clears, so Beckford-Tseu has to come up.

CBT will be up as strictly a backup until either Divis or Lalime (whichever one the team wants to bring back up) clears, at which point CBT will likely go to Peoria. We'll probably know more later today once the MRI results are back on Cash.

One has to wonder if the Blackhawks wouldn't place a claim on either of the two AHL goalies, as Munro and Crawford probably can't shoulder the load until Khabibulin returns in 6 weeks.

One has to wonder if the Blackhawks wouldn't place a claim on either of the two AHL goalies, as Munro and Crawford probably can't shoulder the load until Khabibulin returns in 6 weeks.
You'll get a shot - one of them will get recalled shortly. And if you claim either one, IMO good for you - saves us some money in the process.

now you guys know him better than i do so tell me. is he an offensive or defensive d-man. also what kind of pts CAN he put up. will he be there no 1 d-man. will he get 1st line pp. what can you tell me about this guy.

Backman is definitely more of an offensive defenseman. His weakness is really in the corners, and he could stand to add more strength to deal with forecheckers. That said, the guy is pretty smart (IMO) when it comes to getting good outlet passes out of the zone. He can usually get to the puck and relay it to an open winger in flight pretty easily. Sometimes he gets caught with the occasional risky pass up the middle, but he's still very talented at starting the offense up the ice, even if it requires hauling the puck through the neutral zone himself. He's got great poise carrying the puck as well.

I think he's definitely deserving of time on the first power play unit, but between him and Brewer, they'll probably split the two of them up, with Brewer QBing the first, and Backman the second. Both Brewer and Backman are lefties, and one of them will probably be playing catch with Wideman (a righty) on the first PP unit, and it'll probably be Brewer.

Points wise, I think he's capable of contributing 30-40 pts a season, but injuries have hindered his production and he hasn't got a sniff at those numbers yet. If he can bulk up a bit more and stay healthy, I think those numbers are realistic.

Matt

He's not really a pure Offensive D man like Mac or Neids but he's definately offense oriented. He's not a True #1, but is easily a 1st pairing D man on most teams.


Based on his skill he should definately be manning the Left point of the 1st PP unit, but our coaching staff wasn't exactly doing things smart last year(they had Scott Young and Wideman on the 1st unit; Wideman probably belongs there, Young does/did not). If we get even a half-way decent coach(no, Kitchen is not even a half-way decent coach IMO) in here Backman could easily put up 10-15 goals and 40 points.

I think Christian Backman will be an elite d-man in this league....Exactly what the Penguins/Blackhawks/Bruins/Capitals/Blue Jackets need..... :sarcasm:

easily worth a top 6 pick ;)

Backman is a reasonably hyped OFFENSIVE defenseman. He is rather weak in one on one battles, but has a respectable reach and therefore has a good poke check (something under rated, but noticeable).

Backman is definitly a very valuable young defensman whose stock has risen legitamently over the past 2 years. He has good quickness, takes lots of shots, can hit the net, and make a nice pass to his forwards.

I dont see him playing on the first pairing, he just isnt at that level yet. Also, depending on who we sign this offseason, he may be a reasonable candidate for the spot on the first line powerlplay unit. Long term he will be a PP guy for sure.

This year expect tops about 30 points out of Backman. I think that is a fair number for him. Long term he may have a sniff at 40, who knows maybe more. He definitly has a good upside, and will be a big part of any Blues future succeses. The thing with him is he was forced into a somewhat over defensive strategy in HC Goteberg in the Swedish Elite Leauge. I believe it changed his priorities a little to much and made his offensive capabilities not as great as they could be.