Getting to Know Beckett Hendrickson

With the 124th pick at the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins select from the NTDP center Beckett Hendrickson.

Some of the public rankings:

NHLCS	FC HOCKEY	MCKEEN’S	RED LINE	EP	UPSIDE SCOUTING
67 NA	115	139	148	58	116

Dom – Hockey Ratings (Scale 3 – 9):

SKATING	PHYSICALITY	SKILLS	IQ	SHOOTING
6.5	6.0	6.5	6.0	7.0

Statistics:

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
2022-23	USNTDP	USHL	21	7	9	16	6	3
2022-23	USNT U18	NTDP	52	13	21	34	20	12
2022-23	USA	WJC U18	7	0	2	2	2	2

The 6’2”, 174-pound Hendrickson wasn’t a reach by the Bruins, selecting him right around where he should have been and one of those safe picks I’ve been preaching leading up to the draft. He’s heading to the University of Minnesota for the 2024-2025 season so, like we’ve been warning you here on Dom – Hockey, they’ve selected another player they will hold the rights to for five years.

We’ve also been warning you the Bruins will be looking heavily towards size and they are getting it with Hendrickson. I certainly like his compete level and his willingness to get into those dirty areas and battle for pucks. His physicality isn’t yet where I would like to see it, but he’s tall and lanky and that may come as he adds some bulk.

Hendrickson has some decent speed. His first steps could use a little more explosiveness, but once he gets moving, I think he has enough to challenge defenders. He plays predominantly north-south but he has good edgework on his skates to be able to cut inside when he has too. I thinks he also has good vision when doing so and he can open up lanes to find opponents.

At this point, and it’s early to say, I think he can carve out a role as a bottom six forward. But if he stays on his current course in terms of development and he adds the bulk I spoke about and that first step speed, he could turn into a middle six forward.

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