Chris Beckford-Tseu has racked up a slew of frequent flyer miles, and not just because he's spent most of the season toiling for Alaska in the ECHL. He is distinguised in the FAB50 Hockey rankings as being the first class AA player to make the FAB50. He does so based on his rapid movement.

With the rash of injuries suffered by goalies in St. Louis, not to mention the horrendous struggles of incumbant No. 1 Patrick Lalime, Beckford-Tseu has dressed (but not playes) as a Blues backup and ridden the occasional shuttle to their AHL affiliate in Peoria.

 

"We like the way he's been developing," said Blues Assistant GM Kevin McDonald. "He's a smart kid who has really good tools."

That Beckford-Tseu has spent most of the year at the Double-A level instead of in the AHL is no slight on his ability.

"We just wanted to give him a chance to play a lot," said McDonald.

He has excelled in the Aces net, a multiple ECHL Goaltender of the Week, racking up a microscopic 1.87 GAA through 19 games, all while jetting around North America.

If Beckford-Tseu is to beat a permanent path to the NHL, he might have to head somewhere other than St. Louis. The woebegone Blues have a plethora of goaltending prospects, with 2004 top choice Marek Swarz and gigantic (6-7) Ben Bishop, taken in last year's third round, both waiting to turn professional.

Still, the way that he’s been playing Beckford-Tseu shows every sign of making McDonald’s choices at the net harder.  Dealing him may give St. Louis fans the blues should he revisit his club in another NHL uniform and the pop pick not pan out.

 

- Dan Hickling

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