No Day At The Beech For Young Penguins Learning Their Kraft
By Bob Grove

When they arrived at the Penguins' training camp last fall, 20-year-old Kris Beech and 21-year-old Milan Kraft believed they understood the challenge before them. It would not be easy to earn and hold a roster spot at the National Hockey League level, not even for a kid who came to town as the centerpiece in the Jaromir Jagr trade or a kid who was a No. 1 pick with impeccable junior credentials.

Both considered themselves ready. Now, one season later, the young centers really understand the difficulty of their chosen profession.

A rash of injuries to veterans presented them a remarkable opportunity to make an immediate impact this season,, but both Beech and Kraft, I the final analysis, had more typical experiences for players their age.

Each showed flashes of his potential while demonstrating that he also has plenty of room for improvement.

"I didn't know the NHL game. The schedule is a grind," said Beech, who scored 10 goals and 25 points in 79 games to finish 12th in scoring among NHL rookies. "I learned a lot as far as being focused and being consistent - that's the key. It takes more than a year to gain that consistency. It's all going to help."

Added Kraft, "It's definitely not easy for a young player to get to this level. I got some experience, and so I can learn from this year and use it to my advantage."

The Penguins learned plenty about their two high-profile youngsters during the season, and they stand to learn even more this fall. That's when Beech and Kraft will demonstrate how they've made adjustments to their game and their training regimen.

Coach Rick Kehoe made it clear to both players that they must have more upper-body strength to compete effectively in the NHL.

"The game is faster, the players are stronger. My upper body has to be stronger," said Kraft, who scored eight goals and 16 points in 68 games as a second-year NHL player. He spent almost half the 2000-01 season with the Penguins but played only eight American Hockey League games this past season.

There must be some defensive adjustments, too.

Beech was a team-worst minus-25 this season and had just one goal and two points over the final 14 games, by which time centers Mario Lemieux,

Martin Straka and Robert Lang were all out for the season with injuries. Kraft, who played 11 fewer games and saw about one minute less ice time per game than Beech, finished minus-9 and didn't have a single point over the last 12 games as the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons.

It was an especially difficult season for Kraft, who is a year older and had more NHL experience than Beech. The former Czech junior star, who struggled to understand his brief mid-season demotion to the AHL, also must work on his skating if he is to avoid starting next season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

"I wasn't really happy with the way the year went," he said. "I have a long summer to think about it and get better. Next year, I'll be ready.

I'll be here."

Beech, destined for extra scrutiny because of his role in the Jagr trade, was largely philosophical about his first NHL season.

"Young players don't develop into the player they're going to be at 21 years old. It may take a few years. I totally realize that. At 24 or 25 I'll be the player I want to be," he said. "I still have a lot of growing to do, a lot of learning to do. But I'm confident in my skills.

They're not going to disappear. And my work ethic. That's not going to disappear."