Consistency a focus for Johnny Beecher in 2nd season with Bruins

“There’s some ups and downs — but I think as a whole I learned so much and improved so much as a player and just as a person.”

Johnny Beecher is entering his second season with the Bruins. Matthew J Lee/Globe staff

Johnny Beecher has all the makings of an impactful stalwart on a checking line.

The 23-year-old forward is already one of the most fleet-footed skaters on the Bruins’ roster, with his 6-foot-3, 216-pound frame making him a heat-seeking missile when engaged on the forecheck.

Add in his reps on the penalty kill (1:40 shorthanded TOI per game) and faceoff skills (54.6 percent), and Beecher exceeded expectations as a valuable cog on Boston’s checking unit in 2023-24.

But the former first-round pick still believes he has plenty more to give moving forward on a Bruins’ fourth line chock full of big-bodied bruisers.

“I think it’s huge,” Beecher told Boston.com of Boston’s offseason additions of Mark Kastelic and Max Jones. “I think any time your bottom six or your fourth line can go out there and give your guys momentum, it kind of puts teams on their heels a little bit. I mean, it’s huge for your top-six guys and your skill guys — it opens up the ice a little bit for them.

“Obviously we signed a couple new guys with some sizes and speed, and they’re great hockey players. So I think it’ll just be a matter of building some chemistry throughout camp and getting to know each other on a player and personal level.”

On paper, Beecher should be one of the favorites for a regular role on Boston’s fourth line entering training camp alongside Kastelic and Jones. Kastelic’s own faceoff talents (56.3 career percentage) could bump Beecher over to wing, but the University of Michigan product isn’t fretting over where exactly he slots into the lineup.

For Beecher, his top priority is rounding out his individual game — especially when it comes to limiting the lulls in his consistency.

Even though Beecher carved out a spot on Boston’s roster out of training camp last fall, he did spend two months down in Providence after the turn of the new year to work on his craft.

He did return in time for Boston’s playoff run — scoring a goal in his first playoff contest against the Maple Leafs — and closed out the year with 52 total games in the NHL ranks.

“I think looking at it as a whole, I think it was a pretty good success,” Beecher, who scored seven goals and 10 points over those 52 games, said. “I think going into the season, not many people were really expecting me to make that opening-night roster and make an impact. I was able to do that, which was huge for me and my confidence. And obviously there were some ups and downs.

“Got sent down there for a little bit, but I felt like I kind of handled everything really well. I spent my time in Providence working hard, put my head down, just got my game back to where it needed to be to come back up here and help the team out at the end of the season and going into playoffs. And I was able to do that. So obviously, like I said, there’s some ups and downs, but I think as a whole, I learned so much and improved so much as a player and just as a person.”

Beecher’s greatest asset might rest in his speed and size over scoring punch, but being able to play a physical, hard-nosed game night in and night out over an 82-game grind stood as the most daunting learning curve for him last winter.

“I think a big thing was consistency,” Beecher acknowledged. “Obviously, it’s a long season, and you got a lot of games where you want to feel 100%, but you feel 70%. I think a big thing for me going into this year is just kind of managing my body and everything that kind of comes along with the travel and games. Just being able to just kind of hold a certain standard day in and day out. That was a big thing for them.

“I’ve been working with a sports psychologist, just kind of working on the mental side of things — just when you’re walking into a game and you don’t feel your best, there’s certain things you can do just to get everything out of it that you can. So I feel like the offseason has been really productive.”

A physical, imposing fourth line has long stood as a hallmark of many successful Bruins teams over the years.

And with an NHL season now under his belt, Beecher should be poised to help drive alongside his bruising linemates in 2024-25 and beyond.