I think Walker has a body type that just doesn't add mass very well. He's gotten heavier/bigger, but he doesn't seem to wear it well. If that makes any sense? He's also a couple years older than Beckman. I just don't see Walker as being more than another Mayhew, Petan, or Pitlick. He's have to reinvent himself as a player like Shaw/Dewar did. My gut says he signs a 1 yr deal (the GM would be dumb not to QO him) then walks after being stuck in the AHL again next year.
If I wanted a pp guy it would be Walker all the way. I lean towards Beckman for the rest of the game situations. Beckman just plays a simpler game. Walker plays a more cerebral game, but seems just a half a tic slow in processing things (similar to Rossi the start of last season in the NHL), I do think Beckman has better in the d-zone play (neither are spectacular). Beckman really needs to add some bulk. If he could get to 185-190 lbs I think he could stick as a bottom-6er.
Milne is the guy in Iowa who I think "makes it". If he wasn't injured the first half of the season he'd probably be my first choice as a callup.
Bankier is looking good, but not NHL ready. A good offseason for him would really go a long ways to making him a decent callup option next year.
Walker vs Beckman is an interesting conversation. Last weekend, Walker was playing lights out. This happens to be after the team got annihilated the previous weekend and had a 45 minute closed door meeting. I will be shocked if Walker continues that another weekend or two. I guess I am implying that I don't think Walker has the work ethic or is as engaged as he could be, and this is the area, besides the shooting, that I think Beckman has more of.
With that said, I think the stars have to align for Beckman to carve out an NHL career more than a couple hundred games, if that. As already mentioned, he isn't that much of a different player than three years ago. He understand the game better, and maybe doesn't shoot every time he gets the puck, but that is pretty much it imo. I'd be fine for him to see 10 games in with the Wild, though, to get a better gauge. While Lucchini and Vinni are better all around, they are what they are, so you might as well see what Beckman has...
I have said it from day 1 when seeing Milne in his first camp and last year, Milne will be an NHLer, it just depends on how much he can develop any offense. Is he going to be a Stephane Veillieux (he reminds me of a young Stephane in many ways), or is he going to develop more offense?
Agreed with Bankier - he needs a solid offseason of weights, nutrition, just more time to grow into his adult body, and a full year of AHL where he can focus on that offense because I think he has the hands, size, skating, and hockey IQ to perhaps be a 2nd liner.