Prospects Watch: Kyle Beach

Over the next couple days, I thought it would be prudent to review some of the Hawks prospects in Rockford and elsewhere, and try and guess if they have a future with the big club. Today, we start with the one that Hawks fans want most to have a future, and also the one that least likely has one, Kyle Beach.Hawks fans, including myself, have salivated over the idea of Kyle Beach for some time. The idea is a big, talented forward who can protect his teammates, crush opposing defensemen on the forecheck, blot out the sun to the goalie, and have the hands to score over 35 goals. And do all of this with a smirk on his face. That's what Beach's numbers in junior promise. In his last year at the junior level, Beach potted 52 goals in 68 games, as well as 186 penalty minutes. The Hawks haven't had a player like this since ... well, I'm told it would be Al Secord, who in the early and mid-'80s would rack up 40 goals and 200 penalty minutes. This was the idea.The reality ...