Reports: Blackhawks Trade Anthony Beauvillier to Nashville

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick back in November. Now they’ve traded him to the Nashville Predators to get one back. Elliotte Friedman reported it early–the Athletic’s Scott Powers had the return as well.

Beauvillier never really worked out as the Blackhawks likely envisioned, a speedy winger who could help drive offense. Heck it worked with Jason Dickinson. But it never really took off. In 22 games with the Canucks, Beauvillier had eight points (2-6) but with Chicago in 23 he had just six (2-4).

So Kyle Davidson opted to ship him off to Nashville, without keeping any of his $4.15M cap hit, opting to get another fifth-round pick back from the Preds.

The move is a small one, not netting a lot, but it adds more to the draft war chest and starts putting together the roster puzzle for next year.

Anthony Beauvillier, Blackhawks Didn’t Hit As Expected

Now don’t take this as a criticism–sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But Beauvillier’s speed was an asset that Davidson and head coach Luke Richardson hoped to utilizie in a top six role. Pairing that speed with Connor Bedard was a way to try and boost the offense after Corey Perry was released. Perry had been an asset offensively, and the acquisition from Vancouver was supposed to fill in.

Plus the speed and potentially a way to see if they could rediscover the one time 2o-goal scorer certainly were high hopes.

It just never worked out as planned.

What it does do is give Beauvillier a chance with a team banging on the playoff door while adding more to Chicago’s draft pick haul. It also acquires an asset for a player they obviously didn’t intend on bringing back.

As trade deadline day gets closer, will Davidson and the Hawks have more up their sleeve? While it might be small little plays like this, it’ll still get Chicago more resources to keep chipping their way out of a rebuild.

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