Anthony Beauvillier was "pumped" to learn that he had been dealt to the Nashville Predators ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
"[Nashville] is obviously a really cool city," he said following his first practice with the Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Friday. "[The Predators are] a team that's playing really well right now and always hard to play against when we play them, so I'm happy to come here."
A former first-round pick for the New York Islanders (28th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, Beauvillier was greeted by a familiar face in Nashville: Predators general manager Barry Trotz, who was his head coach for four seasons in New York.
"[Trotz] seemed really happy, and I'm thrilled to be here," Beauvillier said. "It was good to see him yesterday, and it made the transition a little easier for me."
Beauvillier is coming off a career-high 40-point season (18 goals, 22 assists) with the Islanders and the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23. He also recorded four straight seasons with at least 15 goals for the Islanders from 2017-21, three of which came with Trotz as his head coach.
"I bring speed," Beauvillier said when asked to describe his game. "I bring work ethic and a good offensive touch as well. I'm going to try to keep it simple. I'm at my best when I move my feet, so that's what I'm going to try to do moving forward."
His high offensive ceiling and affordable price - he is on an expiring contract and only cost Nashville a fifth-round draft pick - make him exactly the type of player Trotz wants in order to make his team competitive in the playoff chase this season without sacrificing the potential for future success.
This is the second time Beauvillier has been traded this season, his eighth in the NHL. The 26-year-old began the 2023-24 campaign with Vancouver, where he had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 22 games before a Nov. 29 trade sent him to the Blackhawks. With Chicago, Beauvillier had six points (two goals, four assists) in 23 appearances, averaging 14:22 of ice time. Now in Nashville, he is eager to contribute to the Predators' playoff push down the stretch.
"It's been a crazy year, for sure," Beauvillier said. "But like I said, I'm pumped to be here, pumped to play some good hockey and have a push to the playoffs. I'm pumped to join these guys. It seems like they're a really fun group of guys, and I'm ready to go to work with them."
Beauvillier, along with fellow Nashville newcomers Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Jason Zucker, are expected to hit the road with the Predators this weekend for back-to-back games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild. Nashville currently holds the longest active point streak in the NHL at 10 games, going 9-0-1 over that span.
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