Since he first took over as the Nashville Predators' general manager last summer, Barry Trotz has been saying that the team's biggest areas of need are speed, skill and scoring. He addressed those needs on Thursday in a deal that sent a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Anthony Beauvillier.
The trade was made official shortly after the Predators shipped forward Yakov Trenin and unsigned draft prospect Graham Sward to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. So while it wasn't exactly a one-for-one swap of Trenin and Beauvillier, it can essentially be viewed that way.
Trenin Out: Predators Lose Size, Defense, Penalty Killing
Trenin was drafted in 2015 in the second round of the NHL Draft, signing his entry level contract that year. He made his NHL debut four years later in October 2019 before becoming a full-time player during the 2021-22 season. Trenin, primarily a third-line bruiser, signed a two-year, $3.4 million deal with the Predators on Aug. 5, 2022 following an arbitration hearing.
At 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, Trenin is best used as a defensive weapon. He is a highly physical player and a skilled penalty killer; while he simply did not fit into Predators head coach Andrew Brunette's high-octane offensive system, his size and physicality can certainly help an already-skilled Stanley Cup contender like Colorado both down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Beauvillier In: Predators Gain Speed, Skill, Power-Play Ability
This is the second time Beauvillier has been traded this season, his eighth in the NHL. The 26-year-old Quebec native began the 2023-24 campaign with the Vancouver Canucks, 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.
Originally drafted by the New York Islanders in the first round (28th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Beauvillier is a veteran of 535 career NHL games. Last season, he posted a career-high 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) with New York and Vancouver; 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.
The Bottom Line
This has all the makings of a "just in case we get hot in the playoffs" move for the Predators. Beauvillier has tallied 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 49 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, reaching the third round of the postseason in consecutive seasons with Trotz and the Islanders in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He is the type of "serial winner" Trotz wants to add to his roster.
Beauvillier also comes at an affordable price. He's in the final year of a three-year contract, and he's owed just over $1 million over the remainder of this season. The Predators gave up a pick at this year's draft but recouped a higher pick in the next draft with the Trenin trade. Even trading a pick away to Chicago, they still have nine picks in the first four rounds in 2024. Ultimately, Thursday's moves address the Predators' needs without sacrificing too much in the way of cap space or other assets.
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