Part of the Bo Horvat trade return, Anthony Beauvillier himself was traded for a fifth-round pick.
Earlier today, I asked when Anthony Beauvillier would do something for the Vancouver Canucks.
As it turned out, that time would never come, as Beauvillier was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. The returning player from the Blackhawks is a fifth-round pick, according to multiple reports.
If that happens, my previous article quickly becomes moot, just like Beauvillier did with the Canucks this season. The 26-year-old winger has been largely under the radar this season, scoring just two goals in 22 games, his ninth and 10th in the Canucks’ 10-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.
Beauvillier, who returned to the Canucks from the New York Islanders in a trade for Bo Horvat, will carry a $4.15 million cap hit through the end of the 2023-24 season and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. . Trading Beauvillier just for a late draft pick means the Canucks clear a significant amount of cap space, potentially setting them up for additional moves down the road.
While some may hope this bodes well for Ethan Bear to return to the Canucks’ roster, he is not expected to be healthy enough to return to the ice for another month.
The move comes just as Beauvillier was set to be promoted to the top-six forward group after spending most of the season in the bottom six. He was briefly elevated during the Canucks’ recent road trip to play with JT Miller and Brock Boeser. Perhaps if there had been rumors of a deal beforehand, it could have been seen as a showcase. In fact, this is the most effective short-term showcase since the City of New Westminster joined Price is Right.
For the Blackhawks, Beauvillier will fill the hole in the lineup left by Corey Perry, who was placed on waivers for termination purposes due to “unacceptable” conduct.
