Pittsburgh Review

Anthony Beauvillier, a new forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins, shares a deep admiration for Marc-Andre Fleury. Both hail from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. "So for me, it was just natural for me to be a Penguins fan growing up," said Beauvillier, whose first NHL game as a fan was a playoff matchup between Pittsburgh and Montreal.

“I just remember cheering them on. Obviously, wanted Marc to do well. He was an idol for me and role model for me growing up, so I was always following the Penguins closely.”

Drafted by the Islanders in 2015, Beauvillier spent his initial seven seasons in the same division as Pittsburgh. This familiarity is expected to ease his transition to his new team this season.

“I think just being more familiar with the rinks a little bit and the division, the travel, is going to help a lot,” he said. “Obviously being from the East Coast myself, just closer to home and all that… I feel like the transition is going to be a little easier.”

Last season presented challenges for Beauvillier. After starting with Vancouver in 2022-23, he played 22 games before being traded to Chicago and subsequently moved to Nashville after 23 games.

“It was obviously not an easy season for me, especially mentally,” Beauvillier admitted. “It was tough... Getting comfortable everywhere wasn't easy."

Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas aims to provide Beauvillier with an environment conducive to success when training camp begins this fall.

“I don't think this last stretch has gone particularly well for him by any measure," Dubas said on free agency's first day. "But when you watch the film... that player that was so effective for the Islanders... is still there."

Beauvillier signed a low-money deal betting on himself with hopes of securing a spot in Pittsburgh’s lineup.

Pittsburgh's style aligns well with Beauvillier’s play characterized by speed and instinct. He has scored double-digit goals over five consecutive seasons and can play either wing or center.

Dubas highlighted Beauvillier's unique questions about penalty killing and defensive zone starts during contract discussions as indicative of his evolving mindset.

“We hope he'll be able to provide some speed, tenacity... chip in some secondary offense,” Dubas noted. "We can get him up and rolling here... we hope that in the perfect world, he develops into someone that can be a long-term fit for us here."