The Anthony Beauvillier asset-management circle has been completed.
The Blackhawks traded Beauvillier to the Predators on Thursday, one day before the NHL trade deadline, for the exact same asset — a fifth-round pick — that general manager Kyle Davidson gave up to acquire him from the Canucks in late November.
During Beauvillier’s brief and objectively forgettable stint in Chicago, the 26-year-old forward tallied only six points (two goals and four assists) in 23 games. He also missed six weeks with a wrist injury. Beauvillier was promoted to the first line with Connor Bedard a few times, but he never clicked and spent the last few games on the third and fourth lines.
Coach Luke Richardson noted that Beauvillier’s performance Tuesday against the Coyotes was one of his best with the Hawks. He recorded a season-high four shots on goal. He was well-liked around the team, too.
“We’re going to miss him because he really impacted our room,” de facto captain Nick Foligno said. “He became a good friend to a lot of guys pretty quickly, which speaks volumes. [That] is probably a reason why he’s coveted at this time of year. We wish him well and thank him for his time here.”
Beauvillier said Monday that he was “looking forward to the deadline being over,” but as it turned out, he wasn’t able to get through it without having to switch teams.
But the move probably will allow him to play in the playoffs, since the Predators have surged lately to take control of the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot. He also will reunite with Predators GM Barry Trotz, who coached him during the most successful years of his career on the Islanders. Trotz traded forward Yakov Trenin to the Avalanche for a third-round pick in a corresponding transaction Thursday.
For the Hawks, pending unrestricted free-agent forwards Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson remain on the block as the deadline at 2 p.m. Friday approaches, but Richardson reemphasized Thursday that deadline day will likely be a quiet one for the franchise.
“It’s hard to justify making a trade just to make a trade and not getting back any kind of value that you really value,” Richardson said. “We’ve got a lot of picks right now, so really there’s no force on our end to push the envelope. If someone comes and wants to give you something, that’s great, but if not, [that’s what] I’m expecting it to be. But you never know.”
The Hawks own two first-round picks, three second-round picks, two third-round picks, now one fifth-round pick and one sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft. They also have stockpiled seven picks in the first four rounds of both the 2025 and 2026 drafts.
The Hawks initially needed Beauvillier as an injury replacement when their roster was getting decimated in the fall. But with Andreas Athanasiou almost ready to return, multiple healthy scratches available as fill-ins and prospects Landon Slaggert and Frank Nazar likely to join the NHL roster during the stretch run, Beauvillier was no longer needed.
Athanasiou is expected to be in the lineup Saturday against the Capitals. He was cleared several weeks ago to return from the groin injury that has sidelined him since Nov. 9, but he needed to psychologically build back faith in his body’s ability to make fast cuts.
Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, sidelined since Jan. 16 because of a knee injury that uncovered a bone fracture, fully participated in practice and also could return Saturday.
Meanwhile, forward Taylor Hall has been reassigned a locker because he’s about to begin skating for the first time since surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament in early November. He won’t play this season, but it’s a good sign for his recovery heading toward next season.
