Anthony Beauvillier never really got on track with the Chicago Blackhawks, and now he won’t get the chance.
The Hawks on Thursday traded the forward to the Nashville Predators for a fifth-round draft pick.
The deal comes after acquiring Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks for a conditional fifth-rounder in November.
“It’s got to be hard on him — three teams in a season — it’s going to be a lot for him to handle,” center Jason Dickinson said.
Added left wing Nick Foligno: “I think for a guy that came in on a short time, he really made his impact on the group. He’s a great guy, great player, and I think he was just trying to find his game.”
It has been a bumpy ride for Beauvillier since late last season.
The New York Islanders traded him to the Canucks, and after 22 games this fall with two goals and six assists, the Canucks dealt him to the Hawks, who brought him on after Taylor Hall and Andreas Athanasiou were sidelined with injuries.
“He was a great guy to bring in right away,” Dickinson said of Beauvillier. “His attitude, his energy blended very well with us.”
But during the Hawks’ late-December trip, several forwards suffered injuries — including Beauvillier, who missed 18 games with a left wrist issue. Once he returned, he played only eight more games in a Hawks uniform.
He had two goals and four assists in 23 games in Chicago.
“His last game might have been one of his best, he really skating, kind of finding his legs again after his injury,” coach Luke Richardson said.
Said Dickinson: “It’s unfortunate he got hurt. He couldn’t really get his feet going as much as he might like. … If there’s an opportunity for him to come back in free agency, maybe, that would be fantastic. If he finds a home somewhere else, I just hope it ends up best for him.”
Beauvillier walks into an advantageous situation with the Predators, who hold a fairly comfortable lead for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
“That’s good for (Beauvillier) to go and have an opportunity to play in the playoffs,” said Richardson, who was an Islanders assistant under Doug Weight during Beauvillier’s stint in New York. “It’s an opportunity for him. Sorry to see him go. He’s a good guy and fit in well.”