The Washington Capitals made quite a few additions this offseason, and with more depth up front, the forward lines will look vastly different heading into the new campaign.
That said, where will Anthony Beauvillier draw into the mix?
Last season marked a step forward for Beauvillier, who took on a bigger role and averaged 15:48 minutes per game, his highest average ice time since 2022-23 with the Vancouver Canucks.
In 82 games, he picked up 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points, while primarily playing on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. He also moved upa nd down the lineup when the situation or injuries called for it, and he took on a bigger role on special teams, playing on the penalty kill and logging time on the second power-play unit.
For Spencer Carbery, utilizing Beauvillier on the penalty kill and different situations was important down the stretch, especially following the departure of Nic Dowd.
"He's got to use his feet; that's the key. He's not a big guy, he's not a long guy, so his strength on the penalty kill is going to be his brain and his quickness," Carbery said. "That's the two assets that I look for him to utilize there."
Going into this season, newcomers Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner add more depth and can help on the penalty kill as well, and Tuch and Jordan Kryou are also expected to take up those wing spots on the top-6.
That said, Beauvillier is expected to shift down, though it's not a demotion by any means with minutes expected to go down across the board with Carbery being more free to roll all four lines.
Beauvillier is a reliable, versatile player who can have chemistry with anyone and uses his hockey IQ and vision to generate chances. He's the kind of player that can give Justin Sourdif and Ilya Protas a solid complementary winger, and he can also play a checking line role, giving D.C. an option to implement him on a fourth line with fellow newcomer Boone Jenner.
Ultimately, Beauvillier is a solid depth piece for D.C. to have in the mix, and having those types of players that can move up and down the lineup will be key going into a season where the Capitals hope to emerge as legitimate contenders.
