Has Anthony Beauvillier Turned a Corner for the Islanders?
After going 14 straight games without a point, Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier appears to have turned a corner.
He scored the game-winning goal on Thursday against the Boston Bruins and followed it up with a season-high 21:07 of ice time on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Beauvillier appears to have gotten the message head coach Barry Trotz sent him after a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 9. He knew he had to play a better 200-foot game, and has clearly improved in the three games he’s played since Trotz scratched him on Dec. 11 against the New Jersey Devils.
“I’ve been kind of grinding to find my game lately,” Beauvillier said beating Boston. “But the last two games have been good. Definitely a wake-up call.”
Trotz reunited the Beauvillier Nelson Bailey line that was so effective during the playoffs, and he played it a lot on Sunday. Before the game, Trotz compared Beauvillier to Golden Knights’ forward Chandler Stephenson, who he coached in Washington for three years.
Trotz saw potential in him, but he felt that Stephenson didn’t know how good he could be. Stephenson is now a point-per-game player, with 30 points in 30 games. He had an assist Sunday against the Islanders. Trotz said he feels the same way about Beauvillier.
But considering the disappointing season the Islanders are having, does the team consider trading Beauvillier if the slide continues? The Islanders would benefit from unloading some salary cap and acquiring draft picks. He just signed a three-year deal that pays him $4.15 million annually. It’s definitely one of the most moveable contracts on a team full of long-term deals, especially considering he’s only 24 years old.
If Trotz is right about his young forward, there will surely be demand around the league. The Islanders would be wise to expect at least a first-round pick in return.
But Beauvillier would have to prove the last few games are the start of a positive trend. The Golden Knights got Stephenson for a fifth-round pick after he only had four points in 24 games in 2019-2020.
Hopefully, Trotz keeps trusting Beauvillier and will coach him back to the top-six forward he believes he can be.
Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.
