Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to acquire forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks. Friedman believes that the Canucks will receive a fifth-round pick in return from Chicago in return. The Canucks have been desperate to free up cap space and have been reportedly shopping Beauvillier for weeks but haven’t been able to make a move until today.
The Blackhawks were looking for depth after Taylor Hall went down for the season due to injury and Corey Perry’s contract was terminated earlier today. Beauvillier’s cap hit is just a tick higher than Perry’s at $4.15MM, none of which was retained in this trade. He is in the last year of his deal, meaning that Chicago isn’t making a long-term commitment by acquiring the 26-year-old.
For his part, Beauvillier has been a solid contributor throughout his NHL career, although he has become overpaid in recent seasons due to the flat salary cap. He had a career-high 40 points last season scoring 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games. Over the past six seasons, Beauvillier has remained consistent, posting at least 28 points in each season.
For the Canucks, they unburden themselves from an expensive contract for the remainder of this season and gain some much-needed breathing room under the salary cap. The Canucks desperately need help on their blue line and will likely take those savings to try and find some help on the back end