The Washington Capitals made just one addition at the 2025 trade deadline, acquiring winger Anthony Beauvillier from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second-round draft pick. While not as flashy as some of the other moves made by competing teams this year, Beauvillier has already shown what value he could provide to the contending Capitals.
The 27-year-old forward scored his second goal with the Caps in a 6-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday evening, giving him four points (2g, 2a) in his first seven games with his new club. Beauvillier used his blazing speed to get behind Florida’s defense and showed off his scoring touch with a deft backhand to forehand move.
“Yeah, [his speed is] noticeable,” head coach Spencer Carbery said postgame. “The pace he plays with – I’ve been really impressed. And not just with his speed, he’s tenacious on the puck. He’s not shy to go to hard areas and go into corners, net-front, all that. And that’s helped. He’s been a very, very significant addition to our group, I would say. That’s what I’ve seen so far.”
No matter who he has played with, the Caps have had tremendous five-on-five success during his minutes. With Beauvillier on the ice, they’ve seen 62.3 percent of shot attempts, 52.8 percent of expected goals, 59.8 percent of scoring chances, and 63 percent of high-danger chances.
While certainly factoring in a comparably tiny sample size, Beauvillier (2.89) is second only to Aliaksei Protas (2.95) on the Capitals’ current roster in points per 60 minutes at five-on-five. He is also recording more five-on-five shots per 60 minutes (9.4) than every Caps player not named Alex Ovechkin (10.1)
“Yeah, I think getting more comfortable the last few games, just system-wise, kind of knowing a little bit more where to go and getting familiar with Dowder and Dewey as a line,” Beauvillier said after the win. “So, I definitely feel better now than I did my first couple games.”
The long-time New York Islanders forward and recent member of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored on Saturday in his fourth-ever home game with the Caps. Beauvillier was happy to be on the right side of a raucous Capital One Arena after many battles where he was considered a villain.
“It’s great, yeah,” he said. “It’s fun. I mean, the building is pretty cool to play, and the fans are loud. And as a visiting team, it’s always hard to come in and play, and they’re right on top of you, and they’re loud. So to have them on the good side now is pretty special.”
Beauvillier’s first home goal also meant hearing his personal goal song, “I Love It” by Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX, for the first time. He said he had difficulty deciding what to go with but was happy with the end result.
“I always thought about what it would be,” Beauvillier said. “I never had to actually make the decision. So it’s good that we got it out of the way.
“I think I heard it after a goal at some point, and it kind of stuck with me,” he explained further. “What did you guys think? Did you guys like it?”
If it means more production like this, then yes, Anthony. Absolutely.
