Nation Network Prospect Profiles: #12 Anthony Beauvillier
By Rhys Jessop
8 years agoIf you’re a regular consumer of our draft stuff at Canucks Army, you will probably be familiar with the name “Anthony Beauvillier” by now. We’ve covered the talented QMJHL pivot in the past, and while he may be flying under the radar a bit in 2015, we think he’s truly one of the most talented players available in the 1997 age group.
Bio:
- Age: 17.27 years old at start of season. Born June 8, 1997
- Birthplace: Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
- Frame: 5’10, 173 lbs
- Position: C/LW
- Draft Year Team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
- Accomplishments: 2015 CHL Top Prospects Game Participant, 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Gold Medal, 2015 QMJHL Second All-Star Team, 2015 World U-18 Bronze Medal
Stats:
| GP | ES G | ES A1 | ES A2 | ES Pts | ES Pts/GP | ES GF% | ES GF% Rel | TmG% | TmPts% | AA Pts/GP | EA Pts/GP | Adj Pts/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 41 | 0.61 | N/A | N/A | 13.3% | 36.6% | 1.33 | 1.50 | 1.42 |
- TmG% = Percentage of team goals a player scored in that player’s games played
- TmPts% = Percentage of team goals a player registered points on in that player’s games played
- AA Pts/GP = Age adjusted points per game
- EA Pts/GP = Era and league adjusted points per game
- Adj Pts/GP = Age, era, and league adjusted points per game
| PCS% 2014 | PCS Pts/82 2014 | PCS% 2015 | PCS Pts/82 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14.9% | 42.1 | 28.1% | 50.5 |
| PCS Most NHL GP | PCS Highest Pts/GP |
|---|---|
| Steve Yzerman | Steve Yzerman |
| Pat Verbeek | Jarome Iginla |
| Jarome Iginla | Dan Quinn |
- PCS = Our Player Cohort Success model. Click here for more information about PCS.
Scouts:
Draft rank:
| NHL CSS | ISS | FutureConsiderations | HockeyProspect | Pronman | McKeen’s | McKenzie | Button |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 (NA) | 41 | 31 | 40 | 21 | N/A | 43 | 18 |
A dynamic scoring center with good hockey sense. Not very large in stature, but makes up for it in speed, skill, and cunning. A talented puck-handler with good hands: is equally efficient a passer as he is a goal scorer. All-in-all, an offensively minded center that can outplay the opposition in a number of different ways. Needs to work on discipline and getting stronger.
Anthony is a player who can play in multiple spots in your forward group, perhaps 11 of the 12, with No. 1 centre excluded. He’s smart, adaptable and reads plays everywhere on the ice in all situations extremely well. He is quick in his head, hands and feet and he competes. Can complement so many different players and that is very valuable.
Our Take:
The thing that excites us about Anthony Beauvillier more than anything is that he’s one of the youngest members of the 2015 draft class, and already this close to being a legitimate monster in the QMJHL. He was the undisputed leader of the Shawinigan Cataractes last season, leading his team in scoring by an astounding 30(!) points. He ranked 1st among QMJHL draft eligibles in total points and primary assists, and 3rd in goals behind Timo Meier and underrated Val-d’Or centre Anthony Richard, and did it while playing without any other real high-end offensive talent.
Adjusting for age and era (which includes the fact that Beauvillier plays in the Q), Beauviller trailed only Connor McDavid, Mitchell Marner, and Dylan Strome in points per game this past season, so his ability to generate offense is unquestionably at the high end of the 2015 crop of talent. What’s also impressive and warrants Beauvillier first-round consideration is that the details to his game are exceptionally strong too.
Beauvillier was one of the QMJHL’s top faceoff men this past season winning nearly 60% of his draws, and uses his exceptional IQ and competitiveness to play a strong positional game and help his team at both ends of the rink. His defensive ability is outshone by his ability to just put up points, but it’s still very solid.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Beauvillier though is that he has by far and away the lowest personal shooting percentage of any QMJHLer to score 35 or more goals. This has less to do with Beauvillier’s finishing talent, and more to do with the fact that Beauvillier was an absolute monster at generating shots on goal. He led all QMJHL players in shots on goal with 337, firing more than 5 shots on opposing goalies each game.
Beauvillier also had the third most dangerous shots in the QMJHL with 182, indicating that he was always a threat to generate offence on his own when he stepped on the ice. He was close to the much older and larger Timo Meier in both shots and chances, but Meier was stapled to the hip on Nikolaj Ehlers this season – Beauvillier carried his team’s offence on his own. Adding a bit more strength as he continues to develop physically could help make his shot – which Corey Pronman already describes as “pretty good” – heavier, and turn him into a legitimate monster goal scorer.
Of course, with the general scouting community being lower on Beauvillier than we are, there are some things they see that cause concern. Namely, Beauvillier is a bit on the small side (but already as big as Patrick Kane and Claude Giroux are. If he misses the NHL, it won’t be because he’s “too small”), and isn’t as flashy as other players like Daniel Sprong or Travis Konecny.
Still, what Beauvillier did this past season in the QMJHL is pretty remarkable, especially considering he had extremely little help. He’s a very well rounded prospect who looks primed to go nuts in junior next season as the young Cataractes improve, and could be a very, very good top-6 forward at the NHL level.
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