Like the rest of Pittsburgh, Anthony Beauvillier loves Marc-Andre Fleury.

The new Penguins forward is from the same hometown – Sorel-Tracy, Quebec – as the future Hall of Fame goaltender. “So for me, it was just natural for me to be a Penguins fan growing up,” said Beauvillier, whose first NHL game as a fan was a playoff matchup between Pittsburgh and Montreal.

ByMichelle Crechiolo/@PensInsideScoop

“I just remember cheering them on. Obviously, wanted Marc to do well. He was an idol for me and role model for me growing up, so I was always following the Penguins closely.”

After the Islanders drafted him in the first round back in 2015 – 12 years after Fleury went first overall to Pittsburgh – Beauvillier spent the first seven seasons of his career playing in the same division. He is confident that familiarity should help ease the adjustment to his new team this season.

“I think just being more familiar with the rinks a little bit and the division, the travel, is going to help a lot,” the 27-year-old said. “Obviously being from the East Coast myself, just closer to home and all that… I feel like the transition is going to be a little easier.”

It might feel like a piece of cake compared to how last season went. Beauvillier started the year with Vancouver after playing the 2022-23 season with the Canucks. He played 22 games there before getting traded to the Blackhawks, who then dealt Beauvillier to Nashville at the deadline after 23 games with Chicago.

“It was obviously not an easy season for me, especially mentally,” Beauvillier said with a wry grin. “It was tough, just to get used to different systems, get used to different dressing rooms and different guys. Getting to know the cities and getting comfortable everywhere wasn’t easy.

“But I feel like I learned a lot last season, just to obviously get comfortable with different groups. Obviously looking for more stability now, and I feel like joining the Penguins, it’s going to be good for me.”

Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said they want to put Beauvillier in a position to succeed when he reports to training camp this fall and looks to get his game back on track.

“I don’t think this last stretch has gone particularly well for him by any measure. But when you watch the film and you start to dig into it, that player that was so effective for the Islanders going back to his draft year and just continuing to get better and better is still there,” Dubas said on the first day of free agency.

“We just have to provide the environment for him to show that again. So, I think he was willing to really bet on himself with a very low-money deal for one year in exchange for the opportunity to come in here and try to earn a spot in the lineup.”

Beauvillier said Pittsburgh should be a good fit for his style of play. When he’s at his best, Beauvillier plays with speed and instinct, scoring double-digit goals for five straight seasons (he tallied a career-high 21 in 2017-18). Beauvillier is also capable of playing either wing, and even had a couple of games at center last season.

But what impressed Dubas was the questions Beauvillier posed before deciding to sign here, saying they were different than what most younger, offensive-minded players tend to ask.

“It was more of a how can he penalty kill, defensive zone starts. His mindset, you can see, is changing,” Dubas said. “So, we hope he’ll be able to provide some speed, tenacity, forecheck as he did with the Islanders, chip in some secondary offense, give [Mike Sullivan] and the coaching staff options to move around the lineup.

“We can get him up and rolling here, and if it works out, he’s young enough, we hope that in the perfect world, he develops into someone that can be a long-term fit for us here. Very high-quality person, loved by teammates in this organization. So, we’re excited to get him in.”