New York Islanders: Anthony Beauvillier’s Progression is Right on Track

Anthony Beauvillier has been an inconsistent player for the New York Islanders – at times electric and at times enigmatic – but for a player of his age and experience his progression is right on schedule for where he should be.

We all saw the lightning rod that Anthony Beauvillier was last year, scoring at will the second half of the season.  And yes, we’ve all see how inconsistent he can be for the New York Islanders as well, earning an AHL demotion last year and low point production this year.

But when you look at where he should be as a 21-year-old player who didn’t have the benefit of proper development, he’s actually right on schedule – if not ahead of schedule.

Looking At The Numbers

For all 211 drafted in the 2015 draft, Beau’s numbers stack up extremely favorably. Yes, he was a first-round pick, but so too were most of the guys beneath him in the statistical progression, even though they were taken earlier.

Let’s also keep in mind that generational talent Conor McDavid is one of those ahead of him, so you might as well bump him up one spot since nobody compares to him.

And this is a draft that boasts the impressive likes of McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho (the other one), Mat Barzal, Zach Werenski, Travis Konecny, Noah Hanifin, and Brock Boeser – all of which (aside from Aho) were taken prior to Beauvillier.

Stats from HockeyDB.com

Things To Consider

First, he is 21 years old. Yes, he’s inconsistent, but that’s how 21-year-olds are. Very few step in like cagey veterans with the vision and discipline to succeed. Even Barzal has been inconsistent.

Secondly, he played under a mess of a franchise run by a coach who taught nothing to young players but to shoot and ask questions later. That’s not how to properly develop a 19 or 20-year-old player.

Third, on a team with a better roster management he likely wouldn’t have even cracked the NHL the first year or two.  For most teams with more NHL roster talent and better management, he would’ve been able to slowly learn in the AHL and avoid the Josh Bailey development model of rushing a player along due to lack of better options.

Lastly, and likely most important, he’s not Mat Barzal. Because he’s on a team with a player drafted the same year in the same round doesn’t mean he should be compared to that player. Only one player wins the Calder each year, and it’s unfair to compare him to the guy that was better than EVERY other rookie last year.

He should be compared to the entire draft, and compared to other 21-year-old players who played under a mess of a franchise for two years and still managed to put up good numbers.

Some will point to his games played. Yes, this is technically his third season at the NHL level, but as mentioned it probably shouldn’t be.

I’ve heard comments that he’s nothing more than a third line player. Or that his game doesn’t translate to the NHL level. That’s just not a fair assessment. It’s simply too early to tell that.

Yes, he can be stronger on the puck and convert more offensive opportunities. But he’s young and learning on the fly. And from my eye test he skates hard and is not a liability on defense.

Before you write him off before he even gets started, let’s look at this season as if it is his rookie season. He’s finally learning how to play under a real coach and a team led by players who are playing responsible, effective hockey. But keep in mind that’s he’s also ahead of about 200 other players from the same draft in spite of the deck stacked against him.