Anthony Beauvillier hopes versatility will keep him with the Penguins for a long time

Anthony Beauvillier has skated with Sidney Crosby before.

To be clear, he skated against him.

And through him.

And past him.

During Game 6 of a first-round playoff meeting in 2021, Beauvillier, then of the New York Islanders, surged by a sluggish Crosby to score his team’s opening goal in what was a series-clinching 5-3 home victory.

Beauvillier, who led all players in that series with seven points (three goals, four assists), was modest when asked to recall that particular score.

“It’s kind of a long time ago,” Beauvillier said. “Went past him … and had a breakaway. Every time you play the Penguins, you know it’s always going to be a tough matchup. It was a good series. It could have gone both ways. … Now, I’m happy to be on (this) side of it.”

The Penguins brought Beauvillier to their side in July with a one-year contract worth $1.25 million. Management hopes he can be kind of a one-size-fits-all swing player who can fill in just about any of the winger roles on all four lines.

Through the first three days of training camp, coaches have been giving Beauvillier a test run on the top line next to Crosby at center and Bryan Rust on the right wing.

“Trying to pick (Crosby’s) brain,” Beauvillier said. “Him and (Rust), they have good chemistry together. So I’m just trying to fit in and try to fill in spots for them. Be in the right positions. It’s been good just learning from the two. … They’ve been doing it for a long time. So just trying to fit in with these guys.”

Having had a first-hand encounter with Beauvillier’s skating, Crosby understands the value his quickness can offer.

“Speed is always really important,” Crosby said. “It pushes teams back. You create turnovers with that. Today’s game, that’s what it’s all about.”

Beauvillier (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) had a lot of turnover last season in that he played for three teams in 2023-24: the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.

Spread out over the western third of the continent, Beauvillier appeared in 60 games and posted 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) while averaging 13 minutes, 35 seconds of ice time per contest.

He is hoping the Penguins will be his only employer in 2024-25. And perhaps beyond.

“Be more settled, be more comfortable in your environment instead of always trying to find different kinds of routines and be comfortable around teammates, that was probably the toughest part,” said the 27-year-old. “But learned a lot from the past season. Obviously, you want to have stability, not only in your career but your life as well. Looking forward to this season to do that.

“The goal is to have an impact here and, hopefully, stay here.”

Given that the Penguins have yet to even play a preseason game, it’s safe to assume Beauvillier isn’t a lock to open the regular season on Crosby’s port side. Drew O’Connor’s strong finish to the 2023-24 campaign in that station likely makes him the favorite to return to that role.

And the Penguins typically experiment with different line combinations during the early days of training camp. To wit, journeyman Vinnie Hinostroza — who skated all of 14 games for the 2023-24 Penguins — worked with Crosby and Rust when camp opened last year.

“He skates well,” coach Mike Sullivan said regarding Beauvillier. “And I think he’s a guy that’s pretty good in the puck pursuit game, the way he hunts pucks and gets after the puck. He’s got a good stick. He’s got some decent offensive instincts. We thought we would put him there for the first little while and see how it goes.”

The left-handed Beauvillier likely will slot to a lot of quadrants in the Penguins’ lineup. With ample experience on both wings and all four lines, his versatility is a valuable trait and makes him an option when coaches fill out a lineup.

“I feel like I can play a lot of different kinds of roles, whether it wing or center, left or right wing,” Beauvillier said. “It’s helped me (to) be moving in different positions whenever there’s a lot of injuries during the season. Sometimes, spots have to be filled in.

“I can do that. I take a lot of pride in being able to do that.”