Beauvillier is staying in the nation’s capital. The 28-year-old winger has agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals as an unrestricted free agent, the team announced Thursday.
Washington initially brought Beauvillier in at the trade deadline in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While he was originally added for forward depth, he quickly emerged as a key piece, injecting both scoring and speed into the Capitals’ lineup.
Following his strong showing in Washington, Beauvillier made it clear he wanted to remain with the team long-term, saying, “I’d love to play here for a long time.” However, general manager Chris Patrick had expressed caution, citing rising salary cap projections and an influx of young talent vying for roster spots.
“A lot of players are expecting sizable pay increases with the cap going up,” Patrick said over the weekend. “We’ll keep discussing what works financially, but we also have young players we need to evaluate.”
Beauvillier’s return became more likely after the Capitals missed out on top free-agent target Nikolaj Ehlers, who signed a six-year, $51 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In the 2024-25 regular season, Beauvillier notched five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 18 games with Washington, but really stood out in the postseason. Skating primarily on the top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome, he contributed six points (2g, 4a) in 10 playoff games — five of those coming in a five-game series against Montreal.
“He just shows up in big moments,” said Strome. “He has a lot of playoff experience and makes the right plays — whether it’s setting up a goal or defending late in a game.”
Though he proved capable on the top line, Beauvillier also logged nearly 100 even-strength minutes on the fourth line with Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime during the regular season. Head coach Spencer Carbery praised his versatility.
“He’s got great tools and can slot in just about anywhere,” Carbery said. “He’s that Swiss Army knife player you love having around.”
Beauvillier is the only unrestricted free agent from Washington’s 2024-25 roster to re-sign. Other former Caps—Lars Eller, Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, and Alex Alexeyev—all signed elsewhere this offseason.
Capitals Official Statement:
The team confirmed the extension Thursday, noting that Beauvillier’s new deal carries a $2.75 million average annual value. He totaled 25 points (15g, 10a) in 81 games split between Washington and Pittsburgh this past season. After joining the Capitals on March 7, he contributed five points over 18 games and added six more in the playoffs. During that time, he ranked among team leaders in hits, plus-minus, and shots.
At the time of the trade, he was second in hits (108) and third in five-on-five goals (12) for the Penguins.
Drafted 28th overall in 2015 by the New York Islanders, Beauvillier has played 631 NHL games, tallying 271 points (131g, 140a) with six different franchises. He also has 37 points (18g, 19a) in 65 career playoff appearances.
The Sorel-Tracy, Quebec native posted a career-best 21 goals in 2017-18 and 40 points in 2022-23. He’s hit the 15-goal mark in six of his nine NHL seasons.
Internationally, he’s represented Canada at multiple events, including the World Juniors and World Championships, and won gold at the 2014 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Prior to his NHL career, Beauvillier starred for the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, putting up 206 points in 178 games over three seasons.
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