Ryan Leonard’s biggest adjustment when it came to making the pro jump? Being able to play free.
Now, months into his career with the Washington Capitals, the team’s “free bird” has found his wings.
Leonard’s been riding a hot streak of late, but officially broke out on Wednesday with two goals and two assists en route to a 7-1 thumping of the San Jose Sharks, led by former Boston College teammate Will Smith.
For Leonard, that success has come from just finding his identity and playing without limits. It’s not just the points that stand out; he’s been a menace out there, getting under the skin of his opponents, throwing his weight around, battling for pucks and keeping his feet moving.
“You wanna keep getting better as the season goes and do more and more every night for this team,” Leonard said.
He’s also been relentless on the forecheck, and with that, he’s gotten more responsibility and playing time, most notably on the power play, where he’s turned things around for the team’s man advantage.
Leonard got on the board in the first after showing great patience with the puck, and then early in the third, struck again on a highlight-reel play where he hit 19 miles per hour, fended off multiple Sharks on the backcheck, kicked the puck to himself and dangled home his second of the game.
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He also had two assists, finding Alex Ovechkin on the power play before later helping set up Dylan Strome.
The 20-year-old is on a four-game point streak and has points in five of the last six. Leonard’s seven goals this season are tied for second among rookies, and he ranks third in overall scoring in that department, too.
He’s also just the fourth player in franchise history in the last 40 years to have a four-point game at age 20 or younger. The last to do so was Nicklas Backstrom in 2008.
“It’s been fun to watch,” goaltender Charlie Lindgren said of Leonard’s growth. “He’s going to score a ton of goals in this league. He’s got that knack, he can skate, he can shoot the puck. It’s fun to see what he’s doing so far, and he’s only going to get better.”
It took some time for Leonard to find his footing, but right now, the biggest contributor to his success has been pure confidence. And that’s exactly what he’ll need to continue finding consistency and remaining among the NHL’s top rookie performers.
“The talent and drive that he has as a young man. I saw that day one… he’s continuing to push to get better and better and better. He’s very, very driven, and that’s where you’re excited as a coach,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “He’s so coachable and he wants to get better and he wants information. That’s a big reason why you see a young man like that continue to just chip away and earn more opportunity and just continue to produce and play better.