Washington Capitals 2017 Grades: Andre Burakovsky Continues To Grow

After a third straight season of producing from the bottom six, Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky is ready for more playing time. 

The Washington Capitals got a lot of production from their forwards this season. Andre Burakovsky was one of their most productive with 35 points in 64 games. Considering this came from almost exclusively a third line role, he should probably see more playing time.

At this point, Burakovsky has been productive for three years straight. There’s no more arguing if he’s an NHL forward because he is one. The big question is what kind of role should Burakovsky be playing in the future. But first, let’s review his up and down 2016-17 season.

All stats, unless otherwise mentioned, are at even strength from Corsica.

2016-17 Stats

Regular season: 64 games played, 12 goals, 23 assists, 35 points, +/- rating of +13, 14 PIMs, 31 hits, 25 blocked shots, 13:16 average time on ice, 55.2 percent CorsiFor percentage, 52.21 percent expected GoalsFor percentage, 61.8 percent GoalsFor percentage.

Postseason: 13 games, three goals, three assists, six points, +/- rating of +5, two penalty minutes, 14:20 average time on ice.

Which song describes his chance? Obviously, it has to be by a certain Swedish band. Perhaps the most famous one of all-time. Imagine Burakovsky singing this timeless classic to his head coach.

The Good

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Burakovsky had his most productive season yet. While he didn’t pass his career high of 38 points set last season, it’s worth noting he played 15 fewer games this season and finished just three points shy.

Only T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom produced more points per hour than him this season. Burakovsky continues to show an impressive level of shot generation, as only Alex Ovechkin had more individual shot attempts per hour. Combined with his third straight season with at least a 10 percent shooting percentage, he has a pretty strong upside on offense.

Burakovsky flourished with Backstrom and Oshie in the postseason. In total, he had six points in 13 games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Each of those three goals came with the first forward line in Games 5 and 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With Lars Eller and Brett Connolly, Burakovsky helped form one of the best forward lines in the NHL. From January to March they were arguably the team’s best line. This was the first time in his career Burakovsky proved he can take charge on a line. He led all Capitals in CorsiFor percentage.

The Bad

Once again, he was highly inconsistent. For example, following a two goal performance on Opening Night, Burakovsky had just five points in his next 17 games. He went 27 games without a goal from October to December. Burakovsky also scored just one goal in his last 14 games of the regular season. Hockey players are generally streaky, but he has to work on being more consistent.

It’s hard to pinpoint a reason for his inconsistency, but perhaps his wrist injury explains things. Burakovsky’s wrist injury in February likely hurt him moving forward. It’s hard to come back from those kinds of injuries because hockey players rely so heavily on their wrists. Burakovsky went through a bit of a rebellious stage, setting a career high with 14 penalty minutes. He’s increased his penalty minutes each season by two, so he might catch up to Tom Wilson by the time he turns 70.

Future

One has to think the former first round pick has outgrown his third line role. Burakovsky has proven he can be very special on offense. A promotion to one of the top two forward lines seems to be a given. However, a huge question is where should he play – left wing or right wing? Burakovsky has experience at both. In fact, his draft year came primarily on the right side. However, his center that year was Connor McDavid.

Burakovsky’s future is most likely on the left side, though his experience on the right side could prove useful. He’s a restricted free agent and his case is a bit complicated. Burakovsky has shown he can produce, even if he hasn’t done so in a top six role. The Caps will most likely sign him to a bridge deal, but they should at least check on his price for a long-term deal.

Next: End of an Era?

Player Grade

Discussion

What should Burakovsky’s role be next season? Would you kick the tires on a six-year or eight-year contract with him? If yes, how much per year would you offer him? Feel free to discuss in the comments.