Washington Capitals: Breaking down the third line with Richard Panik

After reports flooded on the eve of free agency about the signing of Richard Panik to the Washington Capitals, the team made it official.

The Washington Capitals tendered an offer to RFA Andre Burakovsky but traded him to the Colorado Avalanche. The Capitals also didn’t have the cap space to re-sign Brett Connolly. The right wing spot on the third line suddenly opened up.

The Capitals acquired Richard Panik from the Arizona Coyotes to fill this void. His new deal is the same term and salary as Carl Hagelin and carries an AAV of $2.75 million.

With the extension of Lars Eller in the middle of the 2017-18 season factored in, this Hagelin–Eller-Panik line will be a fun one to watch this upcoming season. The bottom-six struggled during the playoffs this spring but this move should give them the necessary boost.

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Eller and Hagelin have great chemistry when coach Todd Reirden pairs them together. The duo at even-strength has a Corsi-For percentage of 62.95%, a Fenwick-For percentage of 63.27%, Expected Goals For of 67.29%, Scoring Chances For at 65.81%, High-Danger Scoring Chances percentage of 63.04% and High-Danger Goals For percentage of 66.67%.

When these two aren’t together, those numbers drop. Eller’s advanced stat line without Hagelin is 49.26% Corsi-For, 48.03% Fenwick-For 48.03%, 48.68 Expected Goals For, 49.63% Scoring Chances For, and 46.06% High-Danger Scoring Chances.

When Hagelin wasn’t paird with Eller, his Corsi-For percentge was 49.08%. He was slightly better in Fenwick-For at 50.83%. Expected Goals For 46.82%, 48.78% Scoring Chances For, and 38.46 in High-Danger Scoring Chances (via Natural Stat Trick).

Enter Richard Panik, who’s spent seven years in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and the Arizona Coyotes. Last season Panik led all Coyotes right wingers with 33 points, sixth overall on the team.

He added 14 goals, tying the second-best mark of his career as well as 19 assists in 27 Coyotes games. His career-high in goal scoring came in the 2016-17 season when he scored 22 goals. He hopes to get back to that 20-goal plateau playing for an offensively talented team like Washington.

Panik said this on a conference call Monday afternoon with reporters:

“Obviously I would like to get back on track on that 20-goal mark, but I think with Washington’s playing style I can do it easily but it’s going to be up to me how I produce. I think I have a chance here to do it.”

For a deeper look at the even strength possession metrics, Panik’s Corsi-For percentage in 2018-19 was 50.8% and Fenwick For percentage 50.4% (via Hockey Reference).

Those are strong numbers and playing on a line with Eller and Hagelin will help not only get his advanced stats up, but allow Panik an opportunity to light up the scoresheet in the regular season and perhaps beyond.

Now there isn’t a guarantee that the third line will be permanent, there may be some shuffles here and there on the occasion when Reirden throws the lines into a blender.

Even so, all signs are pointing to Panik being a lock for the third line come Opening Night.