Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Kuznetsov And Burakovsky Are Primed For Breakout Years
The Washington Capitals aren’t the best at developing forwards. While they do have Marcus Johansson, they haven’t developed a great forward since Ovechkin and Backstrom. That could change in 2015 as the Caps have two potentially great young forwards in Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. Both will be expected to play large roles in 2015, but they are both ready for it.
Kuznetsov had a rough start to the season as he tried to adjust to the NHL. He struggled to play the way that Barry Trotz wanted him to play. Even during his struggles, Kuznetsov showed that he had immense skill. It took him until the second half to get going, but once the month of March began, it was like someone turned Kuznetsov’s switch to “on”. The rest of the NHL realized how great Kuznetsov is in the playoffs. His goal against the Islanders in Game Seven will be remembered by Caps fans forever.
Burakovsky began the 2014 season as the Washington Capitals second line center. He earned that job after an impressive training camp and pre-season. It didn’t take long for him to score his first NHL goal, as he scored it on his first NHL shift. While Burakovsky was one of the Capitals best possession forwards, it took Barry Trotz a while it trust him. In the playoffs, Trotz proved that he trusts Burakovsky. Burakovsky should flourish in 2015 with more consistent playing time.
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