Washington Capitals Report Card: Lars Eller
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller had a quiet, yet another productive season in Washington this year.
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller’s point and goal production took a bit of dip from last season, as he fell to 13 goals in 81 games played. He did, however, notch 23 assists, which was a step up from the 2017-18 season. He likely has Brett Connolly to thank for that.
Eller did, however, notch the most ice time of his career with an average of 16:32 per game. His career average is 14:50, and his average in Washington is now 15:15.
Paired with Brett Connolly on a potent offensive line for the Capitals, Eller was able to produce near what he was able to in the 2017-18 season, which was his best to date.
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In fact, it’s reasonable to assume that Eller would have notched career bests in all major offensive categories, were it not for an 8.0 percent shooting percentage — the worst of his career.
With a bit of a rotating cast of characters throughout the season, he and the Capitals began to settle down and turn on the jets after the trade deadline.
Eller posted a 51.4 percent Corsi For percentage, a significant bump up from last year’s 48.3. His relative corsi was 3.2 percent, good for fourth on the team for forwards that skated more than 50 minutes in the season.
The most common lineup the Capitals threw out for the third line was the combo of Andre Burakovsky, Eller and Connolly. Through the season, the trio wasn’t exactly stellar. They posted a 46.99 Corsi For percentage and had an Expected Goals percentage of 43.90.
After the deadline, though, they found their footing.
The three posted a 53.33 percent Corsi in 47:15 time on ice together, as Eller took off in terms of possession. As an individual, he posted the highest Corsi percentage after the deadline at 59.95, the highest Expected Goals percentage at 65.61 percent.
In essence, when the season came down to the wire, Eller was the most dominant possession player on the team. In the middle six, that’s nothing to be overlooked.
Grade B: Eller performed well yet again, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to be a solid player at an affordable price. He plays the penalty kill and has proven to be a reliable point-getter in the Capitals bottom six.
The biggest test of Eller’s tenure in Washington will likely come next season, as Burakovsky and Connolly could find themselves on different teams.
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Should that happen, Eller would find himself in a position where he’s expected to drive the third line. We’ve seen him do it for stretches, now we’ll need him to do it for a season.