Burakovsky primed to break out for Capitals

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Andre Burakovsky, like the rest of the Washington Capitals, ended last season on a high.

Two seasons of individual frustration were forgotten when the 23-year-old forward scored two goals, his first points of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in a 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Then, Burakovsky had four assists in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, including one on center Lars Eller's Cup-winning goal in a 4-3 victory in Game 5.
Following a summer of celebration, including being the first to bring the Cup to his hometown of Malmo, Sweden on Aug. 9, Burakovsky hopes to carry the positive vibes from the end of last season into this one, beginning with the start of training camp Friday.
"I think the whole playoff run, everything from winning to how I was playing and everything, gives me a lot of confidence and makes me feel good about myself," Burakovsky said. "So, I'm having a good feeling going into the year."

On a team filled with players who got a huge monkey off their backs when the Capitals won the Cup for the first time in their 43-season history, Burakovsky stands out as one who still has a lot to prove. He enters his fifth NHL season seeking the breakout year he and the Capitals have been awaiting since they selected him with the No. 23 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.
With his size (6-foot-3, 201 pounds), speed and quick release on his shot, Burkovsky has the skill to be a top-six scoring wing, but has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries the past two seasons. Scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1, 2019, Burakovsky believes he's ready to finally put together a complete season.
"It's going to be a really important year for me this year," he said. "Last year of my contract and, hopefully I'm going to have this breakout like we've been talking about. I know I can have this breakout, I know I can play a lot better, but I need to find a way to stay healthy the whole year.
"It's tough to reach all these expectations that everyone has that you're going to score 20 and 30 goals when you're missing 20, 30 games each year."
Last season, Burakovsky missed 20 regular-season games with a fractured left thumb and two more with the flu, but also was a healthy scratch four times and finished with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 56 games. He missed 10 more games during the playoffs with a fractured right thumb and was a healthy scratch in Game 5 of the conference final.
It was a similar story in 2016-17, when he had 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 64 games. That season, he missed 15 games with a fractured right hand, endured a 26-game goal drought and was a healthy scratch three times.
"I feel like he's still learning a lot," center Nicklas Backstrom said. "He's had some bad luck. He's been playing well and then he's been injured. That's a tough thing to come back from, too. But I see him as a guy who wants to get better, which is a good thing. He has that drive and he works hard and he plays right way. So it will be a fun year to follow him."

As an assistant and associate coach with the Capitals the past four seasons, Todd Reirden worked mostly with the defensemen and the power-play units, but watched Burakovsky struggle and tried to provide encouragement and guidance. After taking over as Washington's coach from Barry Trotz, who resigned after last season and is now the coach of the New York Islanders, Reirden is now the one mainly responsible for trying to unlock Burakovsky's potential.
Burakovsky's NHL career-highs of 17 goals and 38 points in 79 games in 2015-16 appeared to be stepping stones at the time, but he hasn't been able to top them.
"Andre has had some tough breaks in terms of injuries," Reirden said. "Just when he seems to be hitting his stride, he gets derailed a little bit. There's a number of examples throughout the League that have had this type of situation, and have rebounded to see their career head ultimately on the right path and continue to string together some consistency. I think that's always a challenge for a young player."
After having trouble gaining Trotz's confidence at times, Burakovsky is looking forward to playing for Reirden, who he called "One of those coaches that I really like to have around me." But he will have to earn his opportunity.
Last season, he was surpassed on the Capitals depth chart by Tom Wilson and Jakub Vrana, who each moved into top-six forward roles.
Burakovsky likely will begin this season on the third line with Eller and Brett Connolly. After sustaining three fractures to his hands in the past two seasons, he plans to switch to a new set of gloves with additional protection in hope they will help him stay in the lineup.
"Obviously, one of the goals is to try to stay healthy the whole year," he said. "I think if I just stay healthy and don't get injured, I really have a chance to take the next step."