Taylor Chorney was nearing his 28th birthday this spring, a veteran defenseman still without a one-way contract in his career, until several injuries on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ blue line opened a window. For the final five games of his seventh professional season, then five more during a first-round loss to the New York Rangers, Chorney treated his appearances like an audition. Across the Metropolitan Division, busy with their own Eastern Conference quarterfinals series, the Washington Capitals took notice.
“When you’re a player that’s been on the bubble a little bit, there’s a tipping point where you say this is where I am … not lose the dream, but you probably do a little bit,” Coach Barry Trotz said.