Insisting that he didn’t belong in the stands became a sort of mantra for Andre Burakovsky during his rookie season. He repeatedly said it, through stretches of being a healthy scratch and then being reassigned to the minors. He proved his point – possibly for good – when he tallied three points against the New York Rangers in the Washington Capitals’ second-round playoff series, cementing his place with the team’s young stars.
The 20-year-old won’t be leaving the lineup anytime soon, but it’s now about where he is in the lineup. Burakovsky started the season as the team’s second-line center, a sort of placeholder until Nicklas Backstrom returned after offseason hip surgery.