When Stanislav Galiev returned from his American Hockey League conditioning stint earlier this week, Washington Capitals Coach Barry Trotz acknowledged that it was important to get Galiev into the lineup because playing time is essential to his development. When Washington sent him down, it had been three weeks since he played his last game, his confidence shaken after he received first-line minutes in the AHL last season.
Galiev produced in his five games with the Hershey Bears, scoring three goals and playing heavy minutes after a lengthy idle stretch. Andre Burakovsky hasn’t produced, with just one point in his last 11 games despite being gifted a place on the second line.