Washington Capitals left winger Andre Burakovsky, similarly to the previous two seasons, got off to a slow start to begin the season. He didn’t record a single point in his first eight games. Then Burakovsky scored his first goal in Edmonton and would go on to score five goals and record three assists (8 points) in his next 20 games. Then Burakovsky went on a stretch of 14 games recording just three points, all assists.
As the weeks wore on, fans were getting tired of Burakovsky’s inconsistent play. Many wanted General Manager Brian MacLellan to trade him.