Washington Capitals top prospect Ryan Leonard has opted to return to Boston College for his sophomore season. Leonard the was drafted by the Caps eight overall in last summers draft and the hope was for him to sign after this season and possibly join the them for the playoffs. Leonard is 19 and plays all forward positions, but has recently been playing at wing.
Leonard help lead Boston College to the NCAA Championship game where they lost 2 to 0. In 41 games Leonard had 31 goals and 29 assist leading the team. Winning a Championship seems to have played a part in Leonard’s decision to return, if Boston College would have won the chances of him joining the Caps would have been greater.
The Caps have released a statement that they support Leonard’s decision and will continue to monitor his development. I think Leonard is NHL ready but dropping him right into a playoff series with the NHL’s speed may be another story. Clearly if he would have signed he more than likely would have been playing in the NHL next season.
Here is the statement.
President of hockey operations & general manager Brian MacLellan today issued the following statement regarding Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard’s decision to return to Boston College for his sophomore season.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/66SVNbn4O5
— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 17, 2024
