As Ryan Leonard will make his long-awaited debut for the Washington Capitals on Tuesday in fitting fashion against his hometown Boston Bruins, the expectations for him truly, aren't all that much.
Coach Spencer Carbery said that ultimately, he's not focused on the final stat line or systems knowledge from the 20-year-old; he just wants him to embrace that moment.
"There's not a lot of expectations other than go out there and compete your butt off and don't worry, don't overthink, don't feel like you're not in the right spot or, 'Did I understand the systems correctly?'" Carbery said. "Go out there ad compete your butt off and show your skill set. He's shown a lot over the last couple years. He's a great player, he has good pace to his game. So go use his individual attributes that he has and go have fun. You have one opportunity to play your first NHL game... enjoy the moment."
Leonard will get a major opportunity in his debut, slotting in immediately on the top-6. He'll skate with Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas on the second line, a spot captain Alex Ovechkin has grown used to this season.
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Ovechkin, who will skate with Pierre-Luc Dubois as Carbery tries to spark the top-6, said that he told Leonard to just be himself.
"Just play your game; don't try too much," Ovechkin said. "Pretty sure it's gonna be lots of energy, probably he's gonna be nervous but I'm pretty sure he's gonna be fine."
Leonard said his brother John, who plays professional hockey, told him to "embrace the moment," and the plan is to take things one step at a time and just make the most of his debut.
"It's just crazy that this is actually happening... 100 percent (ready)," Leonard said. "So excited to go out there This is the next page in my book, so hopefully it starts good tonight."
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at TD Garden as the Capitals look to end a three-game losing streak.
