Late in a small-ice game Monday, the third day of the Capitals’ annual development camp, goaltender Mitchell Gibson skated over to forward Ryan Leonard, Washington’s pick at eighth overall in last week’s draft, and told him to score on his next shift.
Leonard had a few words for opposing goaltender Chase Clark, letting him know that he was coming, and then did just what Gibson asked, firing a wrist shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net for the winning goal. It was far from Leonard’s only standout moment at development camp, which concluded Wednesday, but it encapsulates the 6-foot, 190-pound winger’s competitive nature — and his high-level shot.
“He can kind of release it from anywhere on the ice, and it’s tough to defend,” defenseman Ryan Chesley said. “It’s an NHL-ready shot.”
First-round picks are expected to be a cut above the rest at development camp — winger Ivan Miroshnichenko, selected 20th in 2022, also was one of the top performers — but Leonard nonetheless lived up to that lofty standard.
Even though he was one of the youngest players in the group, Leonard’s shot was visibly and audibly one of the hardest in camp, and the speed and deception of his release regularly caught goalies by surprise. Though he admitted he hasn’t done much power skating work, his athleticism let him perform well in sessions with skating coach Wendy Marco. And while development camp isn’t intended to encourage physical play, Leonard didn’t shy away from contact when the opportunity arose.
“He showed why we were so pleased to get him,” Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said. “Strong. Explosive. I think I said before, after the draft, his shot, and it was on display here. ... It’s not only accurate, not only does he have a quick release, but he has such a heavy shot. He is very competitive. He’s not afraid to take the puck to the net, and he’ll score goals in those tougher areas. Really, really happy with him.”
Leonard won’t be at the Capitals’ rookie camp in September; he’s headed to Boston College, and NCAA players aren’t allowed to miss class for NHL team activities. But his week-long cameo at development camp offered a glimpse of his NHL future and made it clear that when Leonard arrives as a pro, he has the tools to be an impactful player.
“Obviously this organization has a lot of trust in me,” he said, “and I just want to prove them right.”
Even though he was his team’s leading scorer in the three-on-three tournament that closed camp, Leonard’s scoring prowess wasn’t quite enough to carry his squad to victory. The honor of lifting the trophy instead went to Andrew Cristall, a 5-9 winger who showed off his skill all week, including by scoring the tying goal in the tournament’s final game. Somewhat ironically, for a player known for his quick hands and flashy ability around the net, Cristall’s final goal was an old-fashioned one-timer.
“Andrew Cristall, I thought, had a good camp,” Mahoney said. “You could see his hands, and you could see his [hockey] sense. You could also see he needs to get a little bit stronger, for sure. But his team won the competition there. The hands and sense were on display there, too. He did very well.”
Edmundson hopes to ‘come into camp strong’
Defenseman Joel Edmundson, acquired Saturday from the Montreal Canadiens, has dealt with extended injury absences each of the past two seasons. In 2021-22, a back injury kept him sidelined until March; he played just 24 games. Last season, he suffered a lower-body injury before training camp and missed the first month, then later was out another month with an upper-body injury.
Edmundson played the final 20 games of the season without issue; on the year, he had two goals and 11 assists in 61 games. The 6-5, 221-pound 30-year-old met with the media Wednesday and said he expects to have a healthy season with Washington.
“I’ve been in the gym for about two months now,” he said. “I’m starting to skate. Body’s feeling really good. ... I just want to have a full, healthy summer of training and come into camp strong. The last two seasons, I got injured right before camp, so I think that just put me behind the eight ball right away and got my season off to a slow start while everyone was already buzzing.”