Sandin Still Has More To Give To Capitals, Reflects On Toronto, Growth & Future

The 23-year-old is happy to be in Washington and hopes to be a big part of the Capitals future after things didn't work out in Toronto.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- The first NHL jersey that the Sandin family bought was a Washington Capitals sweater for Linus, Rasmus Sandin's older brother. For a young Rasmus, it was another way to showcase his love for the sport that would ultimately serve as a foreshadowing of his NHL future.

Just a little over a month ago, Sandin was in Seattle, skating with the Toronto Maple Leafs before being pulled aside and off the ice. He then found out he was traded, packed his bags and headed to California to join his new team, which was in the middle of a three-game road swing.

It was a whirlwind and shocking moment for the 23-year-old, and as he caught a flight south, the sting set in.

"I think I played some good hockey, but obviously, it didn't go as planned," Sandin said matter-of-factly. "I think if it did and we had a good fit, they probably wouldn't have traded me here... I think they wanted something else for the team, which I totally respect.

"It was a huge shock from the beginning when I got the message I was traded," he added. "But you know, pretty quickly after, it was more of leaving all your best friends that you have there for such a long time and even before I was in Toronto, so that, I think, was the toughest part."

Then, Sandin got on the phone with general manager Brian MacLellan and also spoke to head coach Peter Laviolette and the rest of the staff. And upon walking into the room, he realized that there was a major opportunity in front of him that was his for the taking.

MacLellan brought in the 23-year-old to help lead the charge and be a key core member of the blue line going into the future as the team's struggles and inconsistencies forced an on-the-fly retool that will likely continue into the summer. And for Sandin, that took away from the hurt that came with leaving the Maple Leafs organization in the rearview.

"Getting here and getting a chance, this team, I feel like they really wanted to get me," Sandin said, adding, "When you get to a team like this that wants you and just the first couple of calls with the GM, with coaches and all of that, it makes you feel very, very good about yourself and just coming here."

Sandin was thrown right into the fire, taking on a top-pairing role with John Carlson still working his way back from a fractured skull and the team also lacking defensive depth following the departures of Dmitry Orlov and Erik Gustafsson.

The Swede was playing over 25 minutes a night to start his D.C. tenure, skating on the top pairing with Trevor van Riemsdyk and also playing on the top power-play unit. Now with Carlson back, he is still in a top-4 role, skating with Nick Jensen, and he is on the second power-play unit.

In 14 games so far with the Capitals, Sandin has worked wonders moving the puck and generating offense. He has a goal and 12 assists for 13 points, and he also has 22 hits and 15 blocks, and he is continuing to adjust to the team's systems while the team is looking at where he fits in best.

Despite the strong offensive stat line, he said he still has a lot more left to give and also noted that he wants to improve his play in his own end, which hasn't been the sharpest since he arrived in the District. Sandin has a plus-minus of minus-6.

"It's always fun to produce, stuff like that,  but I mean, at some point, I think some areas of the game haven't been where I want it to be," Sandin said. "And obviously we haven't won enough games either in the last couple of weeks. So something we need to get better at, but it's fun when you get to produce and help the team in that way."

Still, despite where the team stands and the lack of playoff position, Sandin said the trade has been great as he continues to soak in the experience.

"It hasn't been disappointing at all so far. It's just been a lot of fun," he smiled.

Sandin also noted that having a veteran core to learn from, including the likes of Alex Ovechkin and a No. 1 defenseman in John Carlson, is vital for his development. Sandin's stall is right next to Carlson's, and for No. 38, it couldn't be a more perfect setup.

"It's a lot of fun. First off, just being around guys like we have here in Washington, you get to learn a lot every single day," he said, adding of Carlson, "He's a guy I've been looking at for quite some time, and it's awesome to be on the same team as him.

"Just being around a guy like that, you just see how he acts off the ice and on the ice as well. It's a lot of things that I can learn as a young guy from him. If you make a mistake on the ice, it's easy to get caught up in it, and you're not gonna get back to your game after that shift," Sandin added. "He's an expert at that; he lets it go pretty quick and has a great shift and the right one after. So for me, just to be around a guy like that is awesome."

Looking to the future, Sandin reiterated that he is the type of player who lives by the classic hockey mentality: "game-by-game." He also emphasized the importance of winning a No. 1 role, noting that it's not something he wants to be handed to him.

"It's not just come in here and get that role. It's something you have to earn," Sandin said. "So it's up to me to keep playing good, and we have so many good defensemen here, too. So we need to really fight for that spot."

Sandin does know one thing for sure: he wants to be an integral part of the future of the Capitals.

"Hopefully, first off, I hope I get to stay here for a very long time. Secondly, I mean, I hope to be a two-way defenseman that the team can rely on in any type of situation," Sandin said, adding, "Hopefully, within my prime, I can be [that player]."