Capitals Officially On Ryan Leonard Watch, Boston College Eliminated From NCAA Tournament

The Washington Capitals are officially on Ryan Leonard watch.

Leonard's sophomore season with Boston College officially came to an end on Sunday, as the Eagles fell to the Denver Pioneers, 3-1, in the regional final. It was a repeat of last year's crushing loss to Denver in the title game, but there are different implications this time around as B.C. sees an earlier exit and Leonard more likely pro-bound.

The 19-year-old appears to be ready to make the full-time NHL jump, and now that his season is over, he can officially sign his entry-level contract. The plan for general manager Chris Patrick, who planned around his pending arrival at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, was to reach out and start talking with his camp when his season ended, and he could arrive in D.C. sooner rather than later.

Leonard, who was taken eighth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, finished his sophomore year with an NCAA-leading 30 goals and 19 assists for 49 points in 36 games, while earning Hobey Baker consideration and making headlines with his grit, speed and scoring prowess.

Having Leonard join the mix would be a major addition for the Capitals, who have lost three straight games and are looking to find their consistency again with nine games to go in the regular season and a long Stanley Cup Playoff run within the realm of possibility.

When it comes to where he would slot into the lineup, Leonard could start on the bottom-6 and work his way up, but he may also have to wait for his opportunity with the Capitals also planning to play Ethen Frank down the stretch and having to figure out which veterans would take a seat over Leonard.

Regardless, joining the pro ranks will be a major plus for the up-and-comer, who has been compared to Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie and other top names and has shown what he can do.