The Washington Capitals finally feel they have more balance on their forward lines, thanks to a blockbuster offseason coupled with the promise of their rising youth.

One of those young stars, Ryan Leonard, is expected to play an even bigger role going into this season. That said, where does he fit in the lineup?

Leonard is coming off a pivotal rookie season where he finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting and had 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 75 games. Despite his hot start being interrupted due to injury in December, he got back to his game toward the end of the year and was one of the top contributors down the stretch.

"It was a goal I kind of had in my for myself," Leonard said of hitting the 20-goal mark. "I talked to my parents at the Olympic break and told them I don't know if it's going to happen this year, and they both just said to keep believing and trusting myself. Happy they started to go in for me towards the end and I could really contribute to some of these team wins."

Coming into next season, Leonard is determined to continue fine-tuning the details of his game and practicing game-like scenarios to continue getting more comfortable at the highest level.

All the while, he wants to play a bigger role and bring more consistency to the mix, while also building on last year's totals.

And that's exactly what he'll be able to do in 2026-27.

Despite the influx of depth on the right side with Jordan Kyrou and Tom Wilson leading the charge, there is still opportunity for Leonard on the top-6, as he's more than open to playing on his off wing.

Leonard told The Hockey News last season that he's played the left before and is willing to play whatever role's asked of him, and it's also an option that coach Spencer Carbery is more than comfortable with.

"I'm not worried about moving wingers... Jordan Kyrou's played his off side, Leno's played his offside, Alex Tuch's played his off side. I don't think it's as significant," Carbery explained. "I feel comfortable with a lot of different guys playing their off side."

Then, of course, he's expected to play a major role up front on the power play. Last season, Leonard was one of the catalysts on the man advantage, and as Dylan Strome pointed out, there were instances where the power play seemed to flow through Leonard.

With that role, and his versatility at 5-on-5, expect Leonard to not only get his fair share of minutes, but to take a major step in the point production category, too, as he complements the team's newcomers.