Leonard missed seven games for the Capitals during an important stretch, a moment that the president of hockey operations noticed the season get away from them.
For Washington Capitals president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan, it's easy to pinpoint when the season started to get away from them.
And that was on Dec. 5 against the Anaheim Ducks, when Ryan Leonard took a high, blindside hit from Jacob Trouba.
"When he got injured in Anaheim, I think our season took a hit, because we were a little thin at the time with Dubois," MacLellan explained. "He was projecting (really well), and his game was taken off. And then he got injured, and I think it really hurt our overall team performance. Whereas if he would have continued on that trajectory, I think it would've been really good for our team and really good for him."
Before that hit, he'd had 11 points in 13 games and breathed new life into the power play. Leonard suffered shoulder and facial injuries on the play and missed seven games during an integral stretch for D.C.
That's when things started to get a turn, with losses mounting and the team sliding down in the standings.
Upon coming back, the 21-year-old had to find his game and consistency again, and at the same time, Washington couldn't string together wins as the team went 6-8-2 in January, a rough stretch it couldn't make its way back from to qualify for the playoffs.
Ultimately, though, Leonard was able to reignite that spark down the stretch, leading the charge with 10 goals and 15 points through the final 20 games of the season to hit the 20-goal mark.
"It took him a while to find his way back, and I really liked the way he played at the end of the year," MacLellan said.
Leonard ended the year ranking fifth among all rookies in scoring with 45 points in 75 games, and going into next season, Washington is expecting him to come back even stronger.
"Going forward here, I think he's going to have a lot of confidence. It's a young guy trying to find his way in a league that has a lot of skill, a lot of speed, a lot of finish, a great shot," MacLellan said. "(He will) just become more consistent here. Going forward, he's going to be a huge part of our organization."