The Capitals rising star has three goals in six games so far.
Team USA hasn't had its strongest performance at the 2026 IIHF World Championships, but the Americans bounced back in a big way on Monday as Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard played a big role in a vital win over Hungary.
Leonard, playing on a new-look fourth line with Tommy Novak and Max Plante, showcased his offensive prowess and wicked shot en route to a 7-3 win over Hungary, while also continuing to serve as a catalyst on the power play.
The 21-year-old had his first goal early in the second period, getting the puck clean off the draw before driving to the slot and sniping the puck bardown to make it a 3-0 game. It marked his second goal of the tournament.
Leonard wasn't done there. Late in the second on a power-play opportunity, he took a page out of captain Alex Ovechkin's book, scoring on a one-timer from the left circle to extend the lead to 5-1.
Through 11:39 minutes of ice time, Leonard finished the game with two goals and a plus/minus rating of plus-2, while leading the Americans with five shots on goal.
In six games at his first World Championship, Leonard has three goals, a shootout winner and 26 shots, the most on Team USA altogether and third-most overall in the tournament.
The Americans have one final game of group play left, facing off against Austria on Tuesday in a must-win game to qualify for the quarterfinals, which start on Thursday.
Carbery & Murray Remain Perfect With Canada
Meanwhile, Spencer Carbery and Scott Murray, who are serving as coaches on Team Canada, remain undefeated after a 5-1 win for the Canadians over Slovakia.