Here's more on Justin Sourdif's start to the season and what he has to do to keep trending in the right direction.
The Washington Capitals knew what they were getting when they acquired Justin Sourdif this summer.
After all, the organization's had their sights set on him over the last few years before they could make a move for him this summer, citing his versatility, offensive upside and potential as he transitions to the NHL.
That said, the start of his tenure in D.C. hasn't gone as he'd hoped from a production standpoint.
So far, Sourdif's appeared in all 16 games for Washington this season, totaling just one goal and a plus/minus rating of minus-2 while averaging roughly 11:08 minutes per game.
While the finish and consistency hasn't exactly been there for Sourdif on offense, the 23-year-old rookie deserves some grace. Because, as a freshman in this league, he's doing a lot of the right things.
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Sourdif ranks sixth among Capitals forwards in Corsi-for percentage at 5-on-5 (55.91), and behind Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime, has the most defensive starts among forwards this season. He takes good care of the puck, makes good decisions and can play center or wing, while also switching roles between the third and fourth lines without complaint or hesitancy.
Recently, he's been skating with Hendrix Lapierre and Ryan Leonard, a trio that, despite not getting much ice time, has been able to generate a handful of scoring chances over the last few games. Lapierre and Sourdif together have an expected goals-for percentage of 71.86 at 5-on-5.
Ultimately, there's still room for Sourdif to grow, but he's trending in a positive direction and has the right attitude and mentality as he continues to try and be the impact depth piece that D.C. traded for.