The Washington Capitals will be looking to incorporate more youth into the mix going into this season, as they'll fill their vacancies up front with prospects after missing out on some of the bigger names earlier in free agency. That being said, where does Ethen Frank fit into the mix?
Frank is in an interesting position, having graduated from the AHL last season. After putting up 20 goals and eight assists through the first 35 games of the year with Hershey, Frank earned his first call-up to the Capitals and impressed in his stint, picking up four goals and three assists in 24 games. He remained up in D.C. as an extra forward, and was a reliable option to have in the fold.
Now, the 27-year-old has a big opportunity going into training camp; he's shown that he can remain up at the highest level, but now, he can show that he deserves to be in the lineup on a nightly basis.
Frank is known for his speed and shot, and he has great vision and uses his assets to his advantage. It makes him a major threat in the offensive zone; he just has to continue to work on his consistency and adding to his frame.
Going into this season, Frank faces heavy competition, with Justin Sourdif joining the mix, Sonny Milano expected to be healthy for the start of camp and Ivan Miroshnichenko, Andrew Cristall, Hendrix Lapierre and Henrik Rybinski all gunning for an NHL job this season.
Looking at Frank's situation, though, he's proven that he's a reliable option to have at the highest level, and as long as he maintain the consistency and play he finished out last season with, he should be a lock to remain at the highest level. That said, he'll still have quite a bit to prove in training camp.