The Capitals rookie has one assist through six playoff games so far. (Amber Searls — Imagn Images) <br> [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fca79809-7294-486d-86ab-fd72d5ab9d28.jpeg] The Capitals rookie has one assist through six playoff games so far. (Amber Searls — Imagn Images) <br> ARLINGTON, V.A. — After struggling in their series opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals appear to be shaking up their lineup, with Ryan Leonard looking like the healthy scratch for Game 2 on Thursday. Leonard stayed on with the extras following the team's optional morning skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Thursday, with Taylor Raddysh figuring to draw in for the rookie. Leonard has one assist through six playoff games so far, and though he's generated chances on the third line with Lars Eller and Andrew Mangiapane, he's struggled to finish his opportunities. Coach Spencer Carbery spoke a bit on the 20-year-old's play through the postseason, noting that the expectation wasn't for him to put up a lot of points. "That wasn't my expectation at all (for him to be scoring)... Him coming to our team after his season ended and coming to the NHL level, I had no preconceived notions or fantasies that Ryan Leonard was going to come in and dominate the National Hockey League this time of the year, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs," Carbery said. Leonard has been a regular in the lineup since signing his entry-level deal and joining the team to open the month of April, and this would be his first healthy scratch since. That said, Carbery wants to continue to develop the freshman properly as he continues to find his game and adapt to the speed of the league. "It's not unlike any other player, it's a process... I will treat him the same way from a standpoint of the development process for young players inside of our organization, whether they started in Hershey or they started in Washington," Carbery said, adding, "We will continue to work with all of our guys, but specifically, young guys are at the forefront of that. Making sure that every day, they're getting the necessary attention and communication of what they need to do to just continually improve, and they will." That said, Leonard may benefit from watching the game from above and getting a chance to catch his breath amid the whirlwind he's experienced over the last few weeks. Still, Carbery has been impressed with the work he's put in, and expects him to only get better the longer he spends at the highest level. "A lot of players we bring in are such quality people... they want to put that work in on a daily basis," Carbery said. "Sooner or later, you see growth. Sometimes for players it's like this, sometimes for players (it's another path), but eventually, you'll see those rewards as they continue developing."
