Ivan Miroschnichenko isn't coming up to the Capitals to just a replacement for Alex Ovechkin — and he doesn't need to be.
With Alex Ovechkin out for some time with a week-to-week lower-leg injury, the Washington Capitals find themselves facing a tough new reality, one where they have to replace more than just their captain's goal totals over the coming weeks.
Not only will the veterans absolutely need to step up and fill in the leadership gap being left, but the team's youth will have to be on alert too as the Capitals' scoring depth has to shine even brighter than it has been.
Enter Ivan Miroshnichenko, who was recalled from the AHL's Hershey Bears on Wednesday.
Miroshnichenko is no stranger to the Capitals, even this early in his career. He just missed out on a roster spot after a solid training camp this preseason, and last year, he played in 21 games last season for Washington, where he managed six points (two goals, four assists).
The Russian has drawn attention over the course of his rising career with several comparisons to Ovechkin, so of course, with No. 8 out, fans are expecting him to fill his spot. Heck, he even scored this very Ovechkin-esque goal this preseason.
By no means, though, is that the plan. Miroschnichenko can't simply replace Ovechkin — and no one is expecting him to. Not even head coach Spencer Carbery, who wants to be "very careful" when it comes to deciding where Miroshnichenko slots in.
"He'll wholeheartedly understand that he's not up here to fill any type of void from O, other than a roster spot," Carbery stressed. "He's going to be himself."
That's exactly what you'd expect an NHL coach to say about a player who just turned pro last year, coming up to fill a roster spot left open by such a prolific generational talent like Ovechkin.
Still, his return to the District packs promise, as he's off to an impressive start in Hershey and is set to pass last year's 25-point total with flying colors. Playing top-6 minutes this season, he has seven goals and 14 points over 16 games, while factoring into the Bears' early success and sitting one point behind Ethen Frank for the team lead in scoring.
"We've seen him up here, we know his skill set. He's done a pretty good job down in Hershey thus far this year," Carbery added. "Felt like he was the right choice to bring up in this situation with us needing a forward. We'll see where that shakes out."
And though Miroshnichenko's not just automatically going to fill Ovechkin's void, there are comparisons to be made between the two — aside from the obvious.
Miroschnichenko is known for being an excellent skater with a powerful shot, and like his role model, he's known to "hit like a truck," according to one scouting report. Just watching him, it's easy to picture a younger Ovechkin as he was rising to prominence in the NHL.
And in only his second professional year, he has already nearly matched his previous season's goal-scoring total, and he's on pace to surpass 30.
Put simply: his development seems to be coming along nicely; it's a feel-good story for him after he overcame the Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis that forced him to take a year off from hockey and saw his draft stock fall.
It's unclear as of now where Miroschnichenko will slot into the lineup, though it's fair to assume he will fill in somewhere in the bottom-6, with Andrew Mangiapane likely to get the first shot at that top-line spot.
That would put Miroschnichenko in a solid spot, though, skating with Lars Eller and Jakub Vrana on a revamped third line.
With the right utilization, a call-up like this could be instrumental for a player like Miroschnichenko to take the next steps in his development toward becoming the power forward and the major scoring threat that he's projected to be.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves; again, Miroschnichenko is obviously no replacement for the captain — and he doesn't need to be. After all, Carbery said that Miroschnichenko just needs "to be himself."
Fortunately for the Capitals, being himself means that he can be an offensive threat, a powerful skater with the ability to finish his chances.
His style of game and the progression in his development should mean he can be a contributor to this team while Ovechkin heals up, and that's a win for Washington, too, as he could add to an already deep lineup and perhaps make a case for a longer-term stay, to boot.
