The 26-year-old rookie has kicked things into higher gear with the Capitals.
WASHINGTON — When it came to the Washington Capitals' 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, coach Spencer Carbery had one regret: not putting Ethen Frank out on the ice for some 3-on-3 action and the game on the line.
"I'm mad at myself I didn't play him in overtime," Carbery said boldly minutes after the defeat.
Frank has been a standout in what's been his first call-up to the NHL, and as a result, he's put the Capitals in a tough spot. He has extended his stay past the 10-game mark, meaning he's no longer waiver-exempt and that the team will risk losing him if it tries to return him to the AHL's Hershey Bears.
But even more impressive, he's kept up a consistent performance, which has led to him staying in the lineup full-time over the likes of Jakub Vrana, and on Saturday, earned a promotion to the top-6, replacing Connor McMichael on the second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas while also logging time on the power play.
"It's him," Carbery added. "I give him a ton of credit because he continues to do things with limited opportunity that's forcing (my hand)."
Since coming up to the big club on Jan. 10, Frank has led all forwards at 5-on-5 in Corsi for percentage (53.43), shots-for-percentage (60.92), expected goals-for percentage (61.42) and scoring-chances-for percentage (55.10).
Through 11 games overall, he has three goals and an assist, as well as a plus/minus of plus-5, while also bringing some flair to the struggling third line.
"The harder you work, the harder it is to give up," Frank said of being rewarded for the effort he's put in. "There's been a lot of unseen hard work (to get here). It feels pretty special and very good, for sure."
The proof isn't just in the numbers; he's passing the eye test with flying colors. The 26-year-old has showcased his wicked speed, something he grew up perfecting, as well as his rocket of a shot, vision and playmaking ability at the highest level.
"He's earning more opportunity and saying, you know, 'Why not give me a look...' that's what I've started doing. I start putting him in more situations where we can utilize him because he continues to show up and prove and do positive things every time — the majority of the time — he's out on the ice."
