AP Photo/Winslow Townson
Although his traditional hockey stats may not exactly overwhelm the more myopic fan, one can easily argue that Jay Beagle is as much of an MVP for the Capitals as any of their mainstream superstars.
It’s no secret that Jay brings hard work and hustle to each and every day that he is a professional hockey player. His personal work ethic and “lead-by-example” ethos can’t be quantified in a pedestrian statistic. Call it intangibles, or whatever, Beagles value is tremendous to the team, and at $1,750,00 a year, one could easily argue his deal is the best contract value on the Capitals roster.
Coach Trotz has commonly referred to the “Beagle Line” as the “Energy line“. One could easily argue that the “Energy Line” won the game for the Capitals on Sunday night. It would be Jay Beagle and his linemates on this night, Brett Connolly and Zach Sanford, who would jump-start the scoring for the Capitals.
Brett Connolly gets his first with the #Caps and Zach Sanford picks up his first NHL point! #CapsFlames #RockTheRed pic.twitter.com/PqkpfjBdY6
— Washington🎃Capitals (@Capitals) October 31, 2016
This early goal set a tone from the start, important to do in any game, but particularly on the road. Beagle is off to a good statistical start, for those that prefer to only measure value by those means. He’s currently tied for eighth on the team in total points.
There are other players that put people in seats, sell merchandise and generate national interest on the Capitals roster, but when it comes to setting a framework for success, I’m taking Jay Beagle with my first pick.
The Beagle family, following the game in Calgary on October 30th, 2016. Jay still resides in the Calgary area during the offseason. (Photo: @Capitals)
By Jon Sorensen
