Photo: NHL/Getty Images
The last few weeks have been something of a whirlwind for Capitals forward Travis Boyd. From a health scare with his daughter that he followed up with a four-goal night with the Hershey Bears, to being recalled by the Caps, Boyd has been through a roller coaster, so to speak. However, Boyd’s recall to the Caps (his second this season) is not simply to give the team more depth at forward, but a reward for what has been a very productive season in the NHL.
When he was recalled back in December, Boyd had scored three goals and recorded 20 points in 23 games played for the Bears and subsequently played in two games for the Capitals, recording no points. Boyd was then recalled by the Caps before the NHL roster freeze in late February and has been with the team since then. After the Capitals lost two of their three-game West Coast road trip, Boyd was inserted into the lineup yesterday in a 2-0 win for the Caps. Boyd met with the media following following Saturday’s victory over the Sharks.
While he has yet to record his first NHL point, Boyd has been one of the Bears’ most productive players this season.
In a total of 56 games played with the Chocolate and White this season, Boyd has recorded 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists), which at the time of his recall, was 12th in the NHL and remains second on the Bears, behind only Chris Bourque’s 47 points. Drafted by the Caps with the 177th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Boyd has spent the last four seasons with the Bears, scoring 53 goals and adding 109 assists for 162 points in 210 games played. Despite his productivity in the AHL, Boyd has been unable to crack the Capitals’ Opening Night roster the last few seasons.
Given the Capitals’ recent scoring struggles over the last several games, Boyd’s extended NHL stay could be a result of the hope he can find the scoring touch that he has had throughout the 2017-18 season in Hershey. If he can do that, he could be one of a number of past Hershey regulars to join the Capitals’ roster, joining fellow forwards Chandler Stephenson and Jakub Vrana, and defensemen Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos (among others).
By Michael Fleetwood
Boyd’s first NHL goal is bound to happen soon
caps fans better hope some of their players on entry level contracts start producing because due to your inept g.m.nexts years roster will be loaded with entry levels because that’s all the cap space they will have left.caps fans keep blaming trotz but look what b.m is doing to your roster every year!your draft picks every year are limited due to unresponsible trades trying to get you past the second round of the playoffs(which by the way has not happened since 1998).overpaying players on bad contracts= many many entry level contracts.or smith-pellys or chiassons.i smell a 1st round exit!!!!TO THE FLYERS!!!
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