Now it’s on the playmaking center to show he can do it again – and with Washington returning most of its roster from last year, there doesn’t seem to be any reason he won’t. Nonetheless, it’s hard for those who drafted the Russian center to complain, as he rewarded his fantasy owners in spades, finishing among the league leaders in rating with a plus-27 to go with his 20 goals and 57 helpers. That’s no small part of the reason that the Caps – considered one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup – got bumped in the second round by the eventual championship-winning Penguins. Kuznetsov busted out last year for an extraordinary 77-point breakout campaign, but it ended in disappointment when he went the final 20 games of the regular season without scoring a goal, then offered up just two points in 12 playoff games.
