When Brooks Laich began his first full season as an NHLer a decade ago with the Washington Capitals, the situation he was entering wasn’t exactly ideal: the Caps had missed the playoffs in two of the previous three years and were in the early stages of a massive roster-reshaping – and on a personal level, Laich had been acquired from Ottawa in exchange for veteran winger Peter Bondra, one of the most popular and productive players in franchise history.
But even at age 22, Laich possessed a maturity and drive that, in short order, made him an integral component of Washington’s climb back to being a Stanley Cup playoff contender.