Hours before his second-period goal at Barclays Center bolstered his case to crack the Washington Capitals’ opening-night roster, forward Sean Collins earned an already strong endorsement from his new bench boss. “You talk about a guy who would be perfect for a 13th forward,” Coach Barry Trotz said, “he can come in and play, he has NHL experience, all that.”
The 26-year-old, a former seventh-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, hadn’t actually spent much time at the highest level – 19 games across three seasons – but signed with Washington hoping to thrust himself into the very race of which Trotz spoke.