Three games is way too short of a sample size to judge any player, but for 23-year-old defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who the Caps traded a No. 1 pick and an older Swede for, the start has been noteworthy, to say the least.
With three assists in his first game, a goal (albeit a strange one) and an assist in his second game, he clearly showed his offensive prowess, but how about his defense?
The Caps gave up 40 shots on net against the Devils on Thursday, and Sandin played nearly 30 minutes. While goalie Darcy Kuemper was the star of the game, even in the losing effort in the shootout, no goals went in while Sandin was on the ice, while the Caps scored twice.
His 29:58 minutes on the ice was a season high for Sandin by almost four minutes. And while some of those minutes are boosted because players like Nick Jensen, Martin Fehervary, and John Carlson are out of the lineup, it’s comforting to see him step up against one of the better teams in the conference.
