From Alexeyev to Wilson, we’re taking a look at and grading the 2023-24 season for every player who laced ‘em up for the Washington Capitals for a significant number of games during the campaign, with an eye towards 2024-25. Next up, Ivan Miroshnichenko.
The Bio:
#63 | Left Wing | Shoots: Right
Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 | Born: February 4, 2004
Birthplace: Ussuriysk, Russia | Acquired: Drafted in 2022, 1st round (20th overall)
Cap Hit: $950,000 | Signed Through: 2025-26 | Expiry Status: Restricted Free Agent
The Stats:
The Charts:
The Key Stat: Miroshnichenko played 21 games for the Capitals this season (plus one in the playoffs), meaning the first year of his entry-level contract officially kicked in. Said Coach Carbery at the time, “He’s playing great, and that’s why he’s here now for that 10th game that we all know about, right? He’s earned it. This isn’t a courtesy, ‘Hey, young player, first-round pick, 20 years old, just get your feet wet in the National Hockey League.’ He is earning his ice time and opportunity with the way that he’s playing.”
The Good: Since being drafted back in 2022, Miroshnichenko’s arrival has been eagerly anticipated by Caps fans. Aside from what seems to be a healthy dose of talent, he’s also just a great story and someone you want to root for, having beaten cancer right before being drafted by the Capitals in the first round. He started the season in Hershey, playing 27 games with the Bears before getting the call to join the Caps right before Christmas and making his NHL debut against the Islanders. His first handful of games with the big club were quiet for Miroshnichenko, as he averaged just over 10 minutes a night in the four before heading back to Hershey.
It was his second go-round with the team where he started to show off his skills, kicking off his return in early March with his first NHL goal (against the Penguins, making him an instant legend) and tallying six points in nine games, including his first multipoint game. He would go on to finish out the season with the Caps, and get his first taste of the NHL playoffs with an appearance in Game 3 against the Rangers, before rejoining the Bears in time for their playoff push (where he seems to have settled in quite nicely, thank you).
The Bad: There were definitely some rookie-season struggles for Miroshnichenko as he adjusted to North American hockey. Outside of that nine-game stretch in March, he didn’t provide any offense – in the regular season or his one playoff game – and finished the season with just 6 points in 21 games played. It was tricky to find him a place in the lineup that worked, as he’s not a fourth-line grinder but isn’t quite ready for the weight of a top-six role, either, and it showed at times.
Still, for Miroshnichenko, small sample size warnings abound, and most of the results from this season (especially given the quality of the team around him for the majority of that time) should be taken with a grain of salt. As much as he earned that initial callup and the second one in the spring, this year was as much about experience for Miro as anything else – and he got that.
The Video: His first NHL goal…
…and his first NHL “babe”.
The Discussion: Do you think Miroshnichenko can bring the offensive touch he’s found back in Hershey up to the Caps next season or does he need another year or so to mature? Should he make the squad next season, what do you see his role being and who could he play alongside? And finally, what would it take for you to give Miroshnichenko a 10 next season?
The Vote: Rate Ivan Miroshnichenko below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – so if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.