Ryan Leonard To Compete For National Championship With Boston College After Frozen Four Win; When Will He Join Capitals?

The Washington Capitals will get to continue cheering on their top pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, as Ryan Leonard is headed to the National Championship after he helped Boston College defeat Michigan in the Frozen Four.

Leonard, who went eighth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, had an assist in the opening minutes of the Eagles' 4-0 victory and was showcasing his speed, offensive prowess and grit all night long. B.C. will face the Denver Pioneers for the title on Saturday.

With Leonard's season set to end this weekend, several are wondering when the 19-year-old will make the NHL jump, considering he has 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 points in 40 games this season and has shown that he has the size, speed and hockey IQ to make the transition sooner rather than later.

Related: Lindgren Blunt After Capitals Lose For 7th Time In 8 Games & Fall Back Out Of Playoff Spot: 'If We Come Up Short, It Doesn't Mean As Much'

Ultimately, though, the future rests in Leonard's hands. The Massachusetts native is enjoying the NCAA experience so far and has said that he's not too concerned about when he'll go pro. Washington is also leaving that up to him, as general manager Brian MacLellan explained back in March.

"It's exciting for him and for everybody in our organization. He's playing well, he's an interesting player, he provides a lot of things," MacLellan said. "The skill, the grit, the compete, the skating. We're excited for his season. Looking forward to having him in the organization at some point.

"We don't want to interrupt his season... I don't think it's, 'We want you to turn pro.' We'll assess with his gent, we'll talk to him at the end of the year, talk about the year and where he's at and make a decision based on that. It'll be a lot in his hands, in my opinion, on what he wants to do. Does he want to go back for another year or does he want to turn pro? We'll accommodate his wishes."

View the original article to see embedded media.

If Leonard and the Eagles win the championship, it could make it easier for Leonard to make that NHL jump after having accomplished his goal while several of his linemates also look to potentially go pro. However, he may want another year to continue rounding out his overall game.

Whatever it is, the ball is in his court, and the Capitals will go with his choice. However, signs point to that promotion to the highest level coming sooner rather than later, and he could be good to have if the team does end up fighting its way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.