Andre Burakovsky ticketed for indefinite stay in Hershey after trades

Facing the possibility that he might not get regular ice time following the acquisition of left wing Curtis Glencross over the weekend, Andre Burakovsky was sent to Hershey of the American Hockey League on Monday — a move that Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said will last indefinitely.

The team had originally planned to send Burakovsky, 20, to Hershey on Monday to make him eligible for the Bears’ potential playoff run, then recall him on Tuesday in advance of the Capitals’ road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Instead, MacLellan and coach Barry Trotz figured it would be best for Burakovsky to play in Hershey rather than be a healthy scratch for the Capitals.

“He’s always ready, and every time we’ve put him in the lineup, he’s done fantastic job for us,” Trotz said. “He’s still learning. He’s bright. I’ve got Burt penciled in as a top-six forward for the next 15 years of his career. That’s where he’s headed. Is he there? Some games he’s there. Some games he’s not. He’s still in the development stage. But you’re not going to find a person or a better player who’s eager to do well.”

Burakovsky, who has nine goals and 12 assists over 48 games for the Capitals, has been shuffled around the Capitals’ lineup, starting games as the top-line right wing but occasionally slotting in on the third or fourth lines as well.

He originally made the team out of training camp as the second-line center, but that experiment ended by late November and he was moved back outside.

With the trade deadline having passed, the 23-man roster limit has been abolished, but the Capitals are only able to recall four players on a non-emergency basis for the remainder of the season. Immediately using one of those slots on Burakovsky, when he wouldn’t play, was determined to be unwise.

“I think it’s important for us to just see where our team is at right now,” MacLellan said. “The Burakovsky assignment is not permanent. We’re not sure what it’s going to be like. We need to look at our team with Glencross in it and [Marcus] Johansson on the first line. We don’t want Burakovsky sitting out playing fourth-line minutes for the time being, and then when we use our recall, he’ll be up for good after that.”