2017 Offseason Player Tracker: Forwards

June 15, 2017

#10 Dustin Gazley
Gazley fractured his foot in his first game of the season on Oct. 23 and missed nearly the entire regular season. He did return to the lineup late in 2016-17, and appeared in all 12 playoff games. Gazley has spent the past four seasons in Hershey on an AHL contract.
2016-17 STATS: 1 point (1 goal, 0 assists), +1, 0  PIM in 3 games
CONTRACT STATUS: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT. Gazley’s was on a one-year AHL contract with Hershey in 2016-17.

#11 Zach Sill
Sill, one of Hershey’s top penalty killers, is set to return to the Washington organization next year. The veteran of over 400 AHL games has served as an alternate captain for Troy Mann’s squad.
2016-17 STATS: 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists), -12, 30 PIM in 67 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 will mark the final year of a two-year, two-way contract that Sill signed with the Capitals on Jun. 30, 2016. Sill DOES require waivers to be sent to Hershey. He qualifies as an AHL veteran.

#12 Nathan Walker
Walker, one of Hershey’s most popular players, will return to the Capitals organization for a fifth season thanks to a recently signed contract extension. Playing both center and wing, Walker chipped in 33 points last season with the Bears. The Aussie forward will look to make his NHL debut with Washington during the 2017-18 season.
2016-17 STATS: 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists), +11, 33 PIM in 58 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 marks the first year of a new two-year, two-way contract that Walker signed on Jun. 1, 2017. Walker DOES require waivers to be sent to Hershey. 

#13 Jakub Vrana
Vrana split time with Hershey and Washington last season. The 2014 first round draft pick scored six points in 21 games with the Capitals while adding 19 goals over 49 contests in Hershey.  
2016-17 STATS: 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists), +12, 28  PIM in 49 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 marks the second year of a three-year, entry-level deal Vrana signed with the Capitals on Jul. 15, 2014. Vrana does NOT require waivers to be sent to Hershey.

#14 Ryan Bourque
Bourque, a penalty kill specialist with an unmatched work ethic, tallied 14 points in his first full season with Hershey. He also appeared in all 12 playoff games with the Bears.
2016-17 STATS: 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists), -4, 16 PIM in 53 games
CONTRACT STATUS: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT. Bourque was on a one-year AHL contract with Hershey in 2016-17. Bourque would qualify as an AHL veteran.

#15 Travis Boyd
Boyd was Hershey’s team MVP during the 2016-17 season. He finished seventh in the AHL with 63 points, skated in the 2017 All-Star Classic, and was a Second Team All-Star. He is the active iron man in the AHL with 122 straight games played.
2016-17 STATS: 63 points (16 goals, 47 assists), +19, 16 PIM in 76 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. Boyd signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Capitals for 2017-18. 

#17 Chris Bourque
Bourque, one of the greatest players in AHL history, finished second on the team and ninth in the AHL with 60 points. He was the captain of the Eastern Conference for the 2017 All-Star Classic and hit several AHL milestones last season, including notching his 600th AHL point and 400th AHL assist.
2016-17 STATS: 60 points (18 goals, 42 assists), +5, 46 PIM in 76 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Hershey. Bourque signed an AHL deal on Jun. 20 for the 2017-18 season with a mutual option for 2018-19. Bourque counts toward the veteran limit. 

#18 Christian Thomas 
Thomas posted the best season of his professional career, setting career bests in all offensive categories. He tied for the team lead in goals with Hershey, but for the first time in four years, did not see any NHL action. 
2016-17 STATS: 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists), Even, 6 PIM in 65 games
CONTRACT STATUS: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT. Thomas was on a NHL one-year, two-way contract with Washington.

#19 Riley Barber 
A hand injury caused Barber to miss time in 2016-17, but the second-year forward collected 27 points in 39 games. Barber made his NHL debut in 2016-17, skating in three games with the Capitals.
2016-17 STATS: 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists), +4, 12 PIM in 39 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 marks the final year of a three-year, entry-level deal Barber signed with the Capitals on Apr. 17, 2015. Barber does NOT require waivers to be sent to Hershey.

#20 Liam O’Brien 
O’Brien had a breakout 2016-17 season with a 30-point performance in 64 games with the Bears. He played a key role on Hershey’s power play, and earned a call-up to Washington to play his first NHL game since 2014. A fan favorite, O’Brien was Hershey’s AHL Man of the Year for his work in the local community.
2016-17 STATS: 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists), +5, 117 PIM in 64 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. O'Brien signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Capitals in July. He will require waivers to be sent to Hershey. 

#21 Chandler Stephenson 
In the final year of his entry-level contract, Stephenson spent the majority of the season as the center on Hershey’s top line. The speedy forward played all situations and also appeared in six games with the Captials during multiple recalls. If re-signed, Stephenson will look to become a regular player in Washington next season. 
2016-17 STATS: 38 points (10 goals, 28 assists), +9, 42 PIM in 72 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. Stephenson signed a two-year deal with the Capitals in June. He is on a two-way contract in 2017-18, and a one-way deal in 2018-19.

#22 Stanislav Galiev 
After spending 2015-16 in the NHL, Galiev cleared waivers and was an important player for the Bears last season. He led the team in plus/minus, scored 21 goals, and had a strong post-season. The talented Russian forward told media at the end of the season he’d be exploring opportunities outside of the Washington organization for next year.  
2016-17 STATS: 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists), +21, 20 PIM in 56 games
CONTRACT STATUS: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT. Galiev was on a one-way contract with Washington last year.

#23 Hampus Gustafsson 
Gustafsson joined the Bears late in the season after completing his NCAA career at Merrimack College. The forward will start his NHL contract this upcoming season and will look to secure a position at center ice with the Bears.   
2016-17 STATS: 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists), +4, 13 PIM in 10 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 is the first year of Gustafsson’s two-year, entry-level contract signed with Washington on Mar. 7, 2017. Gustafsson does NOT need waivers to be sent to Hershey.

#26 Domenic Monardo 
Monardo spent the majority of the season with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. He posted 18 points in the playoffs, leading the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup Finals. Monardo became a fan favorite during his time in Hershey thanks to his blue collar work ethic and his Old Barn Show interviews.      
2016-17 STATS: 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists), +1, 6 PIM in 11 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Monardo signed a contract with HC Bolzano of the Austrian Hockey League (EBHL) for 2017-18.

#28 Paul Carey
Carey registered a point per game during the regular season and accomplished an impressive 19-game point streak from Oct. 28-Dec. 28. He was up and down between Washington and Hershey all season. He skated in six regular season games with Washington, and appeared in one playoff game as he spent the latter half of the season as the Capitals' extra forward.
2016-17 STATS: 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists), +14, 29 PIM in 55 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Carey will not return to Hershey. He signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Rangers on Jul. 1.

#29 Garrett Pilon
Pilon, 19, made his Hershey debut during the playoffs, appearing in Game 4 of the Providence series. The third round selection of Washington in 2016 still has junior eligibility and is slated to return for a third season with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL next year. Players drafted from the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL cannot join the AHL full-time until they turn 20.  
2016-17 STATS: 0 points (0 goals, 0 assists), Even, 0 PIM in 1 playoff game
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract with Washington. 2017-18 is the first year of Pilon’s three-year, entry-level contract signed with Washington on Mar. 30, 2017.

#36 Garrett Mitchell
The captain and fan favorite finished his fifth season with Hershey last year. He was rewarded for his work in the Washington organization with his first NHL call-up, and the 2009 draft pick made his NHL debut on Apr. 9. Mitchell, a veteran of 353 AHL games, would need to sign a new contract to remain in Hershey.    
2016-17 STATS: 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), -1, 121 PIM in 71 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract to Hershey. Signed a one-year AHL deal with the Bears on Jul. 10.

#39 Kelly Zajac
The forward made the most of his limited time in Hershey, notching seven points in just nine games. Zajac, a former Albany Devil, posted 52 points in 59 games for the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.    
2016-17 STATS: 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists), +8, 2 PIM in 9 games
CONTRACT STATUS: Under contract to Hershey. Zajac signed a one-year AHL deal with Hershey for 2017-18.