“'Tis a lesson you should heed–Try again;
If at first you don’t succeed, Try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try again.”
-- William Edward Hickson
Conor Sheary’s career has been one big “try again” adventure. He scored 38 goals and 66 points in four seasons at University of Massachusetts-Amherst), but was undrafted. He signed as a free agent with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, and after going 20-25-45 in 58 games in his first full AHL season, he signed as a free agent with the parent Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL. In three seasons with Pittsburgh he went 48-45-93, plus-25, in 184 games, but he was then traded to the Buffalo Sabres with Matt Hunwick for a 2019 fourth round draft pick in what looked like a salary dump move. His production tailed off in Buffalo (23-30-53, minus-22, in 133 games) and he was traded back to the Penguins at the trading deadline in 2020. His second stint in Pittsburgh lasted eight games, over which he went just 1-3-4, minus-1. His contract having expired, he found his was as a free agent to Washington in December 2020 with a “show-me-what-you-got” $735,000 one-year deal that was a far cry from the #3.0 million a year deal that just expired.
Fearless’ Take… I guess you could say he “showed ‘em,” cousin. He went 14-8-22 in 53 games, his 1.2 goals per 60 minutes being his best since he averaged 1.4 goals per 60 minutes in 2016-2017 with the Penguins. Those 14 goals ranked fourth for the Caps this season. He was also quite consistent over his ten-game splits, posting two or three even strength goals in five of the six splits (he had a power play goal in the fifth ten-game split to give him four overall in that one). Sheary was also effective in puck protection. He recorded 25 takeaways (fourth-best on the team among forwards) compared to only eight giveaways (fewest among Capitals forwards appearing in more than ten games) for a 3.1-to-1 ratio of takeaways to giveaways.
Cheerless’ Take… Sheary seemed to fade a bit down the stretch. He was 11-8-19 in his first 40 games, averaging almost a half point per game and shooting to a 20.0 percent level. But in his last 13 games he was 3-0-3 and shot just 9.1 percent despite averaging 15:26 in ice time per game.
Odd Sheary Fact… Sheary’s 13 even strength goals tied for second on the club, oddly enough, with fellow ex-Penguin Daniel Sprong.
Odd Sheary Fact II… Sheary was an example of the virtues of secondary scoring. The Caps were 11-0-1 in games in which he scored a goal. The only loss? Yup, to the Penguins (3-2 overtime loss on February 23rd).
Odd Sheary Fact III… Even though he posted 14 goals, a modest number, he spread them around. He had at least one against each of the Caps’ seven East Division opponents this season, with a high of four against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Game to Remember… May 8, 2021 vs. Philadelphia. Conor Sheary performed some of his best work this season against the Flyers (4-2-6, plus-2, in eight games), but he really put a cherry on top of the sundae in his last game against Philadelphia this season. The Caps were coming off a 4-2 win in the first of a back-to-back set of games to close their season series against the Flyers, a game in which Sheary was shut out on the score sheet. The second game of the set was a closer, harder fought affair in which the teams carried a scoreless tie into the third period. Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers less than four minutes into the final frame, but Lars Eller tied things up with less than a minute left in regulation, leaving the teams to settle the matter in extra time. With the clock ticking down to one minute left in overtime, Nic Dowd had the puck on his stick skating down the left wing. Meanwhile, Conor Sheary was taking advantage of some lackadaisical defense by forward James van Riemsdyk and skated past him at the Flyers’ blue line. Dowd found Sheary dashing down the middle, and with a step on van Rimesdyk, Sheary took the pass and tried goalie Alex Lyon’s five hole.
The puck found just enough of an opening to slide over the goal line, and the Caps had a 2-1 overtime win, Sheary scoring his first overtime and first game-winning goal as a Capital.
Game to Forget… April 15, 2021 vs. Buffalo
When the Buffalo Sabres came to town on April 15th, they were facing a team on a roll. The Caps were on a three-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents, 18-5. Conor Sheary was a big part of that, going 3-2-5, plus-2, in those three games. The Sabres were 1-2-1 in four games leading up to the contest and had an overall record of 10-25-7. On paper, this should have been no contest. It wasn’t, just not in the way Caps fans might have hoped. After a 1-1 first period, Buffalo scored early in the second, added a shorthanded goal, and after the Caps drew back within a goal took another two-goal lead late in the period. And empty netter in the third period capped a 5-2 Sabres win, a game Conor Sheary might want to toss in the dumpster. In 13:48 of ice time, he recorded one shot on goal, a pair of missed shots, and did not post a mark in any other statistical category. He was on ice, though, for three goals scored by the Sabres and finished with a season-worst minus-3. It was a bit of a shock to the system for Sheary, this being the first game of a 13-games stretch to finish the regular season in which he was 3-0-3, minus-3 (one of the goals being the game-winner referenced above).
Postseason… Sheary’s postseason did not match his regular season. In the five-game opening round loss to Boston he was 1-0-1, minus-4, and he was on ice for five even strength goals against, tied for most on the team. If the Caps needed support from the bottom-six forwards, they could have used more from Sheary, but he was not alone in his struggles in this series.
Looking ahead… Sheary’s performance in the regular season warranted a reward, and he was extended in April with a two-year/$3.0 million deal. He earned a place as a fixture on the bottom six, but he also displayed some ability to step up into a more responsible scoring role. Having a season in Washington under his belt and a commitment from the team for two more years could provide the stability that allows him to focus even more on his on-ice performance. In that respect, it will be interesting to see if he can improve on what was a pleasant surprise of a season.
In the end…
No one thinks of Conor Sheary as an elite offensive threat, but by the same token he seems to be underrated as an offensive performer. It might be said of him that he fills the cracks that occur from time to time. With the Caps being a team that might experience some significant roster movement in this off-season, having him play a steady role could help provide the kind of stability the Caps need going into next season. He has spent a career “try, trying again;” and now it is time for him to fulfill his role on a consistent basis.
Grade: B+
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