Washington Capitals Prospect & Draft Report




Only hours away from the 2009 NHL Draft in Montreal, the Washington Capitals are starting to get very serious about their outlook for the 2009-2010 season.





2008-09 CAPITALS PROSPECT REPORT

North American Juniors


Player | Pos | Born (Birthplace) | Acquired | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM

Joel Broda | C | 11/24/89 (Sask.) | Draft ’08 | Moose Jaw | WHL | 39 | 26 | 12 | 48 | 45
…………………………………………………..| Calgary | WHL | 28 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 19
- Led the WHL in goals (53) and finished eighth in points (87) … Named a WHL Eastern Conference second-team all-star

Greg Burke | LW | 5/16/90 (N.H.) | Draft ’08 | Cedar Rapids | USHL | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8

John Carlson | D | 1/10/90 (Mass.) | Draft ’08 | London | OHL | 59 | 16 | 60 | 76 | 65
- Tied for second among OHL defensemen in scoring (first among rookie defensemen) … Played in the OHL All-Star Classic … Voted as having the best shot and hardest shot by OHL Western Conference coaches

Stefan Della Rovere | LW | 2/25/90 (Ont.) | Draft ’08 | Barrie | OHL | 57 | 27 | 24 | 51 | 146
…………………………………………………………….| Canada | WJC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26
- Barrie team captain … Ranked eighth in the OHL in PIM … Voted the best body checker in the Eastern Conference by OHL coaches

Dmitry Kugryshev | RW | 1/18/90 (Russia) | Draft ’08 | Quebec | QMJHL | 57 | 34 | 40 | 74 | 38
…………………………………………………………………………| Russia | WJC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6
- QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading all rookies in goals and points … Finished second on Quebec in scoring … Played in the All-Star game

Eric Mestery | D | 5/28/90 (Manitoba) | Draft ’08 | Tri-City | WHL | 16 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 10
……………………………………………………….| Lethbridge | WHL | 42 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 30

Keith Seabrook | D | 8/2/88 (B.C.) | Draft ’06 | Calgary | OHL | 64 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 58

North American College

Player | Pos. | Born (Birthplace) | Acquired | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM

Trevor Bruess | C | 1/6/86 (Minn.) | Free agent | Minnesota State | WCHA | 35 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 117

Phil DeSimone | C | 3/19/87 (New York) | Draft ’07 | New Hampshire | HEA | 36 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 42

Joe Finley | D | 6/29/87 (Minn.) | Draft ’05 | North Dakota | WCHA | 26 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 56

Andrew Glass | LW | 7/14/89 (Mass.) | Draft ’07 | Boston Univ. | HEA | 15 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2
- Team won the national championship

Nick Larson | F | 1/16/89 (Minn.) | Draft ’07 | Minnesota | WCHA | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2

Zach Miskovic | D | 5/8/85 (Ill.) | Free agent | St. Lawrence | ECAC | 38 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 32
- First-team East All-American … First-team All-ECAC Hockey … Led all college defensemen in goals


European Amateurs & Professionals


Player | Pos. | Born (Birthplace) | Acquired | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM


Anton Gustafsson | C | 2/25/90 (Sweden) | Draft ’08 | Bofors | Swed | 25 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 22
…………………………………………………………..| Frolunda | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4

Oscar Hedman | D | 4/21/86 (Sweden) | Draft ’04 | Frolunda | Sweden | 55 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 26

Igor Ignatushkin | C | 4/7/84 (Russia) | Draft ’02 | Khabarovsk | KHL | 49 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 16

Ivan Nepriayev | C | 2/4/82 (Russia) | Draft ’00 | Dynamo | KHL | 18 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 18

Maxim Orlov | C | 3/31/81(Sweden) | Draft ’99 | Neftekamsk | KHL | 33 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 10

Pasi Salonen | LW | 12/18/85 (Finland) | Draft ’04 | HPK | Hameenlinna | Finland | 58 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 49

Igor Shadilov | D | 6/7/80 (Russia) | Draft ’99 | Ufa Salavat Yulayev | KHL | 29 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 10

Artem Ternavsky | D | 6/2/83 (Russia) | Draft ’01 | CSKA | KHL | 44 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 36

Mikhail Yunkov | C | 2/16/86 (Russia) | Draft ’04 | Moscow Spartak | KHL | 54 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 30

Sergei Zimakov | D | 1/15/78 (Russia) | Draft ’96 | MHK Krylja | KHL | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8


Goaltending Prospects


Player Born (Birthplace) | Acquired | Team | League | GP | W-L-T | Min | SO | GAA | SV%


Dan Dunn 6/20/88 (Oshawa, Ont.) | Draft ’07 | St. Cloud State | WCHA | 9 | 2-4-1 | 393 | 0 | 2.60 | .904

Braden Holtby 9/16/89 (Lloydminster, Sask.) | Draft ’08 | Saskatoon | WHL | 61 | 40-16-4 | 3571 | 6 | 2.62 | .910
- Led WHL goaltenders in GP and minutes, ranked second in wins and tied for third in shutouts … Finalist for WHL Goaltender of the Year …WHL Eastern Conference first-team all-star





CAPITALS DRAFT NOTES

First-round draft picks reaching the big show – Nine Capitals’ first-round draft
picks played for Washington this past season (Karl Alzner, 2007; Nicklas Backstrom,
2006; Simeon Varlamov, 2006; Alex Ovechkin, 2004; Jeff Schultz, 2004; Mike Green,
2004; Eric Fehr, 2003; Alexander Semin, 2002; Boyd Gordon, 2002). That marked the
most in the NHL; Florida and Los Angeles were the next closest with six each.


Round ’em up – Should the Capitals keep their first-round draft pick, it will be the
club’s 15th first-round selection in the last eight years (2002-09). No other team has
had more than 12 first-round picks in that time.


Most First-Round Picks, 2002-09

15 Washington
12 Los Angeles
10 Edmonton, Phoenix, St. Louis


Going up – Washington has the 24th pick in the first round. The last time the
Capitals’ first selection of the draft was that late was 2001, when Washington’s first
pick of the draft was No. 58 in the second round. The Caps have never picked 24th
overall in the first round. The team did pick 24th in the second round of the 1979
draft and selected Errol Rausse.


Just like them – While the 24th selection marks Washington’s latest pick since
2001, the Capitals have enjoyed success near that point. In 2004, George McPhee
selected Jeff Schultz and Mike Green – two everyday defensemen for the Caps this
year – at 27 and 29, respectively. In 2006, the Caps selected Simeon Varlamov (who
had two shutouts in the postseason for the Capitals) at the 23rd spot. Last year John
Carlson (who won a Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears after scoring 76 points for the
London Knights in the OHL) was drafted at No. 27.


Make them count – Washington has seven picks in the draft this year; the Capitals
have each of their own picks and have not acquired any additional ones. This is the
first time since 2005 and only the fifth time since 1998 that the team has less than
10 selections. The Caps had eight selections in 2008, seven in 2005 and six in both
2003 and 2000.


Five years ago … – Washington’s draft class from 2004 may stand as one of the
best in draft history, featuring Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz, Chris Bourque,
Sami Lepisto and Andrew Gordon – all six of whom played for Washington this year.
The next step – Players selected this weekend will be invited to attend Washington’s
annual development camp, to be held July 13-18 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in
Arlington, Va.

Washington Capitals 2009 Picks:


General Manager: George McPhee(1997-present)
- 12 Drafts
- 110 Picks(32 have played in the NHL)



Capitals Draft Projection


With the 24th overall pick in the 2009 Draft, the Washington Capitals select…


Round 1, 24th Overall


My Pick: Jeremy Morin
- (THN:21 | ISS: 28)The 6’0, 185lb, right handed centerman fulfills a need for a large and able-bodied skater who can clog up the middle behind smaller centers like Backstrom and Bouchard. He is projected as a goal scoring forward, essentially someone who would fit in very well on the top 2 lines of this Capitals squad a few years down the road.

If Morin is not available, I would not be disappointed(nor would the Capitals) with the following alternate selections in the 1st round:


- Peter Holland. (THN: 19 | ISS: 11) 6’2, 190lb centerman. Left hand shot. Strong and skilled, Holland will likely be gone before the Capitals get to have their say, but if he is still available expect Washington to take a chance on Holland. An analytical player who possesses a great ability to score and more the puck around, once again – a player that would fit into the Capitals offensive system.


- Louis Leblanc. (THN: 29 | ISS: 16) 6’0, 178lb, centerman. Right handed shot. He has impressed in the USHL, but scouts are excited about seeing how this Harvard bound pivot will do against stronger competition. Expected to be heavily considered by the Canadiens, if he somehow manages to slip down to the Capitals, expect them to choose him.


- Drew Shore. (THN: 23 | ISS: 14) 6’2, 198lb, centerman. Right handed shot. Like the 3 other possible candidates on this list, Shore fits the Capitals bill. A strong centerman with offensive abilities. Shore is known for his speed and forechecking, intangibles that Washington’s scouting staff will consider very heavily when making their 1st selection in Montreal.Call it a strong hunch, but I expect Shore to be the only one available at #24.


- Nick Leddy. (THN: 25 | ISS: 25) 5’11, 179lb, Defenseman. Left handed shot. Leddy was Minnesota’s Mr.Hockey and has shown the ability to be an excellent defender while contributing offensively as well. Leddy is more of a depth pick and is an outside shot to be picked by the Caps, yet in a worse case scenario(all the top ranked centerman, or even wingers, are gone) Washington may look to further bolster their defensive depth.


Round 2, 55th Overall

My Pick, Brayden McNabb.
- (THN: 54 | ISS: 44) 6’4, 195lb, defenseman. Left handed shot. McNabb needs to work on his skating, but outside of that he is solid. Heading into his 4th season in the WHL, McNabb may be slightly under-rated as scouts expect him to take big strides in his next season.

- Alternate Pick: Tomas Tatar(THN: 51 | ISS: 45) 5’10, 165lb, centerman. Offensively gifted, Tatar would be a nice addition to the depth of the Caps prospects.


The Rest of the Picks


- Round 3, 85th overall, Blake Thompson


- Round 4, 115th overall, Jeremy Price


- Round 5, 144th overall, Chris McCarthy


- Round 6, 174th overall, Jordan Murray


- Round 7, 204th overall, Mikael Tam





Caps News


Capitals Hire Bob Woods as Assistant Coach

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have hired Bob Woods from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Hershey Bears as an assistant coach, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Woods, 41, served as Hershey’s head coach last season and guided the Bears to a Calder Cup championship in six games against the Manitoba Moose. He was an assistant coach with the Bears and helped current Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau lead the Bears to a Calder Cup title in 2006. Woods was appointed head coach of the Bears when Boudreau was hired by the Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007.

The Leroy, Saskatchewan, native compiled an 83-47-15 (W-L-OT) record in 145 regular season games with Hershey and was 17-10 in 27 Calder Cup playoff games. Prior to joining Hershey as an assistant coach for the 2005-06 season, Woods was the head coach of the ECHL’s Mississippi Sea Wolves from 2001-05 and compiled a 169-94-25 (W-L-T) regular-season record.

Woods was selected in the 10th round, 201st overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 10 in the ECHL and was a player/assistant coach with Mississippi from 1998-2001. He was a member of the 1999 Kelly Cup championship team that was coached by Boudreau. The 1998-99 season was the only year that Woods and Boudreau spent together in Mississippi.

He retired from competitive play after the 2001 season and at that time was the ECHL’s all-time leader in games played with 559 (record has since been broken). He also set an ECHL record on March 14, 1998, as a member of the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks when he fired 17 shots on goal against the Louisiana IceGators. Woods was named second team defenseman on the ECHL’s 15th anniversary team in 2003 and was also named second team defenseman on the Hockey News’ 50th anniversary All-ECHL team in 1997. He scored 176 points in 209 games with Mississippi and the Sea Wolves retired his number in October 2002.

Woods also played for Hampton Roads, Johnstown and Mobile in the ECHL and for Hershey, Portland and Utica in the AHL. He won the 1997 Calder Cup with Hershey, making him involved in the organization’s last three Calder Cups. He is the only player in Hershey’s 71-year history to win a Calder Cup as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

Recent Signings

- Quintan Laing; signed to a 1 year contract

- Jake Hauswirth signed to a 3 year entry level contract

- Joe Finley signed to a 2 year entry level contract




I apologize that that this post is a little all over the map, but as I try and get my day in order heading into the Bell Centre this evening, things are just getting even crazier!

There are meetings everywhere and so much is going on that there is no way that anyone one outlet can keep their fingers on the pulse of this beast they are calling the ’09 Draft.

Plus, who doesn’t love a party in Montreal?


I will be back with some clarifications and any news, rumours, suggestiongs and inuendos I can find!


Happy Draft Day!





Steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!

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