On Frozen Blog

Tomas Fleischmann’s WashingtonCaps.com page
The Forecaster’s take (via TSN)

Back Story: Part of the return for Robert Lang during the firesale, Fleischmann had an excellent AHL season in 05-06, and tore up the playoffs with 32 points in 20 games as the Bears rolled to the Calder Cup. Many thought that performance paved the way to the big club for the talented Czech. (whose last name translates to ‘Meat Man’ in German, btw. That’s the kind of in-depth analysis you get here at OFB) When training camp rolled around, however, Fleischmann found himself back in Hershey. Undeterred, the winger quickly piled up more impressive numbers - 14 points ( 8g, 6a) in seven games in Chocolatetown. And soon after, it was “Rico Fata, please report to Europe, Tomas Fleischmann, please report to the Verizon Center”.

How’s it look so far? Uhm…incomplete. Fleischmann is averaging nine minutes of ice-time in his six Caps games this season, with one-and-a-half of those coming on the power play. The Caps, historically, have relegated young players to the fourth line and kept their minutes low — a tendency that hasn’t served them particularly well in some eyes. I’ve wondered if Coach Glenn Hanlon is keeping the reins tight until players like Fleischmann show they can become proficient in the defensive and forechecking aspects of the Caps’ system.

In the future: Good question. Fleischmann has pretty much shown he has outgrown the AHL — where he fits in at the NHL level is the issue. Though he’s put on some weight, he’s still fairly easy to take off the puck, and I’d suggest that tightening down on the defensive end will help his offense, in the end. In what is something of a common refrain this season, it’s an important campaign for Tomas this year — can he translate his considerable minor league success to big league glory? Keeping Fleischmann on the big club’s roster for the remainder of the season might go a ways as far as giving the 22-year-old a chance to show if he can adapt to the rigors of the NHL.