“Hershey’s affiliation with the Washington Capitals, which began in 2005, has been a remarkable, talent-rich era that has produced three trips to the Calder Cup finals in four seasons,” noted the Patriot News‘ Tim Leone, in his AHL season-opening file this morning for his paper. “It has also fostered a competitive team dynamic in which prospects have to pay dues.”
The Bears under this affiliation with Washington may be to the American League what the Red Wings are to the NHL: the like-clockwork annual heavy. Mark French now carries the Calder torch passed to him by Bob Woods’ promotion to Bruce Boudreau’s bench in Washington.
There have been a handful of notable defections from the 2009 Calder Cup champions — Dean Arsene, the dean of the Bears blueline the past few seasons, signed with Edmonton in the offseason and has been assigned to Springfield of the ‘A.’ First-liner Graham Mink (inked with Florida) will be sorely missed. Chris Bourque was a waiver wire claim of the Penguins this week. Quintin Laing was the feel-good story of Capitals’ training camp, cracking the parent roster. Staffan Kronwall and Kip Brennan also departed. Daren Machesney is gone as well, and even with his absence there is still a glut of talent in between the Bears’ pipes.
Seems like serious attrition, right? In any other organization it would be.
But what returns and has been added to Hershey in the offseason is title-contention-worthy impressive. It starts with the Keith Aucoin-Alexandre Giroux combo that terrorized the ‘A’ last season for about 100 goals. At Capitals’ training camp last month standout performances from Andrew Gordon and Mathieu Perreault hinted that those two young prospects were poised for big seasons back with the Bears. Oskar Osala, who potted 20 tallies as an American League rookie last season, spent his summer back home in Finland training with a speed skating coach and returns to the Bears quicker.
Kyle Wilson and Jay Beagle are additional, important veteran returnees. Francois Bouchard, a Caps’ second-round selection in 2006, should see more ice time on the right side with Mink gone. Steve Pinizzotto, whose pest-work last postseason was so important for the Bears, is back.
But a lot of folks in D.C. will be hotly following the Bears’ blueline, where two Capitals’ bluechippers are likely to see serious minutes this season. John Carlson (2008 first-rounder) often was a first-pairing partner for Arsene in the 2009 postseason, where he mega-impressed. Karl Alzner (2007 first-rounder) recognized that he needed to get stronger and better conditioned from his first full season in the ‘A’ last year.
Two other recent Caps’ draft picks, both centers, should be especially interesting for Bears’ fans to follow this season: fleet-skating and skilled trouble-maker Trevor Bruess and 2008 first-rounder Anton Gustafsson, son of Caps’ great Bengt. If Bruess spends any significant time skating with Pinizzotto this season life for Bears’ opponents is going to be especially miserable. But don’t take my word for it — the video doesn’t lie. Nor does JP’s excellent research on Bruess at the time the Caps’ signed him, which aptly points out that neither league disciplinarians nor skaters with their heads down much enjoy Bruess’ tours of duty.
Speaking of mischief, Brandon Sugden, who skated with the Hartford Wolfpack in 2008-09, will make his presence felt in the Hershey lineup this season.
It all gets started at Giant Center tonight, with the Bears’ Calder Cup championship banner raising. Wish I could be there.
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