photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals
Back in June, we had a chance to ask Capitals’ General Manager George McPhee about progress and success the organization has enjoyed with the Entry Draft. He agreed then with our assessment that recent Capitals’ drafts had been markedly better than those in his first years on the job in D.C. Because the Capitals did not own a lottery pick in this past June’s entry draft in Ottawa, there was considerably less local media interest in the 2008 draft — the Washington Post didn’t send a reporter to cover it, for instance.
OFB is characteristically curious about Capitals’ prospects from the time they are drafted because, well, a couple of us have an inner draftgeek, but also because so little old media coverage is accorded prospects’ development — how often do either of Washington’s big newspapers cover developments with Caps’ prospects in Major Juniors or Hershey? From the time they’re 18-year-old draft picks to the time they arrive in the big-leagues, there’s a remarkable development journey for hockey players, and it is novel among professional sports. We think it’s worth covering.
We’re particularly curious about Capitals’ 2008 second-round selection Dmitri Kugryshev, whom with SovetskySport’s Dmitry Chesnokov’s assistance we interviewed earlier in the summer. In light of the success the Caps have had with a handful of Russian prospects since 2004, how could you not be curious about him?
Back in July, Kugryshev told us of his elation at being selected by the Caps, and of his enthusiasm for making a go of it in North America beginning this season. Kugryshev is in training camp now with the Quebec Remparts, and as a freshman in Canadian Major Juniors, and a complete outsider both to North American culture and its brand of hockey, you’d expect him to struggle a bit — at least early on. Well, here’s the tally on that level of struggle from his first two exhibition games in a Quebec sweater:
3 goals, 4 assists
His name appears rather high in the Q’s scoring leader’s list for the preseason.
So conspicuous a start we thought merited some feedback on it from the young man, so we tasked our intrepid Russian hockey journalist chum, Chesnokov, with throwing a few questions from us his way. Chesnokov actually remains in regular contact with Kugryshev, talking with him on a weekly basis. We just wanted a sense of Kugryshev’s initial impressions of hockey life in North America.
“Overall, I like everything,” Kugryshev told Chesnokov. “During games, [Patrick] Roy talks a lot in the locker room, draws plays on the board, but I don’t understand anything in French!”
How then does he understand the gameplan, if he doesn’t understand his head coach’s native tongue?
“Roy pulls me and [teammate] Mikhail Stefanovich aside before the game and gives us instructions in English. [Roy] likes to joke and laugh (off the ice), but on the ice he is very strict and firm,” Kugryshev added.
The Caps’ newest Russian talent is staying with a host family in Quebec this season. He sure seems to be enjoying — and succeeding in — his new environment.
The Capitals this morning announced the signing of 2006 sixth-round pick Mathieu Perreault to a three-year entry-level contract.
Caps’ prospect Mathieu Perreault was today named Offensive Player of the Week in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Perreault recorded 3 goals and 6 assists in four games for the Acadie Bathurst Titan for the week of February 4-10. Boasting a 26-game scoring streak, Perreault is now tied for second in the Q in scoring with 28 goals and 53 assists in 49 games.
It’s perhaps impossible to overstate the impact that the arrival of Bruce Boudreau has had on the Caps, and it’s true that Alexander Ovechkin’s third season in the NHL has been his best – positively Hart Trophy candidate worthy and a catalyst for the team’s playoff contention. But winning hockey can’t be a one-man show, even double-shifted, and if you really want to know why the Caps are as dangerous as they are these days, consider that their attack is double-barreled, launched from the back end by the 22-year-old Calgary native who, at the other end of the ice, slings heavy lead with his point blasts and pinched-in pulverizers. 
The stats back it up. Both players have enjoyed perfect health this season, playing in all of their team’s games. Through 49 games Bouwmeester has 8 goals and 10 assists while skating a -3. Reasonably nice numbers on a mediocre hockey club. In 47 games with the Caps Green has accumulated 14 goals and 16 assists, skating a -2, and garnered the attention of the entire hockey world, splashy U.S. sports press like SI and ESPN, and caused a lot of indigestion and heartache among nearly 30 general managers who passed on him in 2004. 
The Americans won’t be devoid of talent, but heavy burdens will fall principally on James Van Riemsdyk (New Hampshire; Philadelphia) and Kyle Okposo (Minnesota; NY Islanders). They have decent skill on the blueline, but then there’s perhaps the team’s biggest concern — in goal. That’s where things may get ugly for the U.S.
Mathieu Perreault enjoyed what you might term a productive Friday night: 1 goal and 5 assists in Acadie Bathurst’s 9-2 mauling of Drummondville. Perreault has skated in three of Acadie Bathurst’s four games in the early going of the new Q season, and he’s recorded 3 goals and 6 assists. In two of his three games he’s been named the game’s first star.
Defenseman 
Thirty minutes prior to Friday night’s Rookie Camp scrimmage Drummondville, Quebec native Matheiu Perreault could be seen standing behind the players’ benches, not yet in gear, twirling his hockey stick with a puck seemingly taped to his blade. I say seemingly because over the course of four or five minutes the puck never ever moved from the center of the blade curve. He’d whirl his stick with rapid wrist action, rapid eye movement motion almost, and never lose control of his prized possession. For a few brief seconds it appeared as if the puck defied gravity with the blade curved toward the floor. It was a magical spectacle.
Can there be anything more exhilarating than postponing spring home repairs — sanding, painting, minor roof repairs, all performed on high scaffolding — by virtue of snow and frost that confine one indoors to the leisure of world-class beer and televised postseason hockey? Such was the Memorial week marvel that confronted my buddy Michael up at his vacation getaway in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
These days, London Knights’ Head Coach Dale Hunter isn’t much interested in hearing about the feats of Caps’ 2006 draft pick Michal Neuvirth. He’s getting an eyeful of them this postseason.
