On Frozen Blog » Travis Morin

Something Big Is Already Built

The OFB Team — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:23:41 +0000

In a very real sense, the Ballston Massacre yesterday represented the culmination of the Capitals’ rebuild. Last September, Capitals’ owner Ted Leonsis decreed that the rebuild was over, asserting that his young team was primed for playoff contention. But being rebuilt as both Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee targeted 5 years ago, I believe, means more than that; I believe it is represented by what we’re seeing out at Kettler this September: the parent club enjoying the chic designation¬†as Cup contender, and certainly an across-the-board classification as elite in the East. But also, concurrently, below them, resides a dozen-plus dazzling talents in juniors and the minor pros.¬†With the team’s scouts consistently identifying gems in each year’s draft, the organization’s¬†talent pipeline is annually replenished.
Yesterday’s 7-0 shellacking of Philly — a game that wasn’t anywhere near as close as the score indicated — means nothing. And everything. Nearly every single member of what will constitute the Capitals’ opening night lineup next month was standing hard by the glass in one corner, following the action intently. They were drawn there, presumably, by the novelty of yesterday’s matinee: the first-ever NHL exhibition in the facility. But they’re all also computer literate and not oblivious to the buzz that’s been circulating on line this week about the likes of John Carlson, Oskar Osala, Simeon Varlamov, Mathieu Perreault, and scores more recently acquired kids.¬†A well rebuilt organization, I’d submit, is one in which the present is a consensus contender as well as one within which the vets are checking the rear view mirror for skilled and fast-skating youth, hard charging on their heels.
It is true that the Flyers yesterday were without two prime young talents, Claude Giroux and JVR. Neither, however, plays defense or tends goal, and suited up they might have succeeded in making the score 7-3. The Caps, it should be noted, were also without a pair of first-round talents (Joe Finley and Anton Gustafsson). Interestingly, the heavy duty damage inflicted yesterday came from the very late rounds and even free agency: Travis Morin, Mathieu Perreault, Steve Pinizzotto, Viktor Dovgan, Jay Beagle. Oskar Osala was conspicuous throwing his fourth-round weight around.
A veteran puckhead follower of the Caps needed about one hour of the opening day of autumn skating out at Kettler to see the difference that 5 years has made in the organization’s acquisition and development of prospects. That was the emerging theme for me during an upwards of 5 hours spent there on Sunday, and listening to voices far more expert than mine ruminate on the breadth and quality of this organization’s personnel.
Once upon a time, veteran members of the beat pack told me, the Washington Capitals made a habit of¬†hurtling¬†highly drafted kids more or less straight into the big-league lineup, with hardly any apprenticeship in the minors, and shortsightedly shortchanging their development. Jacub Cutta’s presence at 2008’s training camp is an instructive case in point. Back in 2000, Cutta arrived in Washington as an 18-year-old rookie out of Swift Current of the WHL. He had an outstanding camp that autumn, without question. He certainly was one of the best six or seven rearguard performers then. But really, shouldn’t he have been patted on the back, commended for his competitiveness, and immediately returned to the W for at least another year, rather than thrust into the opening night lineup? Then head coach Ron Wilson, himself a former NHL rearguard, must have assumed that he could manage Cutta’s rookie year just fine.
In reality, though, how many 18-year-old defensemen are ready for an 82-game NHL season?
The Capitals did¬†return Cutta to Swift Current, where he played fewer than 50 games in 2000-01. But it’s possible he did so with some¬†sense of failure, his development cycle oddly¬†meandering at its outset.
Others classified as¬†very¬†youthful could be identified¬†as having been microwaved into the big leagues¬†during the first half of this decade –¬†Brian Sutherby, Kris Beech, Steve Eminger. Today, however, there’s a whole new mindset in place when it comes to developing prospects, and this, joined by now consistently adept drafting and superb pro scouting, has the Capitals in 2008 right where management dreamed of five years ago.
Of the 67 players who will skate at Kettler Capitals in Rookie and Training camps this month, fully 23 were drafted in either the first or second rounds of the NHL draft. All are accorded an appropriate apprenticeship. Just as encouraging is the emrgence of contribtor and star quality potential¬†from later rounds (Osala, Perreault, Lepisto, Dovgan).¬†Those of you¬†who paid¬†a visit to Kettler this week¬†before the vets (save Ovechkin!) reported,¬†found a compelling¬†reason to go out so early: there¬†were really good hockey players all over the ice.
I cannot make mention of these changed fortunes without acknowledging the wholesale change in media acknowledgment of the role that a robust development pipeline now plays in the organization’s overall health. Once upon a time, we who cared greatly about the weekly progress of draft picks had a lone web address (hockeysfuture) to peruse. In season the beat reporters of both big papers will chronicle the feats of the kids in juniors and down on the farm. As will the blogs. The Caps’ web site is metastasizing into a multi-media warehouse of feats present and years-off promising.
Part of becoming a hockey town is having a fanbase¬†fluent with more than¬†the big-league scoreboard and standings and savoring the novel journey that tomorrow’s heroes must make. In Washington, this September, it’s a blockbuster tale.

Prospects, Like Fine Red Wine, Take Time

pucksandbooks — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:42:09 +0000

We’re in this interim between the draft and the Capitals’ July Development Camp (mercifully, a period lasting little more than two weeks), and with the arrival in town soon of so many recently drafted prospects, it seems an appropriate time to map out what I regard as a fair and accurate timetable for hockey fans to await the arrival of promising youth to the parent club.
I do this because, as is the case with every draft season, a fair swath of fans get a case of the vapors when they take stock of a draft asset three or four years removed from his selection, and still in development; and swept up in message board madness, are therefore inclined to judge him “a bust.”
Let’s start out by stating the obvious: it ain’t easy projecting the NHL bona fides of 18-year-olds. More on that, as it relates to one Vincent Lecavalier, in a minute.
But let’s first address what I call the One-Tenth of One Percent Club. Your Ovechkins. Your Lemieuxs. Your Stamkoses. They don’t arrive every year, but when they do they seriously outclass their draft class. As 18-year-olds, they’re going straight to the NHL, to shine on a first line. They are very rare — the drafting exception. Here’s how rare a specimen Ovie was: a majority of NHL scouts, taking stock of his 18-point performance at the World Under-20s in 2001, thought him easily capable of taking regular — and impact — shifts in the NHL as a 16-year-old then. Again, though, this is the uber-exception, the cream of the elite crop. Most often at the very top of NHL drafts are really nice hockey players who need more CHL or European pro league seasoning.
So what happens with your more typical top-of-the-class blue-chippers, rest-of-the-first-round fellas, year in and year out? A few will require only a single additional year or two of competition in the Canadian Major Juniors. Think Karl Alzner (who likely would have earned a Caps’ sweater for a round two of the NHL playoffs this spring had the Caps prevailed in game 7 against Philly). If he’s a Euro lottery gem like Nicklas Backstrom, an additional year in his country’s top professional league before coming over. But again, we’re still discussing the cream of every draft crop and the odd exception to the general rule: even really terrific hockey prospects take time to develop. Ninety-plus percent of NHL first-rounders will require marinating in juniors and minor pro leagues, or on campus and then the minors, for years.
I mentioned Vinny Lecavalier earlier. He was drafted first overall in 1998. Tampa, then a league doormat, needed some star-buzz-Mojo in its lineup, and fairly forced the young Qu?©b?©cois into the NHL at 18. He scored a grand total of 13 goals during 1998-99. It’s almost beyond dispute that Vinny would have been better served with an additional year (or two) of development before hitting the bigs.
The next three seasons, Lecavalier notched between 23-25 goals; talk of “draft bust” necessarily followed, widely and loudly.
Then in 2002-03 Vinny hit 33 goals. He followed that with 32 in the ‘03-’04 campaign, which culminated with Tampa winning the Cup. Vinny played an important role in the Cup win, but he certainly wasn’t regarded as a stud. Some no. 1 overall, huh?
But a funny thing happened when Lecavalier returned from the lockout, some seven years after his drafting: he was still developing as a big-leaguer! In 2006-07 Lecavalier recorded his break-through, superstar season: 52 goals — nearly 10 years after he was drafted. These days, Lightning ownership is discussing inking Vinny to a lifetime contract.
How’s that for patience? Anybody talking about Vinny being a bust of a no. 1 now?
So with non-lottery picks, almost always, years and years of development are commonly required. Let’s cite Eric Fehr, since he’s a bit of a flashpoint for the with-vapors crowd. When Fehr was drafted in 2003, both Director of Amateur Scouting Ross Mahoney and GM George McPhee swiftly, publicly, established his requiring years more development just in Canadian Major Juniors. And Fehr rewarded the Caps’ plan of patience. He notched consecutive 50-plus-goal campaigns with Brandon of the WHL.
It’s instructive at this point to note that even a veteran bluechipper of a WHLer doesn’t waltz into the American Hockey League and command a first-line perch. The ‘A’ is a pro league of men, and at 20 or 21, CHL graduates — even distinguished ones — are raw meat for the grizzled grist of the last-chance-or-bust bus league. I know this doesn’t conform with message boards’ demand of immediate gratification, but it’s a reality of real-world hockey life.
So Fehr acquitted himself modestly well in 2005-06, his rookie season in pro hockey, potting 25 goals. In ‘06-’07 Fehr was hampered by injuries, but still he managed 22 goals in just 40 games with the Bears. He was, in just his second year of pro hockey, a point-per-game player. At the age of 22.
How about Brooks Laich, an ‘01 draftee? After he was drafted by Ottawa in ‘01 he spent an additional two full years in the CHL. Then he apprenticed in the ‘A’ for more than 120 games. He put up a grand total of 15 goals in more than 140 games with the Capitals between 2005-07. Some return for Peter Bondra, right? Well let’s see if the Caps regard him as a bust, seven summers removed from his draft year, during new contract negotiations this summer.
Brooks Laich is the norm in NHL development. Mike Green is not.
In 2004 the Caps drafted Minnesota prospect Travis Morin in the ninth round. He enjoyed an All American-caliber career at Minnesota State before signing with the Caps. His name was even discussed in association with the Hobey Baker award his final two seasons with the Mavericks. It’s irrelevant to me if Morin sees a single day of NHL duty in his pro hockey career. Finding that quality that late in any draft is a sure sign of scouting deftness. If the Caps’ scouts are going to uncover Hobey Baker candidate prospects once in a blue moon in a seventh or ninth round of the draft, I say (1) keep the scouts and (2) give them raises. It isn’t the job of your NHL scouts to develop Matt Pettinger into a consistent 20-goal scorer; that’s Matt Pettinger’s job.
So what is a general development formula for draft picks? I’d offer two years of additional CHL development after draft selection, a stint of at least two years, on average, in the ‘A,’ and then, potentially, graduation to 4th line minutes with the big club — and that’s if you’re a bluechipper. Not a stud, but a bluechipper. And no development-impairing injuries like we saw with Fehr or Nolan Yonkman, or else the timetable gets adjusted outward.
If you’re a U.S. collegian, 3-4 years on campus and at least 1-3 years in minor pros. That’s the norm. Joe Finley’s getting at least a full season in Hershey after having spent four years at one of the premier college hockey programs in America, and likely one season plus with the Bears. And he was a first-rounder. Guys like Phil Kessel (a serious bluechipper) who shortcut it just don’t seem to have made wise choices.
For Euros, well, there’s wide variance in the caliber of competition from league to league, but with a good prospect like Anton Gustafsson we ought to expect another year sub-Swedish Elite League season and at least one year in the Elite before we see him. He’d also have to stay healthy for those two years. A year in Hershey afterward probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

Washington Capitals' Top Prospects, Spring 2008

pucksandbooks — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:00:27 +0000

Continuing an OFB tradition, we present our rankings of the Capitals’ prospects at the conclusion of the hockey season. Many of the names below you’ll have a chance to see at Kettler Capitals Iceplex this July, for Development Camp (July 7-12). What’s the lead storyline among the futures holdings? Gotta be the arrival of one of the best young hockey players in Western Canada, Karl Alzner — one of the best young players in Canada or anywhere else, for that matter. If he has a strong training camp come September he’ll bypass the American League this fall and begin his NHL career fresh from an awards-rich CHL career.
Another gleaning: that a Q-league scoring champ and MVP can’t crack the top 10 of an organization’s prospect rankings. That tells us that Ross Mahoney and his stable of scouts the globe over are getting it done.

Name	Draft Class	‘07-’08 Club	The skinny
Karl Alzner, D	‘07, 1st Rd.	Calgary (WHL)	WHL Player of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, CHL MVP Finalist. Any questions?
Simeon Varlamov, G	‘06, 1st Rd.	Lokomotiv (RSL)	Excellent RSL regular season stats, then, in the postseason, sublime: 16 games, 1.56 GA, five shutouts. Welcome to North American professional hockey, Simeon.
Sami Lepisto, D	‘04, 3rd Rd.	Hershey Bears	So much for struggle in a rookie pro season in North America: 45 pts. in 55 Bears’ games, and a +29. A Tier I candidate for promotion to the parent club in the fall.
Andrew Gordon, RW	‘04, 7th Rd.	South Carolina (ECHL); Hershey	Fought through early-season demotion, matured into reliable two-way, impact forward. Two hat tricks in his American League rookie season. Bright, bright future.
Chris Bourque, LW	‘04, 2nd Rd.	Hershey Bears	Bears’ MVP; became a top performer in the American League the final month of the season; ready to stake his claim to a lasting promotion.
Josef Boumedienne, D	acquired from Ottawa, Dec. 2002	Hershey Bears	Injury-marred ‘07-’08 campaign, but still posted 7 & 35 in 52 games, and a +18; less a prospect and more a quality depth signee; draft day trade bait?
Kyle Wilson, C	Signed as a free agent, July 2007	Hershey Bears	Only Bear to play in every regular season game; nearly a point-per-game performer through two American League seasons.
Jay Beagle, C	Signed with Washington in March 2008	Hershey Bears	Diamond in the rough? Big-bodied, mobile, and fancies the contact game; one goal shy of 20 in his freshman AHL campaign.
Francois Bouchard, RW	‘06, 2nd Rd.	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	Strong but unspectacular ‘07-’08 campaign; much improved skater; needs AHL seasoning.
Joe Finley, D	‘05, 1st Rd.	North Dakota (WCHA)	Enjoyed third straight season of statistical improvement — and ‘07-’08’s numbers included a conspicuous spike in offensive production; a team-leading +24; still magnificently mean and nasty.
Josh Godfrey, D	‘07, 2nd Rd.	Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)	17 & 34 , +31, in 60 Greyhound games; Western Conference All Star; Team Canada WJC selection; time for pro hockey.
Michal Neuvirth, G	‘06, 2nd Rd.	Windsor, Oshawa (OHL)	More prime-time performing: 7-2 for the Generals with a 2.48 GA, .932 SP this postseason; led Plymouth to the Memorial Cup last spring; time for pro hockey — South Carolina or Hershey?
Mathieu Perreault, C	‘06, 6th Rd.	Acadie Bathurst	2007 Q MVP, 2008 Q scoring champ; nothing left to dominate in major juniors; time for pro hockey.
Oskar Osala, LW	‘06, 4th Rd.	Espoo Blues (Fin)	Returning to Europe to advance his development, Osala put up impressive numbers in Finland’s top pro league: 18 & 17 and a + 12 in 53 games; will be interesting to see what’s in store for him in ‘08-’09.
Daren Machesney, G	‘05, 5th Rd.	Hershey Bears	Exceeding expectations — everyone’s — was the story of “Cheese’s” season. He got in 38 games with Hershey and went 22-10 with a 2.55 goals-against. He’s on track to be an elite goaltender in the American League; question is, with what Washington has arriving this summer in goal, is there room in the organization for Cheese?
Andrew Joudrey, C	‘03, 8th Rd.	Hershey Bears	Solid first full pro season, often centering another prized Caps’ NCAA prospect, Andrew Gordon; strong on his skates, superb hockey sense, makes smart plays.
Stephen Werner	‘03, 3rd Rd.	South Carolina, Hershey	Remains a longshot to see anything but a cup of coffee in the bigs. But his game matured in ‘07-’08. Skated a +4 for the Bears in just 8 games. Does have a pro stride.
Travis Morin, C	‘04, 9th Rd.	South Carolina	Big, big numbers for the Stingray pivot: 34 & 50 in 68 games, including 14 power play markers; still has issues with skating and strength at the pro level.
Patrick McNeill, D	‘05, 4th Rd.	South Carolina, Hershey	Split time between Carolina and Hershey this season; he’s undersized but not physically overmatched in the A; should enjoy a full year with the Bears in ‘08-’09.
Oscar Hedman, D	‘04, 5th Rd.	Modo (Swe.)	A top-4 pairing blueliner who by the age of 22 had completed five seasons in the Swedish Elite League. Though I’ve seen only glimpses of him in WJC play, I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to have two Oscars in my table. Should Osala and he connect on a scoring play in a game with the Caps, it’d be the first Oskar-from-Oscar feat in NHL history. I really want that.

Summer State of the Team – The Forwards

pucksandbooks — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:32:21 +0000

As Training Camp slowly (so slowly) approaches, we decided to take a quick look at some of the new faces, returnees, hopefuls and last-chancers that will be vying for a spot in the Caps’ forward corps. Battles at many slots are expected, and this may be one of the most competitive camp in Caps’ history.
First, we’ll examine the forwards, a group that received an infusion of talent down the middle and added a veteran scoring winger:
Nicklas Backstrom — The youngster is seemingly a lock for the big squad. A slick-passing center with hockey sense and puck-control, the most impressive thing about his game at this point may be his attention to the other end of the ice. His awareness and positioning without the puck, coupled with his creativity and vision should be a boon to either of the Caps’ elite left wingers. Foot speed is a concern, and while he won’t arrive in North America to the same fanfare that Alex Ovechkin did, the “Next Great Swede” will have all the eyes of his country upon him.

Matt Bradley — Largely considered to be a spare winger in the upcoming season, his physicality and willingness to do the little things ensure he’ll have a veteran’s chance at training camp. Good speed, a team-first attitude and a bit of an edge to his game keep him in play for the big club, if only in a press box role.
Donald Brashear – His first season riding shotgun for the Caps was a solid one, with Brashear leading the team in PIMs and tied at 9th in the league with 14 majors (and a game misconduct and a match penalty thrown in for good measure). The big winger brought pretty much what he was advertised to bring, resulting in a contract extension for the 07-08 season, and will be expected to continue his role as the Caps’ cop and be a physical presence on the ice.
Chris Clark — The captain of the club may fill any of the top 3 right wing spots. Obsessive work ethic on and off the ice, he willingly goes into corners to dig out pucks, forechecks with enthusiasm, and may not be physically capable of putting in an effort of less than 100%. 110%? Hey, he’s human, but he also will play with no teeth and some kind of horrific dental damage, so I think we can all agree the guy is tough, works his butt off, and is a complete pain to play against. Jumping to 20 goals from his previous current high upon his first season with the Caps, the gritty winger hit 30 last year, and signed the rare player and team friendly extension this off-season. He’s the slide guy as far as the right wing position goes — Coach Hanlon can deploy him with Ovechkin or Semin’s line to do the hard work, or can join up on Boyd Gordon’s right to form two-thirds of a formidable checking line.
Ben Clymer — 06-07 was largely forgettable for Clymer, with a failed experiment putting him back on the blue-line early in the season, and fighting lingering injury for the full 82 games. The winger didn’t seem to have his usual jump, which much of his game is based on. Often kind of an afterthought for the upcoming season, much like Bradley, the thought here is a healthy Clymer will likely get regular minutes on either the 3rd or 4th lines, and have a bounce-back season.
Eric Fehr — So far the lanky sniper hasn’t been overwhelming in his 25 NHL games (2 goals, 1 assist, +1, 35 shots), but has shown signs of what the Caps liked in him, including paying some attention to the opposition when he doesn’t have the puck. What could be an interesting training camp for the youngster from Winkler has something of a spin on it, as he is recovering from a hip injury that only recently has begun to heal up. A healthy Fehr could challenge for a spot on the big club, but if not fully recovered, a spot in Hershey to shake the rust off and get back into game shape seems likely.
Tomas Fleischmann — Another young winger who may contend for a spot on the Caps, though his finish to last season doesn’t provide a lot of momentum (pointless in his last nine games). Fleischmann did have some nice offensive moments, including an impressive 4 point game against some shaky Tampa goaltending, and he is now subject to waivers, which adds some import for both the player and the club to find a spot for him on the big squad. Possibly a make-or-break season for the talented Czech.
Boyd Gordon — Maybe the breakout player of the 06-07 campaign, Gordon took over the 3rd line center slot and it doesn’t look like he’ll relinquish it anytime soon. Good in the faceoff dot (52%), ever-vigilant in the defensive aspects of the game, he also chipped in 29 points and anchored the penalty kill. We can probably pencil Gordon in at checking line center for the foreseeable future.
Jakub Klepis — Another candidate for a make-or-break camp, the skilled Klepis spent half of the NHL season with the parent club, and didn’t exactly set the world on fire (3 goals, 7 assists). While he occasionally showed glimpses of his considerable talents, and he is a solid point-producer at the AHL level, he hasn’t seemed to be able to put it together in the NHL. Time may be running out for Klepis, as he’s no longer waiver-exempt, and the top two center spots look to be filled by Nylander and Backstrom. Klepis may very well be an odd-man out this season, or potential trade bait, though it’s unlikely that he would bring a bounty back in trade by himself.
Viktor Kozlov — A new face for the 07-08 season, Kozlov is a versatile forward who can play both center and wing, though he is stronger at the wing. Not physical but a big body, Kozlov has some past chemistry with Alex Ovechkin, is solid defensively, and is coming off a career high in goals. With the good comes the bad, however, and Kozlov has been criticized for a lack of consistency and effort level, though he played well under Ted Nolan, a guy who doesn’t put up with a lot of loafing. There were times last season when the Islanders’ faithful were less than thrilled with Kozlov’s sometimes hot, sometimes cold play.
Brooks Laich — The freshly-arbitrated center now has a one-way deal that should keep him in the mix in D.C. Solid defensively with good size, and occasionally displaying some offensive acumen, Laich is a forward in the mix for the bottom six spots — a crowded field. There has been some thought that the upcoming season could be the time when Laich’s game takes off, and it may have to in order to get regular ice time.
Jason Morgan — A solid AHL performer, he figures to get at least a quick look at camp, though it is more than likely that he has been brought in for duty in Hershey.
Joe Motzko — Another probable Hershey signing, Motzko has only had a brief taste of the bigs (11 games), but fits the role of a veteran scoring presence for the Bears.
Michael Nylander — The guess here is that a certain Russian left winger who goes by “Ovie” smiled when he found out the Caps had brought in the veteran Swedish pivot. A gifted playmaker who has excelled with star flankers, Nylander also is an excellent stickhandler, and should be able to gain the offensive zone unaided, freeing Ovechkin up to get into position in the slot and get his stick cocked and ready to convert some clever feeds. Also providing a boost to the power play, Nylander gives the Caps a skilled offensive center, and it seems a given that he will be presented every opportunity to develop a solid working relationship with Ovechkin. The fact that Nylander should be able to help his younger countryman Backstrom along is a bonus.
Alex Ovechkin — 06-07 was an interesting season for the phenom, coming into camp admittedly out of shape, and not really looking like himself until later in the campaign. With defenses keying their game-plans on stopping #8, he had less space to work with, and even had some fans expressing unhappiness with his play. All that said, he put up 46 goals and 92 points in what some considered his sophomore slump, and figures to put up more impressive totals with the addition of some skilled forwards, and a more effective power play. Ovechkin has vowed to come into camp in shape, and hopefully he’ll be primed for a big season.
Matt Pettinger — The follow-up to his break-out season followed a similar pattern: a few games missed to injury, some strong defensive play at even-strength and while a man down, and a few goal-scorer’s goals. Pettinger’s all-around game coupled with a strong work ethic and a shoot-first mentality make for a strong checking-line player who can chip in some offense, and it will be a surprise if he isn’t dressed on Opening Night.
Alexander Semin — The Other Alexander returned to the NHL in 06-07 and showed that Ovechkin isn’t the only Russian on the squad with jaw-dropping skills. Showcasing some impressive puck-handling, as well as one of the best wrist-shots in the game, Semin gave the Caps a bona-fide offensive threat outside of Ovechkin. Of course, with Semin, you get some frustration as well — late in the season he seemed to lose all faith in his line-mates and tried to do everything himself. Hopefully, the addition of a skilled centerman will bring out the playmaking elements of his game.
Dave Steckel — A terrific all-around player for Hershey, Steckel managed to put up numbers despite being assigned the other team’s top line and given heavy penalty kill minutes. This is an important season for the big center, as he seems have hit his ceiling in the AHL — the NHL is the next step. Another part of the group vying for spots on the bottom 6, Steckel’s impressive wingspan and man-down acumen may give him a bit of an advantage over the other contenders, as the club is looking to upgrade both pk units. Definitely a player to watch in camp.
Brian Sutherby — Another player who may be entering a pivotal season, as his claim to the checking line center role has gone to fellow WHL alum Gordon. Sutherby has been and will be dogged by a groin injury that has cost him a bit of his skating, but his competitiveness, leadership, and willingness to play with some edge are commodities that clubs value. His offensive production took a bit of a dip last year, though he’ll never be counted on for necessary offense, and there has been speculation of Sutherby maybe switching to wing, where he can use his size and strength to more of an advantage.
Kyle Wilson — recently signed by the Caps after his solid season in Hershey, Wilson’s smart game and development intrigued the big club. Likely in Hershey the bulk of the season, he’ll help shore up the club’s middle.
Other players who may get a look on in D.C. but may spend the majority of their time in Chocolatetown are Andrew Gordon, Travis Morin, Andrew Joudrey, Chris Bourque and Steve Werner.
Much like the defense, the battle for the 12+ spots in Washington should be a spirited affair. It’s conceivable that up to 5 forward spots on Opening Night’s starting line-up could be up for grabs, so the onus will be on each player to come in to camp in shape and ready to play from the word ‘go’.

Washington Capitals Depth Chart, Summer 2007

pucksandbooks — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:30:06 +0000

Herewith, our attempt to devise a depth chart for the Caps to coincide with the recent completion of the team’s annual Rookie Development Camp. It’s important to note that with it we are not forecasting specific line combos but rather attempting to slot players by position according to their professional production and most recent performances in evaluative settings. It’s also important to note that a number of forwards in the Caps’ system play more than one position up front. The Russian elites and Matt Pettinger appear locks on the left side for well into the next decade, whereas the right side seems to carry many more question marks.

We’ve envisioned this as a file hopefully sparking spirited reaction and respectful challenge. We welcome your proposed modifications.

Extra Duty on a Summer Friday Night

pucksandbooks — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 07:51:48 +0000

Friday night’s scrimmage went a bit off script: the coaches decided to incorporate specialty teams play midway through both periods, with the teams alternating manpower advantages for the balance of the back half of the stanzas. There was also this pleasant surprise: sudden death overtime play. In the second 5-minute OT session Nicklas Backstrom swept across Simeon Varlamov’s crease with a cross-ice feed from linemate Francois Bouchard and tucked in the game-ender, giving Team Blue a 3-2 triumph. Don’t be surprised if that forward combination is one we see sirening red lights behind enemy cages in the years ahead.
That overtime flair was exceeded moments earlier by the save of the week, authored by Michael Nuevirth. Sean Backman flipped a clever, two-defender elluding pass on the left wing to Bryan Lerg, who raced in unimpeded on Nuevirth. Lerg made a terrific lateral move in tight, and lifted a game-winner targeting the unguarded top right shelf. Somehow, Nuevirth snared it with his glove. A number of us watching from center ice thought the game had ended on the shot.
This night, however, belonged to Jeff Lovecchio. The 6 ‘2, 195-lb. left wing completed a 34-pt. season for Western Michigan of the CCHA in ‘06-’07. The native of Chesterfield, Mo., has had a super solid week. Tonight he showcased his impressive speed, strength, and offensive zone grit better than any other forward.
“Lovecchio stands out because he works so hard,” Head Coach Glen Hanlon said afterward. “But remember he’s 22.” Hanlon spent some moments with reporters after tonight’s scrimmage delineating the careful evaluative process club officials are undertaking in an atmosphere that at times features five- and six-year age discrepancies among players out on a shift.
Another lasting image this week is what Joe Finley regularly does to undersized forwards (in other words, every one he faces) who run out of time and space in his end. You know how offensive linemen in football get credited with “pancakes” for flattening opposing lineman with technically brutal blocking? Well, Finley is inviting a category I’d term “rag doll-ing”: he simply thumps opposing forwards to the ice in close quarters with little effort of his shoulders.
More than a few veteran observers of pro hockey have this week pointed out that the week’s scrimmages appear to have been dominated by the blueline talent. While the scoring hasn’t been conspicuously low in the two, 30-minute, running clock formats, the shot volume has been. And the camp’s goaltenders have seldom been called upon to be spectacular. But consider what the camp’s forwards are facing in terms of blueline experience. Sean Collins is an ‘83 birthyear, with four seasons of NCAA hockey completed. Sami Lepisto is a veteran of the Finnish Elite League. Oscar Hedman is a vet of the Swedish Elite League. Karl Alzner is a big-bodied, top 5 pick renowned for his on-ice maturity. Joe Finley has just two seasons of NCAA hockey under his belt, but he’s bigger than Ballston Mall’s parking lot. And then you’ve got an awful lot of quality goaltending behind these defenders. Advantage absolutely to the D.
Seen and Heard at Kettler Capitals
* 2005 first-rounder Sasha Pokulok still hasn’t been cleared for contact skating, and while he’s participating in morning drills this week, quietly there is growing sentiment within the Caps’ organization that Pokulok’s blueline candidacy with the big club is fast approaching flickering candle status.* Earlier this week I learned that the voice of the Hershey Bears, John Walton, will debut his own hockey blog in advance of the upcoming hockey season. That should be special, particularly if Walton can set aside some modesty and upload a few of his famous calls, like Eric Fehr’s Eastern Conference winner in Game 7 sudden death in the spring of 2006. Think Ozzy Osbourne, unsedated, meets Howard Dean, actually nominated. The brigade from Hershey, Pa., grew tonight with the Patriot News’ Tim Leone arriving for his first visit to Kettler Capitals. He had a chance to chat a bit with Bears bench boss Bruce Boudreau, and when I asked him if anyone had particularly caught the coach’s notice this week, he said “Andrew Gordon sure has.”
* Those of you who’ve been OFB readers for more than a month know of my regard for Leone’s coverage of the Bears. Tonight he shared a kind word with me for my file on the old Hershey Arena earlier this spring, and he alerted me to the fact that he has a chapter on the great old barn in his history of the Bears, titled Hershey Bears: Sweet Seasons.
I hopped on over to amazon.com right as I returned home and found this reader review of Leone’s book:

“Well-researched and very interesting history about one of the oldest and most interesting ice hockey teams in the world. Interesting and in-depth, but very readable. For me, though, the book is worth it for the photographs alone. A must-read for any Bears fan or hockey historian.”

It’s already been added to my summer reading list. Put it on yours.

Rookie Camp 2007: Passing Out Deli Numbers to the Pro Prospects

pucksandbooks — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:48:35 +0000

Halfway through the Capitals’ 2007 Rookie Camp, I have this general observation: there are bushels full of authentically professional hockey players skating out at Kettler Capitals this week. And the overwhelming majority of them are going to return this fall to their junior, collegiate, or minor pro clubs for additonal ripening. But shift after shift in these high-paced, highly competitive scrimmages, in jerseys blue and white, the evidence is ample that the Caps’ enlarged scouting staff of recent years has delivered dramatic dividends for the long-term future welfare of this organization. As early as this September, almost certainly there will be NHL-viable bodies dispatched to Bruce Boudreau and the American Hockey League, and perhaps a few back to the CHL as well.
Joe Finley could play pro hockey right now; instead, he’ll patrol the North Dakota Fighting Sioux blueline in its top pairing in 2007-08. Andrew Joudrey has an NHL stride and an NHL poise that will almost certainly make him a fan favorite in Hershey this season. Ditto for Andrew Gordon. Nicklas Backstrom is a top-six fixture among Caps forwards this fall, but to these eyes he’s only the second-best young center scrimmaging this week, bettered in the “Did you just see what I saw?” meter by Mathieu Perreault. (It took less than two scrimmages for Perreault to attract double-team defensive coverage — that’s how dynamic he is.) This is by no means an exhaustive tally, and I suspect over the next two days I’ll be adding to it.
Here’s how good things look out on the mid-summer ice filled with youngins right now: Luke Lynes, not ensconced on too many Tier I or Tier II Caps’ prospect rankings, may well have potted a hat trick in Thursday’s scrimmage. He had two for sure and was involved in a tightly bunched scramble on a third. (Blue bested White 5-1 Thursday.)
Another terrifically exciting development: youngsters who last September at training camp in Ashburn, Va., appeared often overwhelmed by the pro environs look a heck of a lot more comfortable and improved this summer. I’m fantastically impressed by Francois Bouchard’s improved mobility this week. Skating had been considered his primary weakness, and while he’s still an upright skater who’ll never make anyone forget Mike Gartner, he is beating a lot of skaters to a lot of pucks this week. More and more he’s bearing the aura of a second-round steal.
Oskar Osala, too, is turning a lot of heads with his physical play and general aggressiveness and good decision-making. Recall that this past season he enjoyed a bit of a blossoming one the biggest stage for prospects: the most recent World Juniors. His poise and presence this week appears to be carrying over from that. There is a clear confidence displayed on his shifts that wasn’t often evident in Ashburn.
In the middle of last season I had great exchange with an NHL scout who had as his primary coverage area the CCHA. After the Caps signed Sean Collins this spring he emailed me with a prediction that Caps’ fans would in short order be very happy with the signing. This week, I’m seeing a lot of support for that sentiment. Collins is good-sized and mobile and an adept puck distributor. And adept puck distribution is a theme fast becoming emblematic of the organization’s rearguards. Collins, Alzner, Godfrey, Lepisto, even Big Joe Finley — the shifts and pairings on the back end don’t much seem to matter; we in the stands aren’t witnessing much hair-on-fire mayhem when the puck’s on these guys’ sticks deep along the boards or in the midst of frenzied forechecking. Melikey.
A terrifically important thing to keep in mind as you take in these scrimmages: guys like Joudrey and Gordon and Morin and Backstrom are at times matched with and against guys who knew nothing better than Northeast prep puck this past season as competition. So you’re talking about fellas who’ve completed in some instances four years of major college hockey, or one or two World Championships, under the tutelage of some of some of hockey’s best coaches, battling against those who were slow dancing at Prom just a few weeks back. But it’s within this context that my main point here is further amplified: Andrew Glass, who won’t enroll in freshman composition at BU until 2008, looks anything but out of place against young world-class competition.

Let's Go Camping

pucksandbooks — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:22:59 +0000

The Caps this afternoon released a finalized roster for this week’s Rookie Camp out at Kettler Capitals. Here’s what it looks like:

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	2006-07 Team	Acquired
19	Nicklas Backstrom	C	6-0	183	11/23/87	Brynas U-18 (Sweden)	Draft (1st, 2006)
29	Jamie Hunt	D	6-2	200	4/20/84	Hershey (AHL)	Free Agent
30	Michal Neuvirth	G	6-1	197	3/23/88	Plymouth (OHL)	Draft (2nd, 2006)
31	Daren Machesney	G	6-0	182	4/17/87	S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL)	Draft (5th, 2005)
34	Sasha Pokulok	D	6-5	220	5/25/86	S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL)	Draft (1st, 2005)
36	Francois Bouchard	RW	6-1	187	4/26/88	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	Draft (2nd, 2006)
40	Simeon Varlamov	G	6-1	183	4/27/88	Yaroslavl (Russia)	Draft (1st, 2006)
41	Theo Ruth	D	6-1	199	2/14/89	USA U-18 (USNTDP)	Draft (2nd, 2007)
42	Sami Lepisto	D	5-11	176	10/17/84	Jokerit Helsinki (Finland)	Draft (3rd, 2004)
45	Steve Werner	RW	6-1	200	8/8/84	S.Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL)	Draft (3rd, 2003)
46	Patrick McNeill	D	6-1	198	3/17/87	Saginaw (OHL)	Draft (4th, 2005)
47	Karl Alzner	D	6-2	206	9/24/88	Calgary (WHL)	Draft (1st, 2007)
48	Oskar Osala	LW	6-4	222	12/26/87	Mississauga (OHL)	Draft (4th, 2006)
49	Viktor Dovgan	D	6-1	205	2/27/87	S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL)	Draft (7th, 2005)
54	Oscar Hedman	D	6-0	209	4/21/86	Modo (Sweden)	Draft (5th, 2004)
57	Kyle Wilson	C	6-0	200	12/5/84	Hershey (AHL)/S. Carolina (ECHL)	Free Agent
58	Maxime Lacroix	LW	6-0	180	6/5/87	Quebec (QMJHL)	Draft (5th, 2006)
59	Joe Finley	D	6-7	233	6/29/87	North Dakota (WCHA)	Draft (1st, 2005)
61	Andrew Joudrey	C	5-11	191	7/15/84	Wisconsin (WCHA)/Hershey (AHL)	Draft (8th, 2003)
62	Sean Collins	D	6-1	215	10/30/83	Ohio State (CCHA)/Hershey (AHL)	Free Agent
63	Andrew Gordon	RW	5-11	180	12/13/85	St. Cloud State (WCHA)	Draft (7th, 2004)
65	Andrew Glass	LW	5-11	180	7/14/89	Nobles (High-Mass.)	Draft (7th, 2007)
67	Justin Taylor	C	5-11	180	2/8/89	London (OHL)	Draft (6th, 2007)
70	Justin Mrazek	G	6-3	185	7/21/85	Union College (ECACHL)
71	Travis Morin	C	6-2	175	1/9/84	Minn. St. (WCHA)/S. Car. (ECHL)
72	Pasi Salonen	LW	5-11	187	12/18/85	HIFK Helsinki (Finland)	Draft (5th, 2004)
73	Josh Godfrey	D	6-0	197	1/15/88	Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)	Draft (2nd, 2007)
75	Phil DeSimone	C	5-11	193	3/19/87	Sioux City (USHL)	Draft (3rd, 2007)
76	Brett Bruneteau	C	5-11	183	1/5/89	Omaha (USHL)	Draft (4th, 2007)
78	Brett Leffler	RW	6-0	198	5/19/89	Regina (WHL)	Draft (5th, 2007)
80	Dan Dunn	G	6-4	200	6/20/88	Wellington (OPJHL)	Draft (6th, 2007)
85	Mathieu Perreault	C	5-8	151	1/5/88	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	Draft (6th, 2006)
86	Luke Lynes	C	6-0	195	11/28/87	Brampton (OHL)	Draft (4th, 2006)

July's Much-Needed Hockey Fix

pucksandbooks — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:06:51 +0000

Boz penned a persuasive piece on the great value offered up by Tiger Woods and Congressional Country Club this week. He’s right — $25 admission, and no parking charge, for a full day in the sun on one of the most beautiful pieces of property in the region is a value day very well spent. You need to be reasonably fit to walk the whole course in July heat, but if you do you’ll sleep like a baby that night. I remember strolling Congressional’s hilly terrain during the U.S. Open there in 1997, and being awed by the splendor of perfectly manicured championship golf. Or maybe I was awed by the thousands of young Montgomery County maidens sauntering about in their revealing summer wear. And come to think of it, pro golfer “partners” (and I’m not talking caddies) are worth the spectating price of admission.
Anyway, it’s a great thing Tiger’s doing this week, honoring our Armed Services as spiritedly as he is. It’s a rare occasion in contemporary sports in which corporate sponsorship seems to recede a bit behind the lustre of the venue, the stars competing therein, and the event’s beneficiaries.
But this weekend another set of world-class athletes arrives in D.C., and witnessing their labor next week will cost you $25 less than the visit to the golf course. Next week brings summer school for Caps’ kiddies, July’s annual Rookie Camp, but these aren’t truants or the grade-challenged. As the Caps have accumulated an embarrassment of high-end prospect riches from the past five NHL Entry Drafts this mid-summer gathering has become a feast for the local DraftGeek and puck-starved. You go back a few years and this event featured a sprinkling of first- and second-rounders, a number of obscure free agents, and some young local talent. But this July the Caps’ prized and largely unrivaled organizational depth gets a dramatic showcasing.
It’s a mini- training camp of sorts, partly an orientation for the young guns and a partly a modest bit of drills and such on the ice. But this is Kettler-Capitals’ first such camp, and I expect it to be the most fan-friendly one to date.
Players will arrive in town over the weekend, and in the early part of next week they’ll meet with the coaching staff and management for orientation. The Caps are still formulating the final bits of camp schedule, but this morning it appears that the players will be on the ice at various times for public consumption next Wednesday through Friday. Always the camp culminates with a scrimmage, and depending on the number of skaters, that can be a traditional 5-on-5 affair or, as with most recent camps up in Hershey, free-wheeling 4-on-4s that leave the skaters hunched over and the spectators smiling.
These are my leading storylines for this summer’s Rookie Camp:

The appearance of the team’s impressive WCHA set: former Wisconsin Badger captain Andrew Joudrey; First-Team All-WCHA center/wing Andrew Gordon, he of the more than 100 points in three seasons at St. Cloud State; Second Team All-WCHA sniper Travis Morin from Minnesota State; and rapidly developing tower of terror Joe Finley from North Dakota.
A Caps’ rarity: a duo of QMJHL standout prospects, both of whom dominated the Q last season — right wing Francois Bouchard of Baie Comeau and center Mathieu Perreault of Acadie Bathurst.
OHL buzz-generating backstop Michal Neuvirth of the Plymouth Whalers.
The ‘07 draft class, led by no. 5 overall Karl Alzner.
2005 first-rounder Sasha Pokulok, whose development has been slowed by injuries.
Oh, and some super-skilled Swede.

If as preparation for next week you’d like a bit of weekend reading primer on the Caps’ prime prospects, these OFB treatments might prove to be primary assists: Hockeysfuture’s College Call-out of Caps’ prospects; Perreault Wins Q League MVP; Q League wise-eyes wide over Perreault; General Manager George McPhee’s in-season update of the farm; The Caps’ ‘other’ goaltending prospect; my look at the gems drafted in later rounds; and last but not least, OFB’s ranking of the Top 20 Caps’ prospects from January.
See you in Bermuda shorts in the stands next week.

Postseason Prospect Update; Perreault Named First-Team All Star

pucksandbooks — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:50:32 +0000

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced its Rookie and First- and Second-team All Stars over the weekend, and Caps’ prospects Mathieu Perreault and Francois Bouchard, predictably, made them. Perreault was selected for the league’s First All-Star team, Bouchard its Second.
We’ll be keeping an eye on Perreault early this week. He and his Acadie Bathurst Titan are facing PEI in a game seven of the QMJHL’s opening playoff round tomorrow night. Bouchard’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar defeated Victoriaville four games to two in its opening round.
Mississauga (Oskar Osala) and Saginaw (Patrick McNeill) were elimated in the OHL’s first round, but the Plymouth Whalers swept Guelph. Jeremy Smith and Michal Neuvirth split time in the Whaler net in that series, both winning two games, and right now Neuvirth leads the league in post-season goals-against at 1.47.
Holly Gunning, a college hockey writer for hockeysfuture.com, has published a new interview with Caps’ prospect Travis Morin. In it he confirms that the Caps assigned him to South Carolina to maximize his ice time in pro hockey this spring.

“HF: Did Washington send you here instead of (AHL) Hershey for more ice time?
TM: Yeah, they said I’d get a chance down here, play on the power play, the penalty kill. I’d get a chance to play a lot like I was used to. They said they sent a few guys up there last year who didn’t see much ice time. That’s what I wanted, I’d rather go somewhere that I can play and get acclimated to everything. That’s what they gave me and I love it.”

The Stingrays roll just three lines — typical of East Coast League hockey — so Morin’s heavy minutes load at Minnesota State is likely to carry over for the remainder of his season in the Palmetto state.
Andrew Joudrey, recently signed by the Caps and assigned to Hershey, has yet to be assigned a number by the Bears. Like Stephen Werner last season, Joudrey may have difficulty cracking a strong Bears’ squad this late in the season.