All of us here at CACTP would like to wish Sasha all the best in Carolina, and hope that he is able to get along with the two Staal brothers that he'll be working with.
Goodbye Sasha.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Goodbye Sasha
Today at about three twenty-two in the afternoon Alexander Semin signed a one year, seven million dollar contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
All of us here at CACTP would like to wish Sasha all the best in Carolina, and hope that he is able to get along with the two Staal brothers that he'll be working with.
Goodbye Sasha.
All of us here at CACTP would like to wish Sasha all the best in Carolina, and hope that he is able to get along with the two Staal brothers that he'll be working with.
Goodbye Sasha.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
There's A New Hunter In Town...Again
The Capitals announced that they have finally signed their second assistant coach yesterday! No it wasn't an ex-Capitals player this time. Instead the Caps went after an ex-assistant coach. The name of that man? Tim Hunter.
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| Say hello to Tim Hunter! (No relation to Dale Hunter) |
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Joey Crabb's Baltimore Hockey Classic and All You Can Eat Crabb Legs
C'mon out to Joey Crabb's Baltimore Hockey Classic Hon!
Date: September 26
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD.
Hang out with one of yer newest Capitals, Joey Crabb, as he and the Washington Capitals take on the Columbus Blue Jackets!
The festivities are set to include all you can eat Crabb leggs and drinks will be provided by Natty Boh!
See you there hon!
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Alex Semin: Misunderstood
For whatever reason Alex Semin has been labeled as a lazy, egotistical coach-killer--they say he's an enigma of a man that lacks effort and has a sense of apathy during the post-season. While Sasha does possess a somewhat enigmatic quality to him, lazy? A coach-killer? Lacking effort during the playoffs? That is simply untrue--it's a falsehood spread by the left wing-hating Russian-bashing media.
Let's address the issue of lazy first. I'm honestly not sure where this claim is based in reality. If one were to base an opinion of him being lazy off of the fact that his point production has dipped over the last several years, then perhaps there could be a case made. However, take this into consideration--over the past several years the quality of Sasha's line-mates has gone down. As Jeff Angus points out in his great piece, "Alexander Semin and Ignoring the 10 Percent," In 2009-10 Sasha spent over twenty percent of his time on the ice with Ovechkin and Backstrom, and over the following seasons that percentage of time gradually went down and Alex began to play with less gifted players a greater percent of the time. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a hockey player on a line with better players will generally play at a higher level.
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| I've also heard that Alex Semin is behind a conspiracy to make the new Batman movie anti-Romney |
Let's address the issue of lazy first. I'm honestly not sure where this claim is based in reality. If one were to base an opinion of him being lazy off of the fact that his point production has dipped over the last several years, then perhaps there could be a case made. However, take this into consideration--over the past several years the quality of Sasha's line-mates has gone down. As Jeff Angus points out in his great piece, "Alexander Semin and Ignoring the 10 Percent," In 2009-10 Sasha spent over twenty percent of his time on the ice with Ovechkin and Backstrom, and over the following seasons that percentage of time gradually went down and Alex began to play with less gifted players a greater percent of the time. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a hockey player on a line with better players will generally play at a higher level.
No Love For Sasha
We are now 21 days into Free Agency and one star has yet to be signed. So, who wants the Caps talented but, "coach killing, island misfit, lazy, egotistical" second line winger? As of right now, it seems to be no one. Here is how I see Alexander Semin's remainder in Free Agency playing out:
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Meet Calle Johansson
With the resignation of both Dean Evason and Jim Johnson when Dale Hunter resigned as the Capitals head coach after the Caps 2012 Stanley Cup Playoff second round exit, the Caps have since been on a search for their replacements.
The Capitals took their time in hiring Adam Oates as their next head coach and that was good news for Calle Johansson.
The Capitals took their time in hiring Adam Oates as their next head coach and that was good news for Calle Johansson.
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Capitals Re-sign Green, 3 Year Deal
That's right Caps fans! Mike Green is back in DC!!
After declining the qualifying offer of $5 million per year the two sides agreed on an extension, a 3-year deal worth $18.25 million ($6 million in the 2012-13/2013-14 seasons and $6.25 million in 2014-15). Which means we get to see the beloved Vespa-riding, defensive bad boy all the way through 2015!! (Photo credit to Google images)
After declining the qualifying offer of $5 million per year the two sides agreed on an extension, a 3-year deal worth $18.25 million ($6 million in the 2012-13/2013-14 seasons and $6.25 million in 2014-15). Which means we get to see the beloved Vespa-riding, defensive bad boy all the way through 2015!! (Photo credit to Google images)
Monday, 16 July 2012
Could Wolski Have A Comeback Year?
A couple of weeks into free agency, the Caps captured the signature of one time 65 point scorer, 26 year old left winger Wojtek Wolski - for just $600,000. A certain Alex Ovechkin scored 65 points this year, and the Caps paid $9 million for his services. An incredible deal, right? A top six forward for fourth line money? As you'd expect, there's a catch.
Wolski's production has collapsed since 2010. This season, he was regularly hurt with a sports hernia, playing just 31 games for the Rangers and Panthers, scoring 12 points along the way. He played a further six games in the AHL for the Connecticut Whale. These are not impressive numbers at all and if he continued with this production he would struggle to even make the third line. This is why he has be signed to such a low salary this year - the Caps are not prepared to risk top six money on him.
However, Mike Ribeiro, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson - Wolski's likely top six linemates - scored a combined 254 points this year, in 356 games. Riberiro played for a non-playoff Dallas Stars, and Johansson is only 21, and should increase his production in 2012-13. Wolski may well become a better points producer among these players. At 6'3 and 210 lbs, he should also add some physicality to the top six. Of course, with exciting prospects Evgeny Kuznetsov, Forsberg and Wilson in the pipeline, Wolski will have something to prove this year if he wants to win a contract with the Caps again.
Wolski is also a shootout specialist, which will really help the Caps pick up extra points to try and snatch the Southeast division back again this year. Although these will not show up in his stats, this will give the Caps a leg up into the playoffs. If he succeeds with these, the player who is described as 'an enigma' (and we thought we were done with those), could regain confidence and help the Caps in other ways.
The Caps feel that they can turn his career around, and George McPhee believes he is ready for it and self effacing, saying: 'He was really good, really honest, really blunt, and said, I know my career's on the line, I have to play better, I put my foot off the gas.' This all sounds very positive, and that he is ready to take his production to the next level. Playing alongside great playmakers like Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Riberio coupled with his better attitude, there is no reason why Wojtek Wolski can return to form this year, and score over sixty points again. If he can return to this production, the Caps could finally overcome the Eastern Conference Semi Final.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Capitals Development Camp Finishes With A Bang
The large crowd that showed up to the final Capitals Development Camp Scrimmage to support the Capitals prospects in their final day in the DC area were given quite a treat. The scrimmage could not have been anymore entertaining for the Capitals fans that were in attendance. Seven total goals, hard hits, a fight and some big saves were all part of the day at Kettler.
The scrimmage festivities started with the adrenaline pumping and familiar voice of Capitals PA announcer Wes Johnson getting the crowd into the the action followed by a short speech by new head coach Adam Oates. The Capitals 2011-2012 entrance song soon followed as the Capitals prospects entered the ice and the atmosphere at Kettler quickly increased to the intensity of a game that would be normally seen at the Verizon Center (with a lot less people of course!). At the drop of the puck, all hell broke lose and the prospects duked it out for a full 60 minutes for one final time to make a statement.
2012 7th round draft pick Sergei Kostenko started in net for the red team and made some fantastic saves early on as his team jumped to a 1-0 lead 15:51 into the game. The opening goal was scored by Stanislav Galiev who I claimed needed to make a statement today infront of the large crowd. He was rather unimpressive in the previous scrimmages of the Development Camp. As soon as the Galiev goal was scored, the goaltender for the white team, Brandon Anderson, fell apart. Just 53 seconds later, Riley Barber increased the red teams lead to 2-0. Anderson was fighting off shots at this point and got a lot of help from his defenseman. At the end of the 1st period the Red team stayed ahead 2-1 with Tom Wilson leading the way in hits by a large margin.
Early on in the 2nd period, Brent Tate of the white team challenged Max Iafrate to a fight just to the left of Kostenko. Iafrate declined as the crowd's attention turned towards the scuffle that was beginning between Tate and Iafrate. As they skated down the ice the gloves were dropped and Tate landed a big punch and Iafrate quickly went down. This was Iafrate's 2nd fight of the week. He fought Chandler Stephenson at the conclusion of Thursday's scrimmage. Chandler Stephenson eventually tied the game at 2 for the white squad. Then with 11:31 left in the 2nd period, break out player David Vallorani gave the white team a 3-2 lead for his 4th goal of the week (also recorded 1 assist this week) and Kostenko started to crumble. The goalies were changed at the 10 minute mark (Brooks Ostergard for white and Scott Darling for red). The 2nd period ended a 3-2 lead for the boys in white.
Much of the 3rd period was a stalemate. A bunch of hooking penalties were called consecutively on both teams. Galiev made a thundering hit on Travis Boyd at center ice along the glass by the scorekeepers table with 2:40 left in the game. The littlest guy at the camp, TJ Syner, tied the game at 3 for the red team with 53.2 seconds left in the game. The crowd roared in appreciation for the beautiful passing sequence that occured to create the goal.
1:42 into OT the red team clinched the win thanks to Cornell's Greg Miller. Then both teams shook hands and exited the ice.
Todays scrimmage was about as thrilling of a hockey game as it gets! This exciting week of the Capitals Development Camp could not have ended with a better scrimmage than the one that took place today.
From what I saw, the most impressive players all week long at the camp were forwards Greg Miller, David Vallorani, Andreas Martinsen, Tom Wilson, and Barry Almeida. Defenseman Cameron Schilling, Jaynen Rissling, and Max Iafrate caught my eye. Goaltenders Scott Darling and Sergei Kostenko (reminds me a lot of Semyon Varlamov) were also impressive.
Thank you to all who adamately followed the blogs twitter account and our nightly posts with our updates from the camp all week long. I enjoyed being there covering the camp for our followers and fans! Make sure to follow me on twitter at @capsfanatic_wvu for more Capitals talk all offseason long, and, most importantly, during the upcoming Washington Capitals season!
Until We Meet Again,
Will
The scrimmage festivities started with the adrenaline pumping and familiar voice of Capitals PA announcer Wes Johnson getting the crowd into the the action followed by a short speech by new head coach Adam Oates. The Capitals 2011-2012 entrance song soon followed as the Capitals prospects entered the ice and the atmosphere at Kettler quickly increased to the intensity of a game that would be normally seen at the Verizon Center (with a lot less people of course!). At the drop of the puck, all hell broke lose and the prospects duked it out for a full 60 minutes for one final time to make a statement.
2012 7th round draft pick Sergei Kostenko started in net for the red team and made some fantastic saves early on as his team jumped to a 1-0 lead 15:51 into the game. The opening goal was scored by Stanislav Galiev who I claimed needed to make a statement today infront of the large crowd. He was rather unimpressive in the previous scrimmages of the Development Camp. As soon as the Galiev goal was scored, the goaltender for the white team, Brandon Anderson, fell apart. Just 53 seconds later, Riley Barber increased the red teams lead to 2-0. Anderson was fighting off shots at this point and got a lot of help from his defenseman. At the end of the 1st period the Red team stayed ahead 2-1 with Tom Wilson leading the way in hits by a large margin.
Early on in the 2nd period, Brent Tate of the white team challenged Max Iafrate to a fight just to the left of Kostenko. Iafrate declined as the crowd's attention turned towards the scuffle that was beginning between Tate and Iafrate. As they skated down the ice the gloves were dropped and Tate landed a big punch and Iafrate quickly went down. This was Iafrate's 2nd fight of the week. He fought Chandler Stephenson at the conclusion of Thursday's scrimmage. Chandler Stephenson eventually tied the game at 2 for the white squad. Then with 11:31 left in the 2nd period, break out player David Vallorani gave the white team a 3-2 lead for his 4th goal of the week (also recorded 1 assist this week) and Kostenko started to crumble. The goalies were changed at the 10 minute mark (Brooks Ostergard for white and Scott Darling for red). The 2nd period ended a 3-2 lead for the boys in white.
Much of the 3rd period was a stalemate. A bunch of hooking penalties were called consecutively on both teams. Galiev made a thundering hit on Travis Boyd at center ice along the glass by the scorekeepers table with 2:40 left in the game. The littlest guy at the camp, TJ Syner, tied the game at 3 for the red team with 53.2 seconds left in the game. The crowd roared in appreciation for the beautiful passing sequence that occured to create the goal.
1:42 into OT the red team clinched the win thanks to Cornell's Greg Miller. Then both teams shook hands and exited the ice.
Todays scrimmage was about as thrilling of a hockey game as it gets! This exciting week of the Capitals Development Camp could not have ended with a better scrimmage than the one that took place today.
From what I saw, the most impressive players all week long at the camp were forwards Greg Miller, David Vallorani, Andreas Martinsen, Tom Wilson, and Barry Almeida. Defenseman Cameron Schilling, Jaynen Rissling, and Max Iafrate caught my eye. Goaltenders Scott Darling and Sergei Kostenko (reminds me a lot of Semyon Varlamov) were also impressive.
Thank you to all who adamately followed the blogs twitter account and our nightly posts with our updates from the camp all week long. I enjoyed being there covering the camp for our followers and fans! Make sure to follow me on twitter at @capsfanatic_wvu for more Capitals talk all offseason long, and, most importantly, during the upcoming Washington Capitals season!
Until We Meet Again,
Will
Friday, 13 July 2012
Capitals Development Camp Day 5
Day 5 of the Washington Capitals Development Camp consisted of just a scrimmage, however, an oddly formatted scrimmage. The scrimmage started at 9:45am EST at Capitals Kettler Iceplex. The 1st period was 20 minutes of stop clock action. The 2nd (and final period) was 25 minutes of stop clock action.
With the addition of David Vallorani (who played on the red squad during all previous scrimmages), the white team defeated the red team 4-1. As weird as this may seem, Vallorani seems to be the difference maker in these scrimmages. Vallorani is fast, agile, and has a tremendous amount of playmaking ability. Today, he got one assist on a goal by Connor Carriker to add to his total of 3 goals prior to today. He had 2 yesterday for the red team. His 4 points in the scrimmages thus far leads the Capitals Development players. His point totals in the Caps Development Camp are not the reason the Caps should sign this kid right away.
As previously mentioned, Vallorani is noticeably fast. He is quite agile and has a great ability to make quick turns and stop on a dime, all while keeping perfect controll of the puck. His stickhandling skills are not to the level of Stanislav Galiev, but, combined with all his other hockey attributes, he makes a great player. His ability to find open ice for himself in the offensive zone and elude defensive pressure and open up alleyways for his teammates is vastly better than any other players ability to do so at the Capitals Development Camp. He is not a big kid, acutally, he is relatively small compared to most of the other guys at the camp but he is not intimidated by anyone and plays fearlessly.
After signing Filip Forsberg earlier today. The Capitals should start working on making an offer to David Villorani who in my opinion plays like Martin St. Louis!
Other guys who impressed me at the Capitals Development Camp thus far are goaltenders Scott Darling and Sergei Kostenko, forwards Tom Wilson, Andreas Martinsen, Travis Boyd and Barry Almeida as well as defensemen Cameron Schilling and Jaynen Rissling. The players that I was not impressed with that have grown on me are forwards Filip Forsberg and defenseman Max Iafrate. All of these guys are worth giving a contract too. Other guys are worthy as well but these are my favorites from what I have seen thus far!
Thanks for all your continued support on the Caps Across The Pond twitter account and my twitter account (@capsfanatic_wvu). I truely do enjoy interacting with every single one of you!
I will be tweeting live again from the final scrimmage tomorrow morning at 10am EST from the blog twitter account and I hope that when the Caps Development Camp concludes I can keep interacting with you guys on my personal account throughout the offseason and next season and so forth as I am very active on twitter when the season starts!
See you again tomorrow!!!!!
Will
With the addition of David Vallorani (who played on the red squad during all previous scrimmages), the white team defeated the red team 4-1. As weird as this may seem, Vallorani seems to be the difference maker in these scrimmages. Vallorani is fast, agile, and has a tremendous amount of playmaking ability. Today, he got one assist on a goal by Connor Carriker to add to his total of 3 goals prior to today. He had 2 yesterday for the red team. His 4 points in the scrimmages thus far leads the Capitals Development players. His point totals in the Caps Development Camp are not the reason the Caps should sign this kid right away.
As previously mentioned, Vallorani is noticeably fast. He is quite agile and has a great ability to make quick turns and stop on a dime, all while keeping perfect controll of the puck. His stickhandling skills are not to the level of Stanislav Galiev, but, combined with all his other hockey attributes, he makes a great player. His ability to find open ice for himself in the offensive zone and elude defensive pressure and open up alleyways for his teammates is vastly better than any other players ability to do so at the Capitals Development Camp. He is not a big kid, acutally, he is relatively small compared to most of the other guys at the camp but he is not intimidated by anyone and plays fearlessly.
After signing Filip Forsberg earlier today. The Capitals should start working on making an offer to David Villorani who in my opinion plays like Martin St. Louis!
Other guys who impressed me at the Capitals Development Camp thus far are goaltenders Scott Darling and Sergei Kostenko, forwards Tom Wilson, Andreas Martinsen, Travis Boyd and Barry Almeida as well as defensemen Cameron Schilling and Jaynen Rissling. The players that I was not impressed with that have grown on me are forwards Filip Forsberg and defenseman Max Iafrate. All of these guys are worth giving a contract too. Other guys are worthy as well but these are my favorites from what I have seen thus far!
Thanks for all your continued support on the Caps Across The Pond twitter account and my twitter account (@capsfanatic_wvu). I truely do enjoy interacting with every single one of you!
I will be tweeting live again from the final scrimmage tomorrow morning at 10am EST from the blog twitter account and I hope that when the Caps Development Camp concludes I can keep interacting with you guys on my personal account throughout the offseason and next season and so forth as I am very active on twitter when the season starts!
See you again tomorrow!!!!!
Will
Capitals Development Camp Day 4
After a well-deserved break, the Washington Capitals prospects and Free Agent invites returned to Kettler Capitals IcePlex on Capitals Development Camp Day 4 for the group's third scrimmage.
As always, the players split into two groups in the morning, one working on on-ice drills and the other working in the weight room, then in the afternoon returned to the Capitals rink to entertain the onlooking fans once again in scrimmage form.
Team White, boasting Filip Forsberg, Cam Schilling, Chandler Stephenson and Nathan Walker, took Game 1 by a 3-1 margin. Team Red, highlighted by Stanislav Galiev, Patrick Wey and Tom Wilson, won Game 2, 2-1.
They faced off at 3:00 PM.
Free agent invite Matt Bailey opened the scoring for the Red team, shoveling a cross-ice pass from David Vallorani through the pads of Brandon Anderson for a 1-0 lead. Gregory Miller made it 2-0 in close after a Brant Harris shot for his second goal of Camp.Best-player-ever Vallorani made it 3-0 in the second-period, snapping a feed from linemate TJ Syner over Anderson's outstretched arm for his second goal of Development Camp. David Civitarese cut the lead by a third after hooking Garrett Haar to win the puck and sneaking it past Russian newcomer Sergei Kostenko, left out to dry. Kostenko would then stop Filip Forsberg on a Penalty Shot, before Camden Wojtala made it 4-1 with a rebound in front. New goalies came in, Brooks Ostergard replacing Brandon Anderson for the White team and Scott Darling stepping in for Red. It wouldn't take long for Tom Wilson to make it 5-1 Red, converting with a nifty move on a Penalty Shot, before David Vallorani rounded out the scoring for Red with a top-shelf rip from the left goal-line. Michael Quinn ensured Filip Forsberg wouldn't leave his third-straight scrimmage pointless, converting on a pretty 3-on-1 with the Swede and Barry Almeida. Seventh-round pick Christian Djoos rounded out the scoring, jumping up in the rush and almost breaking the crossbar on a short-side wristshot past a screened Scott Darling.
Tempers flared after the final whistle, as Chandler Stephenson dropped the gloves to protect his teammates from the livid Max Iafrate, but it wouldn't matter. Red beat White 6-3.
Here are those that impressed:
Filip Forsberg - RW - The Swedish 11th-overall pick has had a relatively quiet week, but he was good today. He manufactured a couple of breakaways, won himself a penalty shot (only to be robbed by Kostenko), and put his silky stickhandling skills on display on more than one occasion. The 17-year-old is the best player and brightest prospect at Camp, and, while he perhaps hasn't impressed as much as Marcus Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov did in their first Development Camps, he was certainly stood out.
Sergei Kostenko - G - Yesterday, a hushed anticipation fell over Kettler as fans got to see 2012 seventh-rounder Sergei Kostenko, who arrived late from Russia after visa troubles, for the first time. He didn't disappoint. And he didn't disappoint in his first scrimmage, either. Kostenko, an athletic yet positionally and technically sound netminder, made a number of key saves to keep the Red team in front, only yielding a goal because of the referees' refusal to make calls. Kostenko is an exciting prospect, and he sure was exciting today.
David Vallorani - C - The UMass-Lowell senior, who totaled 29 points in 38 games in college hockey's best division, has been the star of Development Camp this year, and he was at his best today. An undersized but speedy player with all the skills to be the next Mathieu Perreault, Vallorani first set up a goal then scored two himself. He certainly is making a name for himself at Camp, and could well find himself signed to a contract come the end of the week.
Nathan Walker - RW - The undrafted Australian winger has been impressing at Camp so far this week, and for the second scrimmage in a row, he was one of the best players on the ice. Walker is quick, gritty, skilled, and has all the all-round game to make it at the next level. He has to reenter the draft next year, but the Caps could well look to pick him up.
The players return to the rink for another scrimmage at 9:45 AM tomorrow morning.
As always, the players split into two groups in the morning, one working on on-ice drills and the other working in the weight room, then in the afternoon returned to the Capitals rink to entertain the onlooking fans once again in scrimmage form.
Team White, boasting Filip Forsberg, Cam Schilling, Chandler Stephenson and Nathan Walker, took Game 1 by a 3-1 margin. Team Red, highlighted by Stanislav Galiev, Patrick Wey and Tom Wilson, won Game 2, 2-1.
They faced off at 3:00 PM.
Free agent invite Matt Bailey opened the scoring for the Red team, shoveling a cross-ice pass from David Vallorani through the pads of Brandon Anderson for a 1-0 lead. Gregory Miller made it 2-0 in close after a Brant Harris shot for his second goal of Camp.
Tempers flared after the final whistle, as Chandler Stephenson dropped the gloves to protect his teammates from the livid Max Iafrate, but it wouldn't matter. Red beat White 6-3.
Here are those that impressed:
Filip Forsberg - RW - The Swedish 11th-overall pick has had a relatively quiet week, but he was good today. He manufactured a couple of breakaways, won himself a penalty shot (only to be robbed by Kostenko), and put his silky stickhandling skills on display on more than one occasion. The 17-year-old is the best player and brightest prospect at Camp, and, while he perhaps hasn't impressed as much as Marcus Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov did in their first Development Camps, he was certainly stood out.
Sergei Kostenko - G - Yesterday, a hushed anticipation fell over Kettler as fans got to see 2012 seventh-rounder Sergei Kostenko, who arrived late from Russia after visa troubles, for the first time. He didn't disappoint. And he didn't disappoint in his first scrimmage, either. Kostenko, an athletic yet positionally and technically sound netminder, made a number of key saves to keep the Red team in front, only yielding a goal because of the referees' refusal to make calls. Kostenko is an exciting prospect, and he sure was exciting today.
David Vallorani - C - The UMass-Lowell senior, who totaled 29 points in 38 games in college hockey's best division, has been the star of Development Camp this year, and he was at his best today. An undersized but speedy player with all the skills to be the next Mathieu Perreault, Vallorani first set up a goal then scored two himself. He certainly is making a name for himself at Camp, and could well find himself signed to a contract come the end of the week.
Nathan Walker - RW - The undrafted Australian winger has been impressing at Camp so far this week, and for the second scrimmage in a row, he was one of the best players on the ice. Walker is quick, gritty, skilled, and has all the all-round game to make it at the next level. He has to reenter the draft next year, but the Caps could well look to pick him up.
The players return to the rink for another scrimmage at 9:45 AM tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Capitals Development Camp Day 3
After two high-tempo scrimmages, the Washington Capitals prospects were given somewhat of a day off at #CapsDevCamp.
In a relatively non-newsworthy day (until about 4:08 PM), Group A and Group B were on ice at different times, working on technical skills, shooting, skating, passing, stickhandling, and mini-games.
The real news for the Development Camp-dwellers was the arrival of 2012 7th-round goaltender Sergei Kostenko, who had originally struggled to get a visa from Russia. Kostenko looked solid on the ice, moving well in the crease and flashing his pads on more than one occasion. He hasn't been showcased in a scrimmage yet, but will get his chance tomorrow, as Team Red and Team White face off again.
Italian-born 4th-round pick Thomas Di Pauli had to leave camp to return to summer school at Notre Dame.
The big news of the day was the Caps' signing of 26-year-old Polish left-winger Wojtek Wolski on a one-year, $600,000 contract.
Wolski should step into the Caps' top-six, perhaps playing alongside the likes of Mike Ribeiro and Troy Brouwer on a new-look second-line.
Wolski brings good size (6'3") and skill to a lineup that has looked starved without Alex Semin and Mike Knuble in the mix.
Just another reason to look forward to Training Camp...
In a relatively non-newsworthy day (until about 4:08 PM), Group A and Group B were on ice at different times, working on technical skills, shooting, skating, passing, stickhandling, and mini-games.
The real news for the Development Camp-dwellers was the arrival of 2012 7th-round goaltender Sergei Kostenko, who had originally struggled to get a visa from Russia. Kostenko looked solid on the ice, moving well in the crease and flashing his pads on more than one occasion. He hasn't been showcased in a scrimmage yet, but will get his chance tomorrow, as Team Red and Team White face off again.
Italian-born 4th-round pick Thomas Di Pauli had to leave camp to return to summer school at Notre Dame.
The big news of the day was the Caps' signing of 26-year-old Polish left-winger Wojtek Wolski on a one-year, $600,000 contract.
Wolski should step into the Caps' top-six, perhaps playing alongside the likes of Mike Ribeiro and Troy Brouwer on a new-look second-line.
Wolski brings good size (6'3") and skill to a lineup that has looked starved without Alex Semin and Mike Knuble in the mix.
Just another reason to look forward to Training Camp...
Capitals Development Camp Day 2
With the pressure of making a good impression and starting the camp off on the right foot largely past the Washington Capitals prospects, the quality of play at Development Camp was expected to increase, and the players duly delivered.
After splitting into two groups this morning, the position players doing timed skates on Kettler's second rink and the goaltenders working with Adam Oates on the Capitals rink, the Washington Capitals prospects and Free Agent invites reconvened in front of fans at 2:45 for the Camp's second scrimmage.
Brooks Ostergard and Steffen Søberg held shutouts for the Red and White Teams, respectively, and halfway through the 60-minute, running-clock game, the score was tied 0-0. That said, shortly after the halfway mark, FA invite David Vallorani broke the deadlock, converting on a 3-on-2 slapshot after a feed from fellow invitee Matt Bailey. That score would hold until the last minute, when Aaron Gens one-timed a TJ Syner drop-pass past Brandon Anderson for a 2-0 Red lead. Australia's favourite Nathan Walker spoiled Scott Darling's shutout with a snapshot with just 4.7 seconds remaining, but it wouldn't be enough.
A day after losing the opening game 3-1, Team Red triumphed over Team White by a score of 2-1.
Here is a breakdown of those that impressed on Development Camp's second day...
Connor Carrick - D - Plymouth Whalers-bound USNTDP defenseman Connor Carrick was drafted as an offensive player, but today, the 5'11" defenseman put his more defensive and physical sides forward. One shift in particular stands out. Carrick started off by nearly dumping Brant Harris into the bench, then went on to destroy 6'4"-er Tom Wilson at center ice, before forcing a Scott Darling save after a nifty move around an opposition defenseman. The 5th-rounder has two more years of junior eligibility with which to impress the Caps' brass, but if today is any indication, there is no reason to believe he won't.
Christian Djoos - D - A day after disappointing in the scrimmage, Christian Djoos put all the qualities that made the Caps want to draft him in the 7th-round on full display. He blocked several shots, was composed with the puck, and even used his 5'11", 158-pound frame to knock Tom Wilson to the ice once. He put up 24 points in 40 games for Brynäs Jr in the SuperElitserien last season, and should get more time with the adult team this year. The Swedish blueliner is one to watch.
Steffen Søberg - G - At this point, there is little doubt over who the best goaltender at Development Camp is. After impressing a summer ago with his raw talent and athleticism, Steffen Søberg has come back better. He made some big saves today, most memorably a point black stop of Gregory Miller, en route to a well-deserved shutout. He will be joining Vålerenga of the Norwegian GET-Ligaen next summer, and if he performs, could be in line for a move to North America in 2012-13.
David Vallorani - C - Free Agent invites are meant to be complements at Development Camp, not stars. Vallorani shone today. After dominating the speed trials, Vallorani was one of the real bright spots of the scrimmage, hitting the crossbar once on a coast-to-coast give-and-go play with Stanislav Galiev and scoring the opening goal. A senior with UMass-Lowell last season, the center is looking for a pro contract, and if he keeps impressing, could earn it with the Capitals organization.
Nathan Walker - RW - Many expected Australian winger Nathan Walker to be a draft pick this summer, but everyone passed. Now, he is bringing his skills to the lucky fans at Kettler. Walker is fast. A bundle of energy that never stops moving, he seems to always be available to his teammates. He isn't the biggest guy, but he always bounces right back up after hits. He was rewarded for his efforts with a goal today, and, if he keeps playing as well as he has, it could well be the first of many for the Washington Capitals.
The players return to the ice tomorrow morning for Capitals Development Camp Day 3.
After splitting into two groups this morning, the position players doing timed skates on Kettler's second rink and the goaltenders working with Adam Oates on the Capitals rink, the Washington Capitals prospects and Free Agent invites reconvened in front of fans at 2:45 for the Camp's second scrimmage.
Brooks Ostergard and Steffen Søberg held shutouts for the Red and White Teams, respectively, and halfway through the 60-minute, running-clock game, the score was tied 0-0. That said, shortly after the halfway mark, FA invite David Vallorani broke the deadlock, converting on a 3-on-2 slapshot after a feed from fellow invitee Matt Bailey. That score would hold until the last minute, when Aaron Gens one-timed a TJ Syner drop-pass past Brandon Anderson for a 2-0 Red lead. Australia's favourite Nathan Walker spoiled Scott Darling's shutout with a snapshot with just 4.7 seconds remaining, but it wouldn't be enough.
A day after losing the opening game 3-1, Team Red triumphed over Team White by a score of 2-1.
Here is a breakdown of those that impressed on Development Camp's second day...
Connor Carrick - D - Plymouth Whalers-bound USNTDP defenseman Connor Carrick was drafted as an offensive player, but today, the 5'11" defenseman put his more defensive and physical sides forward. One shift in particular stands out. Carrick started off by nearly dumping Brant Harris into the bench, then went on to destroy 6'4"-er Tom Wilson at center ice, before forcing a Scott Darling save after a nifty move around an opposition defenseman. The 5th-rounder has two more years of junior eligibility with which to impress the Caps' brass, but if today is any indication, there is no reason to believe he won't.
Christian Djoos - D - A day after disappointing in the scrimmage, Christian Djoos put all the qualities that made the Caps want to draft him in the 7th-round on full display. He blocked several shots, was composed with the puck, and even used his 5'11", 158-pound frame to knock Tom Wilson to the ice once. He put up 24 points in 40 games for Brynäs Jr in the SuperElitserien last season, and should get more time with the adult team this year. The Swedish blueliner is one to watch.
Steffen Søberg - G - At this point, there is little doubt over who the best goaltender at Development Camp is. After impressing a summer ago with his raw talent and athleticism, Steffen Søberg has come back better. He made some big saves today, most memorably a point black stop of Gregory Miller, en route to a well-deserved shutout. He will be joining Vålerenga of the Norwegian GET-Ligaen next summer, and if he performs, could be in line for a move to North America in 2012-13.
David Vallorani - C - Free Agent invites are meant to be complements at Development Camp, not stars. Vallorani shone today. After dominating the speed trials, Vallorani was one of the real bright spots of the scrimmage, hitting the crossbar once on a coast-to-coast give-and-go play with Stanislav Galiev and scoring the opening goal. A senior with UMass-Lowell last season, the center is looking for a pro contract, and if he keeps impressing, could earn it with the Capitals organization.
Nathan Walker - RW - Many expected Australian winger Nathan Walker to be a draft pick this summer, but everyone passed. Now, he is bringing his skills to the lucky fans at Kettler. Walker is fast. A bundle of energy that never stops moving, he seems to always be available to his teammates. He isn't the biggest guy, but he always bounces right back up after hits. He was rewarded for his efforts with a goal today, and, if he keeps playing as well as he has, it could well be the first of many for the Washington Capitals.
The players return to the ice tomorrow morning for Capitals Development Camp Day 3.
Caps Day 1 & 2 Development Camp Photos
Cameron Schilling (Defenseman)
Tom Wilson (Forward)
Stanislav Galiev (Forward)
Filip Forsberg (Forward)
Group A - Day 1
Filip Forsberg photograph autographed by Filip for an anxious fan!
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Capitals Development Camp Day 1
Today was Day 1 of the Washington Capitals Devolopment Camp! An exciting time for big time Caps fans to get a glimpse of what will be the future of our team.
On the metro ride over to Kettler Capitals Iceplex, my mind was racing with thoughts of, "how good is Filip Forsberg?" "Can Tom Wilson be a big time scorer but also a intimidating fighter?" "Is this Stanislav Galiev's breakout year?" all while listening to B.O.B's new song, "so good."
Jump forward past Group A & B's practices, the Capitals prospects are, "so good!"
First, Adam Oates did run the practices if anyone was wondering. He was all business. Gathering the boys around for directions to each drill and expecting them to do the drill mistake free at an ultimate pace. He got what he asked for!
Max Iafrate - D - son of Capitals legend, Al, was invited as a free agent defenseman. The most noticeable attribute about him was his heavy slapshot. I counted two defenseman cringing at his shot while practicing shots from the point looking for a fellow defenseman to deflect their respective shots. Will he stay in the organization? I need to see more of him to know.
Tom Wilson - F - the first thing you notice about him is how big he is. Tall and thick! During drills he wasnt noticeable for his speed or stickhandling but during the scrimmage you could not take your eyes off him when he was on the ice. If your eyes were not on him you would be attracted to the thunder he would create by crunching bones against the boards. Every shift he was out to smack opponents around. When around the net he has the presence of mind to grind around the offensive zone to create scoring chances. He seems to have just the right touch of physical presence and intimadation and a solid amount of scoring potential. Lets not forget he is young and will beccme even stronger! He reminds me of a young Mike Knuble. Strong, powerful (ox like) with great scoring ability! In my opinion he is the most NHL ready player at the 2012 Development Camp.
Stanaslav Galiev - F - not particularly big but makes up for it with smooth hands. If you are a defenseman and loose focus, he has the dangles to make you look foolish. Galiev also posses unreal vision. The kind of vision where he may be trapped in the corner with no where to go and nails a teammate streaking to the net with a pefect tape to tape pass leaving you saying, "how did he see that guy?" In my opinion he is not NHL ready baring no injuries but we all know that in a 82 game season, injuries occur. He will most likely see some time with the Caps due to Foreseen injuries in the lineup.
Filip Forsberg - F - Tall and thin or your typical 17 year old build. Far from NHL ready but get this kid in the weight room and he will become something special. He is a good skater with nice hands. He shy's away from contact a bit too much for my likeing but he's young. His lack of strength does not help him with having a noticeable shot. Weights, weights, weights, just like Backstrom and he will be fun to watch!
Cam Schilling - D - He is a big kid that is a very solid defenseman. He too, like Wilson, is very strong. He possesses great size which comes with a long reach that is perfect for a stay at home defenseman! He skates very well and has a quick release which is perfect for fooling goalies with shots from the point. Another guy who I believe is very close to being NHL ready.
Nardo Nagtzaam - F - great flow, great speed and he tapes his stick with grip down the shaft for his left hand. He is a lefty and it's not often you see that type of tape job now a days. He is an interesting kid I presume!
Christian Djoos - D - way too small, or it seems a boy amongst men. He is too small to be a good defenseman right now. He really needs to bulk up if he wants to have a chance to ever crack the Caps lineup. He has a short reach and does not make up for it with particularly great skating. He simply gets beat too easily. He needs time to develop!
Scott Darling - G - hockey prospect websites gave him a future success rate of an "F". I just don't see it though. Of all the goalies he looked to be the best. He was tall and his stance took up most of the net. He was agile and moved well for a big goalie. On top of all that he is very fundamentally sound.
Brandon Anderson - G - this kid loves his glove hand. It was his go to method of making a save. His glove is quick and he is relatively good at making sure he catches the shot and doesn't let it escape his glove. I would have to say beating him on a clear shot will rarely work. He loves to go down on every shot he sees and doesn't seem to be afraid to do so (eerily like Tim Thomas). The best way to beat him is give him a strong head fake, get him to go down and go for the deke.
As I mentioned earlier, Tom Wilson was very fun to watch during the scrimmage. He wanted to hit someone every chance he got but did not give up trying to help the red squad score a goal. Aaron Gens (D, free agent invite) made a slick shot fake from the left point and made a perfect shotpass to Gregory Miller (F, free agent invite) who easily tapped it home early on in the scrimmage. The crowd at Kettler "ooo'd" in approval! Galiev was a non factor for the Red squad today. Brooks Ostergard also struggled in net for the Red squad. However, Andreas Martinsen and David Villorani had breakout games for the boys in red. Both were very good at skating with the puck and trying to open up the ice to make a play for their teammates. Villorani is small, fast, and shifty while the lone German Martinsen is big and powerful. The white team ended up winning the oddly formatted game 3-1 with goals by Travis Boyd, Greg Burke and Brent Tate.
I want to say thank you all who fired away questions to me while I was at the Development Camp today on our twitter account (@capsacrosspond). At one point there were so many questions coming in I got quickly overwhelmed and accidentally called a lady, "sir!" the more traffic I get during the camp, the better my experience is, so again, thank you!
I will be in attendance all week so keep tweeting me on the blog account as well as follow my personal account (@capsfanatic_wvu). I would be glad to host your "off hours" questions about the caps and or the camp there when my day is done at the rink!
Until tomorrow :) !!!
Will
On the metro ride over to Kettler Capitals Iceplex, my mind was racing with thoughts of, "how good is Filip Forsberg?" "Can Tom Wilson be a big time scorer but also a intimidating fighter?" "Is this Stanislav Galiev's breakout year?" all while listening to B.O.B's new song, "so good."
Jump forward past Group A & B's practices, the Capitals prospects are, "so good!"
First, Adam Oates did run the practices if anyone was wondering. He was all business. Gathering the boys around for directions to each drill and expecting them to do the drill mistake free at an ultimate pace. He got what he asked for!
Max Iafrate - D - son of Capitals legend, Al, was invited as a free agent defenseman. The most noticeable attribute about him was his heavy slapshot. I counted two defenseman cringing at his shot while practicing shots from the point looking for a fellow defenseman to deflect their respective shots. Will he stay in the organization? I need to see more of him to know.
Tom Wilson - F - the first thing you notice about him is how big he is. Tall and thick! During drills he wasnt noticeable for his speed or stickhandling but during the scrimmage you could not take your eyes off him when he was on the ice. If your eyes were not on him you would be attracted to the thunder he would create by crunching bones against the boards. Every shift he was out to smack opponents around. When around the net he has the presence of mind to grind around the offensive zone to create scoring chances. He seems to have just the right touch of physical presence and intimadation and a solid amount of scoring potential. Lets not forget he is young and will beccme even stronger! He reminds me of a young Mike Knuble. Strong, powerful (ox like) with great scoring ability! In my opinion he is the most NHL ready player at the 2012 Development Camp.
Stanaslav Galiev - F - not particularly big but makes up for it with smooth hands. If you are a defenseman and loose focus, he has the dangles to make you look foolish. Galiev also posses unreal vision. The kind of vision where he may be trapped in the corner with no where to go and nails a teammate streaking to the net with a pefect tape to tape pass leaving you saying, "how did he see that guy?" In my opinion he is not NHL ready baring no injuries but we all know that in a 82 game season, injuries occur. He will most likely see some time with the Caps due to Foreseen injuries in the lineup.
Filip Forsberg - F - Tall and thin or your typical 17 year old build. Far from NHL ready but get this kid in the weight room and he will become something special. He is a good skater with nice hands. He shy's away from contact a bit too much for my likeing but he's young. His lack of strength does not help him with having a noticeable shot. Weights, weights, weights, just like Backstrom and he will be fun to watch!
Cam Schilling - D - He is a big kid that is a very solid defenseman. He too, like Wilson, is very strong. He possesses great size which comes with a long reach that is perfect for a stay at home defenseman! He skates very well and has a quick release which is perfect for fooling goalies with shots from the point. Another guy who I believe is very close to being NHL ready.
Nardo Nagtzaam - F - great flow, great speed and he tapes his stick with grip down the shaft for his left hand. He is a lefty and it's not often you see that type of tape job now a days. He is an interesting kid I presume!
Christian Djoos - D - way too small, or it seems a boy amongst men. He is too small to be a good defenseman right now. He really needs to bulk up if he wants to have a chance to ever crack the Caps lineup. He has a short reach and does not make up for it with particularly great skating. He simply gets beat too easily. He needs time to develop!
Scott Darling - G - hockey prospect websites gave him a future success rate of an "F". I just don't see it though. Of all the goalies he looked to be the best. He was tall and his stance took up most of the net. He was agile and moved well for a big goalie. On top of all that he is very fundamentally sound.
Brandon Anderson - G - this kid loves his glove hand. It was his go to method of making a save. His glove is quick and he is relatively good at making sure he catches the shot and doesn't let it escape his glove. I would have to say beating him on a clear shot will rarely work. He loves to go down on every shot he sees and doesn't seem to be afraid to do so (eerily like Tim Thomas). The best way to beat him is give him a strong head fake, get him to go down and go for the deke.
As I mentioned earlier, Tom Wilson was very fun to watch during the scrimmage. He wanted to hit someone every chance he got but did not give up trying to help the red squad score a goal. Aaron Gens (D, free agent invite) made a slick shot fake from the left point and made a perfect shotpass to Gregory Miller (F, free agent invite) who easily tapped it home early on in the scrimmage. The crowd at Kettler "ooo'd" in approval! Galiev was a non factor for the Red squad today. Brooks Ostergard also struggled in net for the Red squad. However, Andreas Martinsen and David Villorani had breakout games for the boys in red. Both were very good at skating with the puck and trying to open up the ice to make a play for their teammates. Villorani is small, fast, and shifty while the lone German Martinsen is big and powerful. The white team ended up winning the oddly formatted game 3-1 with goals by Travis Boyd, Greg Burke and Brent Tate.
I want to say thank you all who fired away questions to me while I was at the Development Camp today on our twitter account (@capsacrosspond). At one point there were so many questions coming in I got quickly overwhelmed and accidentally called a lady, "sir!" the more traffic I get during the camp, the better my experience is, so again, thank you!
I will be in attendance all week so keep tweeting me on the blog account as well as follow my personal account (@capsfanatic_wvu). I would be glad to host your "off hours" questions about the caps and or the camp there when my day is done at the rink!
Until tomorrow :) !!!
Will
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