Jonas Siegenthaler – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 18:33:53 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 11: New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (7) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild, on February 11th, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Review: After years of hardship, the Devils’ ship has been righted. New Jersey grew from the draft with home grown forwards Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer combining for 133 markers to help the Devils tie for fourth in the league with 3.52 goals per game. The successful rebuild wasn’t just about developing prospects though. They’ve been proactive, snagging defenseman Dougie Hamilton as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021, who then came up big for the Devils last season with 22 goals and 74 points in 82 outings. New Jersey also acquired Timo Meier from San Jose on Feb. 26, adding to an already stacked offense. The one big potential issue the Devils still have is goaltending. Mackenzie Blackwood struggled while Vitek Vanecek started hot but slowed as the campaign dragged on. Rookie Akira Schmid emerged as the potential solution though. After the Devils earned a 52-22-8 record in the regular season, Schmid outplayed Vanecek in the playoffs, though neither goalie could stop Carolina from ousting New Jersey in five games in the second round.

What’s Changed? New Jersey lost some scoring depth when Tomas Tatar walked as a free agent, but having Meier for a full campaign should more than make up for that. The Devils further enhanced their already strong offense by acquiring Tyler Toffoli, coming off his career-high 73-point performance, from Calgary in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich.

What would success look like? The good news for the Devils is last year’s success was largely thanks to a young core that’s not only talented, but deep. Even if one or two key forwards struggle or are hurt for stretches, there are enough alternative scoring threats on the team to power through it. New Jersey didn’t tweak its goaltending, but Vanek has shown he can be solid at times, and if Schmid, who is still just 23, is able to build off his strong 2022-23 campaign, then the Devils will be set for a deep playoff run.

What could go wrong? With so much promise though, it’s a little concerning how heavily their fate is tied to two relatively unproven goaltenders. Schmid still has just 33 games worth of NHL experience, even after including the playoffs. Vanecek at least has 141 regular season and playoff contests under his belt, but he hasn’t shown he can be a sustained presence, and worryingly, he’s fallen apart in the postseason with a career 4.52 GAA and .834 save percentage.

Top Breakout Candidate: The promise of the Devils’ forward group has been realized, but New Jersey has a lot of untapped potential remaining on the blue line, especially with regards to Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. Hughes in particular seems primed for a breakout campaign. This will be his first full NHL season after getting a taste last year, recording a goal and an assist in two regular-season games followed by two helpers in three playoff outings. He was also amazing with the University of Michigan, contributing 10 goals and 48 points in 39 outings. Although Hughes is still just 20 years old, he has the potential to serve in a top-four capacity this year while also receiving some power-play ice time.

Forwards

Jack Hughes

After erupting for 99 points in 78 games in his fourth NHL season, the 22-year-old playmaking center is ready to join the ranks of the elite. Hughes has great awareness of where everyone else is on the ice and has the confidence to create chances even when it looks like there is nothing available. Hughes scored a career high 43 goals even though his shooting percentage dropped from 15.8% the previous season to 12.8% last season, but he generated nearly an extra shot per game, going from 3.37 shots per game to 4.31 shots per game. That ability to generate shots and scoring chances at an elite level is why Hughes should be expected to keep scoring at such a high level. In his first 50 games of the season, Hughes recorded 67 points (35 G, 32 A), with 229 shots on goal, but then he suffered an upper-body injury which kept him out less than two weeks, but his production was not the same after that, as he put up 32 points (8 G, 24 A) in 28 games to finish the regular season. For all of his wonderful attributes, Hughes is laughably poor on faceoffs, winning 35.4% for his career, and he has shown no improvement, winning 35.3% of his draws last season. Maybe the biggest challenge when it comes to projecting Hughes’ scoring this season is related to his durability, or lack thereof. He has played an average of 61 games in four NHL seasons. While some of those seasons were shortened by the league, Hughes has still missed significant playing time. Healthy for a full season, Hughes has the upside to be a 120-point player, and there are not many of those, but taking injuries into account, it might be more reasonable to count on something closer to 90 points.

Nico Hischier

With Patrice Bergeron retiring, there may be an opening for someone new to take home the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward and Hischier is right at the top of the list of contenders after he finished as runner-up in 2022-2023. He also produced career highs of 31 goals and 80 points, increasing his shot output from 2.19 per game to 3.16 per game year over year. He started the season with 22 points (9 G, 13 A) in his first 18 games and finished the season with 19 points (3 G, 16 A) in his last 16 games. Hischier’s ability to take on more defensive responsibility helps free up Hughes to unleash his offensive game, so they really work well as a tandem down the middle of the ice for New Jersey. Hischier’s emergence offensively should only be enhanced by New Jersey keeping Meier and adding Tyler Toffoli because it gives the Devils more weapons up front. Considering his increased shot rate and significant role in the Devils lineup, Hischier should be in line for at least 75 points, with a chance to challenge or even exceed last season’s career-best output.

Timo Meier

A shot generating monster in San Jose, Meier was not as productive in New Jersey, with his shot rate dropping by more than one per game, and even though Meier struggled in the postseason, the Devils committed to signing him to a long-term contract extension. That seems more of a show of faith based on Meier’s previous performance in San Jose rather than what he did for New Jersey, when he contributed 14 points (9 G, 5 A) in 21 games, but he is a play-driving winger who is not afraid to use his size to create room in the offensive zone. Starting last season in San Jose, Meier did not score a goal in his first nine games, then tallied 27 goals in his next 38 games. Such is the power of shot generation – keep getting those shots and, eventually, they start to go in the net. Over the past two seasons, Meier has generated 1.20 expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, ranking second behind only Toronto’s Auston Matthews. When trying to project Meier’s production, consider that he will probably play less for a strong New Jersey team than he did in San Jose, and his teammates should still allow him to generate a high rate of shots. That would make 35 goals and 65 points a reasonable target for Meier, but he has a higher ceiling, too. If everything goes well, a point per game is not out of the question.

Jesper Bratt

The 25-year-old winger scored a career high 32 goals and tied his career high with 73 points last season and he is one of 27 forwards league-wide to have recorded at least 70 points in each of the past two seasons. Bratt has explosive speed and excellent puck protection skills. He has become increasingly comfortable as a finisher, which makes him a more serious threat overall. His defensive impact has been slipping in recent seasons. Not enough to be a major problem, because Bratt led the Devils with a Corsi percentage of 58.4%, but if his defensive play gets tidied up, he would be an even stronger all-around player. Bratt opened last season with 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 19 games and it’s not like he collapsed after that, but it was tough to maintain that level. Even so, after back-to-back 73-point seasons, that remains a reasonable ballpark for this season, too.

Tyler Toffoli

A veteran who has excelled at every stop, Toffoli was a brilliant addition by the Devils. The 31-year-old right winger tallied career highs of 34 goals and 73 points for the Flames last season, with Calgary dominating play when Toffoli was on the ice, outscoring, out-shooting, and out-chancing the opposition. He is not the most graceful skater but has learned enough positional play over the years that he does not have to rely on speed to be in the right place to make things happen. Controlling play has been routine for Toffoli throughout his career, and moving to a Devils team that tends to push the puck in the right direction should allow him to thrive on a Stanley Cup contender. With the Flames striving, unsuccessfully, to reach the postseason, Toffoli finished the year with 17 points (8 G, 9 A) and 54 shots on goal in the last 14 games. Joining a Devils squad that controls play will not be an adjustment for Toffoli, who almost always has the puck moving in the right direction, but it should give him plenty of chances to score. He may not match his career-best numbers, set in Calgary last season, but it would not be a surprise to see 65 points from Toffoli. Last season’s 73 points was easily his career high, but as recently as 2020-2021, he tallied 28 goals and 44 points in just 52 games for Montreal. With high-end centers in New Jersey, Toffoli is again in position to be a very productive scoring winger.

Dawson Mercer

After starting his NHL career as a center who could not win faceoffs, Mercer spent most of his second season on the wing and turned into a strong finisher. There is some risk that his goal scoring will not be sustainable, because his shooting percentage jumped to 16.8% last season, but he had a phenomenal run starting in mid-February when he scored 11 goals and 20 points with 43 shots on goal in a 12-game span. Suddenly, he was a game-breaking offensive threat and while that was not going to last, it helped secure Mercer a spot in a scoring role with the Devils. Since he is still just 21, that offensive development offers a glimpse of what Mercer might be able to accomplish in the future. When it comes to projections, then, Mercer ought to keep making progress, but with last season’s goal-scoring surge lifting his shooting percentage to 16.8%, it’s fair to expect some regression. A 25-goal, 50-point season is well within Mercer’s grasp, with room to climb higher if, for example, he ended up on Hughes’ wing on a regular basis.

Ondrej Palat

Although his first season in New Jersey was marred by injury, missing 33 games due to groin surgery, Palat remained an excellent defensive presence. While he is well compensated relative to his limited offensive output, Palat also brings 150 games of playoff experience, including having played an integral role on two Stanley Cup winners in Tampa Bay. In the past four seasons, Palat has skated in 83 playoff games to lead the National Hockey League. His 30 playoff goals in that time ranks third, behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brayden Point. For a Devils team that has rising young stars in the middle of the ice, bringing in veterans like Toffoli and Palat in recent seasons adds a measure of stability that can help this team reach the next level. Palat’s only 20-goal season was as a rookie, in 2013-2014, and he probably won’t get there in 2023-2024, but he could score 15 goals and 45 points in a full season.

Erik Haula

Acquired in a trade for Pavel Zacha, Haula had bounced around quite a bit before landing in New Jersey with his seventh NHL team. Following a strong season, in which he surpassed 40 points for the third time in his career, Haula earned a three-year contract with the Devils, which might offer a dose of stability. The 32-year-old has versatility in that he plays mostly at center but can shift to the wing as well and he can be used in a checking role or can contribute secondary scoring. He is not a star, but a quality complementary piece for a contending team. Haula started last season with one goal in the first 30 games, which was not sustainable, given the chances he was getting. He finished the season on a high, however. In 20 games after the trade deadline, Haula contributed nine goals and 14 points. That early-season slump contributed to Haula finishing with an 8.5% shooting percentage, notably below his career mark of 11.8%, which should limit any potential regression, so a 15-goal, 40-point season should still be within Haula’s range in 2023-2024.

Michael McLeod

While he is offensively limited for a player who was drafted 12^th overall in 2016, McLeod is establishing himself as a fast and physical checking center. He has scored just 10 goals in 157 games over the past two seasons but has delivered 272 hits while winning 58.9% of his faceoffs. If he could finish at a higher rate, then maybe he would have a chance to climb in the lineup but until then the 25-year-old is a reliable depth option. Although McLeod did score a couple of goals and had six points in the playoffs, his last regular season goal was on January 4th, and after the trade deadline, he had no goals and three assists in 20 games. Given his spot in the lineup, expectations are modest, but surely McLeod can give the Devils more than that. It would be hard for him to score on just 4.4% of his shots again, so some positive regression could be coming in McLeod’s direction. A few more goals and a point total in the 25-30 range is a fair expectation.

Nathan Bastian

A 25-year-old depth winger who has never had 20 points in an NHL season, Bastian could possibly offer more than what he has provided to this point in his career. He has the size of a legitimate power forward and plays a sound defensive game while also showing some capability in the offensive zone. He has played more than 50 games once in his career and has mostly been used in a limited fourth-line role, but there are some intriguing signs related to goal-scoring and physical play. With his physical presence, Bastian could carve out a more significant role. If he does that, maybe double-digit goals and 200-plus hits could be part of his contribution.

Defense

Dougie Hamilton

A rare talent on the blueline, Hamilton has finished in the top seven in Norris Trophy voting in three of the past four seasons, and he burst through for career highs of 22 goals and 74 points last season. A smooth skater at 6’ 6”, Hamilton covers so much space on the ice that he frequently jumps into the attack to give his team an advantage. His play away from the puck has slipped in recent seasons but not to the degree that it overshadows his significant offensive contributions. Since 2015-2016, Hamilton has scored 115 goals, ranking third among defensemen, behind Brent Burns and Roman Josi. While Hamilton was fine early in the season, in his last 57 games, he tallied 58 points (16 G, 42 A) with 188 shots on goal. He can be a difference maker, and even though Hamilton had never scored more than 50 points in a season prior to 2022-2023, he should have a reasonable shot at exceeding 60 points this season. The Devils have a lot of talent and Hamilton has found his groove in terms of style, being able to attack and take advantage of his considerable offensive gifts.

John Marino

Even though he managed a modest 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in 64 games during his first season with the Devils, after being acquired from Pittsburgh, Marino established himself as an excellent top-four right-shot defender. A graceful skater, Marino might have more offensive upside, but is not likely to get significant offensive opportunities on a Devils blueline that boasts Hamilton and top prospects Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. As excellent as Marino was defensively last season, he was a liability offensively, which is fine. Not everybody has to be a scorer. But that means that Marino might contribute 20-25 points in a full season and that is not going to move the needle very much.

Jonas Siegenthaler

The Devils invested in Siegenthaler when they acquired him from Washington, and he has rewarded them by filling a top-four role on defense. He produced a career high 21 points last season, logging more than 20 minutes per game while recording more than 100 hits and 100 blocked shots. While Marino is more about finesse, Siegenthaler brings a sturdy presence, and his no-frills game has value even if it can get overlooked in the presence of flashier teammates. Like Marino, Siegenthaler’s value is more tied to his defensive contributions. Not only did Siegenthaler have an expected goals percentage of 55.2%, but the Devils outscored opponents by 20 goals (78-58) with Siegenthaler on the ice during five-on-five play. With his track record showing minimal offensive output and a relatively high on-ice shooting percentage (10.0 OiSH%) last season, it would be a little surprising if Siegenthaler even matched last season’s total of 21 points.

Goaltending

Vitek Vanecek

The New Jersey Devils have finally parted ways with MacKenzie Blackwood, with the relationship between Blackwood’s rookie performances and the remainder of his time between the pipes never quite lining up. But while Devils fans have become a bit gun-shy about jumping headfirst into their enthusiasm for goaltenders, Blackwood’s departure leaves the team with a goaltender in Vitek Vanecek that should soothe at least some skittish supporters for the coming year.

Vanecek had arrived in New Jersey as one-half of the prospect pairing that the Washington Capitals moved on from wholesale last summer, heading in-division following two years of inconsistent performances and battles for the number one gig with fellow prospect Ilya Samsonov. Vanecek, who had been the ‘spare’ to Samsonov’s heir apparent role in Washington, proved almost immediately that Devils fans are in good hands moving forward – so he’ll kick off the upcoming season as the consensus starter, likely shouldering the majority of the workload with Akira Schmid serving as his number two. Vanecek’s game had previously been characterized by concerns over his game reads and depth management, but he adopted a more conservative approach for the Devils that helped the Metro Division club make their triumphant return to the postseason. The incremental positioning errors he seemed to make in Washington looked to be all cleaned up last year – and if he can prove that wasn’t a fluke, he’ll be a valuable piece for the Devils in the coming years as they attempt to hold their championship window open.

Projected starts: 55-60

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: CAROLINA HURRICANES VS NEW JERSEY DEVILS – A real test of talent vs. experience and coaching

Corey Sznajder — Tue, 02 May 2023 21:01:38 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 12: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) scores a goal during the National Hockey League game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils on March 12, 2023 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

The Setting

Both teams won their first round series in somewhat unconventional fashion. The Devils overcame losing their first two games on home ice to take down the Rangers, making the bold switch to rookie Akira Schmid in goal. Carolina, meanwhile, took care of the Islanders in six games despite getting outscored at five-on-five. They played a close series, keeping the games tight and leaning on their power play when they needed to. Unfortunately, they’re also down another top-six forward after Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken wrist in Game 2, which means their forward corps is in even more of an “all hands on deck” situation now.

They also took somewhat of a bold approach in goal, rolling with Antti Raanta for the first five games before making the switch to the oft-injured Frederik Andersen in the series clincher. The gamble paid off, as Andersen shut the door for Carolina in Game 6 and gave them an opportunity to complete their comeback. It makes an interesting decision for Game 1, but the Hurricanes have never been afraid to rotate goalies and this situation will be no different. That being said, this type of setup is easier in the regular season when it’s easier to shake off one loss and move on. Making the wrong call in a playoff series is obviously a different story, especially on a team like Carolina where scoring one goal is like trying to dig up gold in the mountains.

The second round has also been a common roadblock for Brind’Amour’s Canes, reaching this point the past two seasons and losing both times despite having the home ice advantage. The road for them is a little easier this year with the Rangers out and Boston going home in stunning fashion, but it’s actually tougher because the East is truly open season now. The Devils have spent years building up this talented core and look like they are ready to take the next step. Jack Hughes had a superstar caliber season, Nico Hischier will create matchup problems against a depleted forward corps and Dougie Hamilton is out to show Carolina he is a playoff performer and one they let get away.

The Devils also showed some real resilience in the first round. There are veterans on the roster, but it’s also this group’s first time in the playoffs in a while, or in their career in the case of Jack Hughes. There were some questions on if the moment was too big for them after dropping the first two games at home in blowout fashion. They responded by winning three straight and closing out the series in a dominant Game 7. It’s one thing to win, but to shutout a team that had you on the mat not even two weeks ago shows some real growth in how this team faces adversity. Carolina had a lot of moments like this early in their playoff career and it led them all the way to the Conference Final in Brind’Amour’s first year. The Devils are looking to go on a similar run.

The Matchup

In a normal situation, the big question around the Hurricanes is can they get enough goals, and will anybody step up when the games get tight? This series might be a little different because they’re going up against one of the most potent rush offenses in the NHL. The Devils are a team that carried the puck in at will all season and were one of the few teams in the playoffs who could do this in the first round. They scored a couple of big goals against the Rangers off controlled entries, including one in overtime and are capable of creating offense from a controlled breakout sequence. Dougie Hamilton and John Marino are very good at doing this and will usually give their forwards a great pass on the tape to help them break structure.

Heck of a rush from a standstill. pic.twitter.com/uoHHDxB1Uo

— Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) March 17, 2023

This should create problems for Carolina, but their defense is a little more robust than what they saw against the Rangers. Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns are more likely to get in your face and angle you off to the boards as opposed to Lindgren or Trouba who are going to shadow you into the zone and block shots. Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce play more similar to the Rangers, using the “bend but don’t break” approach and will be the pair Jersey should target if they want to put Carolina in an open hole. This was a rock-solid duo for Carolina during the regular season but playing the tough matchups for 82 games takes a toll on you around this time of year. The number of hits they’ve taken looked like it started to add up in the Islanders series, as they were on the ice for six of the Isles 11 goals at five-on-five. The Devils might not have the scoring depth they did earlier in the season, but they can make this pair work a lot if they get a step on them at the blue line and create some tough situations for Carolina to defend. The saving grace for Carolina is their third pair is very mobile and capable of handling defensive minutes. Shayne Gostisbehere is still looking for his first power play point, but his play at five-on-five has been spectacular and gives Carolina an extra layer during the 3^rd/4^th line shifts.

As for where Carolina’s goals are going to come from, the answer is also their defense corps. They’ve always acted as more of a complement to the forwards, and this is even more true with the injuries Carolina has up front. Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin were more active in the Isles series than they were all season (which is saying something for Burns) and you can look for them to catch New Jersey’s forwards out of position with how much attention they draw high in the zone. They’re also super aggressive with pinching to keep pucks in, which can go both ways with how much New Jersey loves to attack in transition. Counterattacks are what killed the Hurricanes against the Rangers last year and it’s something the Devils will go to school on. Hughes, Hischier, Meier all have the talent to make them pay on this and they also got some goals from their depth lines in the Rangers series. The more times they burn Carolina off counterattacks, the more risk-adverse and point-shot heavy the Hurricanes become, so planting the seed of doubt in their heads early will play a huge factor. Granted, this also involves some risk for the Devils with having the forwards challenge the points and fly the zone. It opens them up to more shots and chances against but that’s a risk you might be willing to take against Carolina.

The X Factor

Both teams managed to advance in the first round despite limited or no production from some of their top players. Timo Meier managed an astonishing zero points in 7 games despite leading the team in scoring chances and playing very well in the Rangers series. It’s only a matter of time until he starts to see some results, but the playoffs can be cruel. The Hurricanes style of defending can also be the best or the worst thing for him because they do not mind giving up chances from close-range as long as the shooter doesn’t have a lot of room to make a move. Meier specializes in going to the net and scoring on brute force, but these are generally lower-percentage plays compared to shots with movement and space. Something has to give.

As for the Hurricanes, they didn’t get much from their leading scorer Martin Necas, scoring only one power play goal all series and looking lost at five-on-five. If the series starts to open up to the Devils terms, Necas is the guy they need to make a difference and he (along with Jesperi Kotkaniemi) struggled with that in the first round. The Devils defensive structure might be a little easier to break than the Islanders physical style, but the playoffs have been tough for Necas in his career. This line in particular was Carolina’s worst against the Islanders, and they spent more time running around in their own zone instead of playing with the puck. When they did get the puck, it was often thrown away in the neutral zone or on a nothing play on the cycle. They showed some flashes of what makes them so dangerous in Game 1, so Carolina is hoping they can see some of this come to life because they will be needed with the Devils having the advantage in forward depth.

The Prediction

This is going to be a real test of talent vs. experience and coaching because the Devils have the clear advantage in the former. The latter is where Carolina can create an advantage. Lindy Ruff made a questionable lineup decision in scratching Jonas Siegenthaler after the Devils lost Game 1 against New York and the physical presence Carolina has could force them into more situations like that. When you’re undermanned, you have to make the most out of the tools you’re given. Carolina’s been able to do that so far, getting goals from the likes of Paul Stastny, Jesper Fast and Mackenzie MacEachern. Jersey should be licking their chops at the forward lines they can roll out against that group, but Carolina’s defensive play is enough to turn most games into a coin-flip. Even if they fall behind, they can own the boards and the territorial play enough to where it’s a tie or a one-goal game. Then it’s just a matter of who can score that big goal when it matters.

Carolina takes a couple gut-punches in this series but takes it in six.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: NEW YORK RANGERS VS. NEW JERSEY DEVILS – The team that controls the rush will win the series

Jesse Marshall — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:07:57 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 30: New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller (79) skates with the puck during the National Hockey League game between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils on March 30, 2023 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

For the first time since 2012, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils will re-ignite their post-season animosities. That Eastern Conference Finals matchup seems like a lifetime ago, it's close to one. In this dance, it's the Rangers with the edge in experience as they look to forge their way further than they made it last season when the Tampa Bay Lightning knocked them off in six games, one step away from the Stanley Cup Final. On the other hand, the Devils are led by a group of core players that will be making their post-season debut. While the playoffs are certainly a different beast, you can't discount the dominance that some of the younger Devil forwards exhibited throughout the course of the year.

Let's jump into a few of the finer points of this matchup before making a series prediction.

Offensive Breakdown

Both of these teams can effectively attack off of the rush, but the Devils have made it a core tenet of what they do offensively. In fact, in the data Corey Sznajder has tracked in his All Three Zones project, no forward in the league has taken more shots off of the rush than the Devils' Jack Hughes, leading the way behind the philosophy boasted by the entire forward core. That, combined with the off-the-rush efficacy of the Devils top line featuring Tomas Tatar, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer, means the Devils take a significantly larger portion of their shots off of zone entry rushes than the Rangers do. This enables them to move the puck laterally in dangerous fashions that get talented goaltenders moving side-to-side and the puck moving into high-danger scoring chances. The Devils breakout is so often bolstered by their mobile defense that can get the puck up-ice quickly and join in the rush as a bit of a fourth forward. Defending those breaks are difficult and lead to a good amount of entries with possession per the data Corey is tracking.

The Rangers do most of their work off of the rush as well, but it hasn't born out the same kind of fruit as the Devils have experienced. Most notably, the Rangers have struggled to consistently find the net-front area in the offensive zone. As a result of those struggles, they grade out 22nd in the league with regards to their ability to generate quality scoring chances. The good news for the Rangers is the Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad combination has been wonderful regardless of who the third wheel is, and the third wheel just so happens to be Patrick Kane in this instance. The aforementioned duo of forwards spend upwards of 60-percent of their time in the offensive zone. Keep an eye on the Rangers stretch pass. With a quick group of forwards, they're able to break off of puck battles quickly to gain an edge on the opponent and sprint behind them for a deep bomb through the neutral zone that sends them off to the races.

The biggest mismatch here is the Devils 2nd line of newly acquired Timo Meier, Hughes, and Jesper Bratt versus the Rangers 2nd line of Artemi Panarin, Vince Trocheck, and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Defensive Breakdown - A Series Full of Puck Movers

These teams are a lot more even defensively than they are offensively, but I am still giving the advantage to the Devils here based on the quality of their depth.

On the Rangers side, Adam Fox is so good, teams are avoiding his side of the ice entirely when attempting to enter the offensive zone. In the games tracked via the All Three Zones project, Fox has been supremely successful at controlling zone entries from opponents in the limited opportunities he does see at even-strength. That means a great deal of testing has befallen his parter, Ryan Lindgren, and Lindgren has not found the same amount of success his partner has at preventing zone entries. The Fox and Lindgren pairing is the only pairing for the Rangers with more than 200 minutes at even-strength that has been able to keep its head above the 50% mark on expected-goal generation.

The Devils have a bit more of an even contribution with regards to quelling zone entries across the board. Kevin Bahl, John Marino, and Jonas Siegenthaler lead the way with regards to putting a stop to the opponents offensive attacks before they get started. The Devils overload approach to playing defense and their overall team speed give them a much better set of results in defending the net front area than the Rangers can boast. It's not by a significant margin, but it's one worth mentioning in this preview.

I mentioned that offensively both of these teams like to attack using the rush and, unfortunately, that isn't an area where the Rangers have been able to keep up with the Devils this year. I look for the Devils forwards to find space on zone entries and force some difficult situations as a result. The Rangers best bet will be to try and elongate their offensive zone possessions and keep the rush chances to a minimum.

Special Teams

I mentioned team speed as an important element of the Devils game and it drives their power-kill style of penalty-killing. That aggressive, up-tempo approach to annoying the opposing power-play quarterback into coughing the puck up as given them an 82.6-precent success rate this season, good for fourth in the NHL.That fourth-best ranking also extends to their ability to prevent shot-attempts and scoring chances as well. The Rangers trail that at 81.2-percent and play a much softer penalty-kill strategy than the Devils do, thusly allowing more in the way of zone entries and quality scoring chances. Keep an eye on Jacob Trouba for the Rangers penalty-kill, he is an underrated presence in preventing puck carriers the opportunity to enter the zone with possession of the puck.

On the power-play side, the Rangers boast the advantage at a 24.1-percent success rate. On the man-advantage, it's all about the work of Zibanejad. His cross-ice presence and roaming ability for the Rangers power-play has netted him 39 total power-play points this season as a complement to the great work Fox is doing carrying the mail. The Devils have only converted 21.9% and have scored just 49 power-play goals all season. That's the 12th lowest total in the league. They lack the ability to get to the front of the net that the Rangers boast, generating a great bit of their shot-attempts from the exterior of the offensive zone.

Goaltending

This is the area where the Rangers boast a distinct advantage, but is it enough to overcome all of the other advantages we've said the Devils hold in this series? The Devils haven't gotten poor goaltending from Vitek Vanecek this season. He turned in an 82 goals-against performance on 92.6 expected goals-against this season. It was a performance slightly better than expected. Igor Shesterkin allowed 102 goals, but it was on an 126.4 expected goals-against performance. He was significantly above the line with his results.

We also can't ignore the fact that Shesterkin is battle tested in the playoffs. This proves to be a huge advantage for the Rangers as he has the experience and ability to pull off another strong run this season, starting with this very series.

Prediction

I'm saying this will go seven games right out of the gate. Despite the advantages the Devils hold at even-strength, the Rangers are opportunistic, have a great power-play, and a distinct advantage in goaltending. That being said, there's a speed element here at work for the Devils in how they attack that I can't move beyond. I am taking the young, inexperienced Devils team to surprise the Rangers and create a number of systemic issues for them between the blue lines. Devils win this series in an arduous but entertaining seven games.

Data for this piece was obtained by:

Corey Sznajder - All Three Zones

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:15:27 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - MARCH 15: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) looks up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 15, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Jack Hughes

A rising star, the first pick in the 2019 Draft, has been rapidly improving and busted out for 56 points in 49 games last season. Hughes had started generating chances but could not finish early in his career and as his shot improved, the point production followed. Extraordinary confidence is part of what makes Hughes special and is what should drive him to greater heights, but he also needs to get more durable as he matures. A dislocated shoulder and a knee injury contributed to Hughes missing 33 games last season, but the 21-year-old came out of the Christmas break and produced 48 points in his last 36 games. If the Devils are going to be a competitive team, some of that will come from riding Hughes’ development to stardom. A point-per-game over a full season is an entirely reasonable expectation and Hughes if one of the rare players who has 100-point upside.

Jesper Bratt

A 24-year-old who has provided phenomenal value as a sixth-round pick, busting out offensively last season for 73 points in 76 games. Bratt is a consistent offensive threat, and his results last season were outstanding – his 2.90 points per 60 minutes ranked 17^th and his 1.22 goals per 60 minutes ranked 39^th. This production does not come by accident. Bratt has excellent anticipation and is strong on the puck in the offensive zone, equally adept at setting up plays or burying the puck in the back of the net. Bratt’s shooting percentage has varied significantly (13.0%, 8.8.%, 15.8%, 6.9%, 13.2% in his five NHL seasons) so that will play a role in setting expectations for his 2022-2023 season. The trend would be for it to fall this season so 60 points would be a reasonable low-end but a point per game over a full season is not out of range, either.

Nico Hischier

The Devils’ 23-year-old captain broke through for a career high 60 points last season, but he is known as much for his strong two-way play and that reliability makes him a strong complement to Hughes down the middle of the ice. Hischier could be more aggressive as a shooter, but his overall skill and defensive conscience makes him more valuable than might be widely known and his confidence with the puck is growing, which allows him to control the puck more effectively in traffic. That defensive conscience means that Hischier will get more difficult checking assignments and start more shifts in the defensive zone, so he is not deployed as favorably as Hughes, but that makes sense. Hughes has the higher offensive ceiling and Hischier can play the 200-foot game. Staying healthy has been an issue for Hischier, as he has missed at least a dozen games in each of the past four seasons. He might be able to match or surpass last season’s 60 points but that will be dependent on whether he can stay in the lineup.

Ondrej Palat

Consistent and dependable throughout his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which included playing a prominent role on two Stanley Cup champions, the 31-year-old winger has finished with at least 40 points in seven of his nine NHL seasons. As a proven performer who has played tough minutes, Palat will be a big help to the Devils’ young forward core. He won’t be fazed by any high-pressure situations and if he plays with Hughes, a 50-point season would be within Palat’s grasp, maybe a little lower if he skates on Hischier’s wing. While Palat was overshadowed at times by the stars in Tampa Bay, he also rose to the occasion in the playoffs, scoring 27 goals in 71 playoff games over the past three seasons. If the Devils can get to the postseason, it would be nice to have someone like Palat, who knows what to do when they get there.

Dawson Mercer

A promising rookie season ended with Mercer tallying 42 points in 82 games, though he managed just one goal in the last 11 games of the season. Mercer played a good portion of his rookie season at center, and won just 35.4% of his faceoffs, but moved to the wing and, despite his late-season slump, that should allow him more offensive freedom because he has good vision and should thrive with skilled linemates. If that means skating on Jack Hughes’ wing, that’s a pretty good place for a second year forward looking to break out offensively. As a young player, Mercer offers a higher degree of potential variance when forecasting his point totals for this season. Some improvement on his rookie season, maybe to around 50 points, would be a quality step forward, but if he is a really good fit in that spot, maybe he could score even more.

Yegor Sharangovich

After a strong finish to his rookie season and a quality sophomore campaign, the 23-year-old winger has put up 31 goals in his past 90 games, and his 1.11 goals per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time last season had him scoring at the same rate as Evgeni Malkin and Tomas Hertl. Sharangovich has a quick release and goes hard to the net, so his opportunities to score are based on positioning, anticipation, and then linemates that do a good job feeding him the puck in scoring position. Sharangovich deserves credit for putting himself in good positions to score and the 24-year-old should be expected to contribute 25 goals and 45-50 points.

Tomas Tatar

A heady veteran winger, Tatar struggled in his first season with the Devils, producing 30 points in 76 games, the lowest per-game scoring rate of his career, thanks in part to an 11-game scoreless drought in the middle of the season. The 31-year-old is still a solid play driving winger, and that can’t be ignored, but for a Devils team that sorely needed contributions from skilled wingers, Tatar’s performance was disappointing. He can still fill a complementary role and the opportunity should still be there for him to produce, maybe not like his best years in Montreal, but better than last season. Taking into account that Tatar has recorded three seasons with more than 55 points, counting on more than 40 points this season would appear to be entirely reasonable.

Erik Haula

Getting traded to New Jersey lands Haula with the seventh team of his career and comes after he scored 18 goals and 44 points for the Bruins last season, both the second highest totals of his career. He had a strong finish to the season, with 10 goals and 19 points in his last 19 games. Haula also recorded a career-high 129 hits, and the ability to provide secondary scoring as well as play with a bit of an edge makes him a nice fit in a third-line center role for the Devils. Last season was one of Haula’s best seasons so it would be optimistic to count on that production again. If he stays healthy, though, 35 points would be an achievable target for the veteran forward.

Andreas Johnsson

Although the 27-year-old winger contributed 35 points last season and it seems like he is still going to be battling for ice tme, Johnsson has enough speed and skill to play a complementary role on a scoring line. His instincts are decent but his play without the puck needs improvement and that could prevent him from handling a bigger role, especially now that the Devils have improved forward depth. That uncertainty over Johnsson’s role on the team tempers any expectations for his production, so a total around the 35 points that he produced last season should be a fair baseline for expectations, with room for variance in either direction.

DEFENSE

Dougie Hamilton

A prized free agent signing a year ago, Hamilton is a rare talent, a smooth skating 6-foot-6 right shot defenseman. Although he had just nine goals last season, Hamilton averaged more than three shots on goal per game for the fifth straight season. He gets hammered by accusations of being soft and it doesn’t help matters if his defensive performance slips, as it did in his first season with the Devils, but Hamilton is typically an elite offensive defenseman whose puck-moving ability tends to offset anything that he gives back on the defensive end. Injuries have caught up to Hamilton in two of the past three seasons, but he was very durable before that, so if he is relatively healthy this season, he should be relied upon to score at least a dozen goals and 45-50 points, with potential to go significantly higher. In his last two seasons with Carolina, for example, Hamilton put up 82 points in 102 games.

Damon Severson

A 28-year-old right shot defenseman who just put up a career-high 46 points last season, Severson is a potential free agent in the summer of 2023. The Devils typically get better results with Severson on the ice, at least in terms of shots, but he has yet to have a season in the NHL in which his team outscores the opposition during 5-on-5 play. Severson has been very durable, and in a contract year should be poised for significant production, in the range of 40 points, maybe a little more.

Ryan Graves

Even though Graves is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he is not an especially physical option on the blueline, but he is a steady top-four defenseman and that matters a lot for a team that is seeking a path to credibility. His ice time has climbed steadily since he arrived in the league, reaching a career-high 20:43 time on ice per game last season. Graves recorded a career-high 28 points last season and with 135 hits, he did fill the stat sheet a little bit. Scoring is not necessarily going to drive Graves’ value, but he ought to be capable of 25 points and then add to that with hits and blocked shots to make him worth considering in deep leagues.

John Marino

Acquired in a trade that sent Ty Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marino is a strong skater and capable puck handler who gets the breakout started with a quality first pass but is not much of a factor in terms of physical play. At the same time, he is particularly adept at defending the blueline, and that reliability should make him a valuable contributor in New Jersey. Unless he seizes a bigger role than anticipated, Marino will likely produce 25-30 points this season and without significant peripheral stats, that will serve to limit his fantasy appeal.

GOALTENDING

Mackenzie Blackwood

The New Jersey Devils are growing dangerously close to turning Mackenzie Blackwood into the next John Gibson; after debuting at the NHL level with an impressive game and an admirable confidence level, he’s struggled more and more behind the lottery-dwelling New Jersey lineup each season. This past year was perhaps the worst of all; plagued by a lingering heel injury that left him ginger in the crease and slow to move, Blackwood was limited to just 25 games all year and spent months at a stretch on the team’s long-term injured reserve list.

The club gave very little information regarding what exactly was nagging at Blackwood, so it’s hard to get a read on just what kind of a timetable he’ll need to return to full form. With everything from calcaneal fractures to achilles damage and plantar fasciitis up for grabs as possible problems the goaltender could have faced, the Devils could have Blackwood back at his best as soon as the year begins, or they could be looking at a lengthy return-to-form timeline for the formerly-established number one. The good news is that the team brought Vitek Vanecek in to ease the workload, offering both a younger source of reinforcement (therefore one less likely to get hampered by wear and tear issues) and a goaltender who has more promise to remain a legitimate tandem option than some of the major-minor tweeners the team has tried to deploy in the last few years. There’s less pressure for Blackwood to play through health-related troubles with Vanecek sitting on the bench than there was with backups like Keith Kinkaid and Jon Gillies, which should hopefully ease some of the pressure he faced and allow him to perform at peak capacity. That’s good news for fans – because when he was at full strength, Blackwood’s game forced shooters to show their hands and come to him in a way that made him hard to trick and overthrow.

Projected starts: 55-60

Vitek Vanecek

Washington fans likely hadn’t predicted that they’d spend their 2021-22 season hotly debating whether the team was in better hands with heir apparent Ilya Samsonov or fellow draft-and-developee Vitek Vanecek. And worse, they likely hadn’t predicted that they’d be debating it so hotly not because both goaltenders were doing so well, but because both were continuing to struggle so consistently.

The lukewarm outcome of their year left the Capitals opting to cut ties with both of their starters this summer, though, and New Jersey was one of the two teams that decided to step in and offer their services to attempt a reclamation project. They’ll enter their 2022-23 campaign hoping that Vanecek, who fell shy of recording quality starts in over half his games last year, can bounce back and offer some consistent support behind MacKenzie Blackwood. There’s a hope that the addition of some experience in Blackwood will give Vanecek some direction, and that taking some of the pressure off should enable him to take a step back and tighten back up some of his game moving forward. But it’s hard to really figure out just how much of Vanecek’s game was growing pains, and how much was struggles to read the plays happening in front of him; while he didn’t get quite as goaded into oversliding and shifting out of the net as Samsonov did behind the Washington defense, his issues in coverage had more to do with missed positioning and inconsistent work with his hands. His missed goals came in inches, which make it harder to discern how many were mistakes and how many were simply the result of getting set and positioned off-angle from where he really needed to be.

Projected starts: 25-30

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – New and Unexpected Opportunities for Veterans and Prospects

Scott Cullen — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:51:28 +0000

Each week, I will dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

In this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points, a look at the fallout from injuries and other situations that might be creating new and unexpected opportunities for playing time this season, featuring veterans like Jake Allen and Jeff Carter, but also prospects William Eklund, Hendrix Lapierre, Shane Pinto, Lucas Raymond, and more.

#1 With the sudden news that Carey Price is entering the player assistance program, that leaves the Montreal Canadiens with a challenge in net, but they at least have a veteran capable of handling a starting role in Price’s absence. Jake Allen has a .912 save percentage in his career and .909 in 158 games across the past four seasons so he is hovering around league average performance. To be fair, while Price has been outstanding in recent playoff performances, his save percentage across the past four seasons has been .909, so Allen ought to be able to provide similar regular-season results. The Canadiens recently claimed Samuel Montembeault on waivers from Florida so their depth at the position is in better shape than it might have been previously.

#2 Few contending teams are in as precarious a position as the Pittsburgh Penguins to start the season, missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby may only be out for a couple of weeks, but Malkin may miss the first couple of months, at least, and that leaves opportunities in the middle of the ice. The most obvious one to fill a hole at center is veteran Jeff Carter and that can be good and bad. At 36-years-old it is asking a lot for Carter to handle first-line center responsibilities and while he did score nine goals in 14 games for the Penguins last season, that was due largely to an unsustainable shooting percentage of 24.3%. In the short term, at least, it also looks like Evan Rodrigues could take some work at center but with 15 points in 42 games with the Penguins over the past season-plus, he could be a deep league consideration with an increased role.

#3 As off-ice troubles continue to follow Evander Kane at seemingly every turn, that does create a potential opening in the Sharks lineup. I wrote about Jonathan Dahlen last week and Alexander Barabanov could take advantage of an opportunity but, maybe the most intriguing option would be 2021 seventh overall pick William Eklund, who is a fresh-faced 18-year-old, but he also produced 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 40 games for Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League last season. He is obviously a big part of the Sharks’ plans for the future but might be part of their plans for the present.

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 04: Washington Capitals center Hendrix Lapierre (29) during the pre-season National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals on October 4, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

#4 The Washington Capitals have been vague about the status of veteran center Nicklas Backstrom and, at the very least, it appears that he will not be ready to start the season with the Capitals and that means a big hole in the Washington lineup. Veteran center Lars Eller can move into a top-six role, which he did when Evgeny Kuznetsov missed time last season, but Hendrix Lapierre could find a regular role in the top nine, too. Lapierre was the 22^nd pick in the 2020 Draft and put up 31 points (8 G, 23 A) in 21 games for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL last season.

#5 Not long after he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft, former Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde required shoulder surgery that was expected to require four months of recovery, which would cause him to miss at least a month of the NHL season. Now Gourde sure appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery and has real potential as the Kraken’s number one center but, in the meantime, Jared McCann looks to be the immediate beneficiary, skating on the top line with Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle and while McCann reaped the rewards of high percentages in Pittsburgh last season, on his way to contributing 32 points (14 G, 18 A) in 43 games, and that does make regression likely, McCann also played 14:07 per game which he should easily surpass, by at least a few minutes per game, with Seattle.

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 22: Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (57) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 22, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

#6 Ottawa Senators center Colin White requires shoulder surgery and is going to miss 4-6 months, which helps secure top nine spots for a couple of Sens centers: rookie Shane Pinto and veteran Chris Tierney. Pinto produced 32 points (15 G, 17 A) in 28 games at the University of North Dakota last season, then added seven points (1 G, 6 A) in 12 late-season games for the Sens. It sure looks like a great opportunity for Pinto to play a significant role in his rookie season.

#7 The second pick in the 2020 Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, center Quinton Byfield suffered a broken ankle Wednesday, going into the boards very awkwardly due to a hit from Arizona Coyotes winger Christian Fischer. In the short term for the Kings, Blake Lizotte and Jarret Anderson-Dolan might have a better shot at fitting into the lineup but as the season progresses, maybe an opportunity opens up for another top prospect like Alex Turcotte, who might have a better chance to get called up in Byfield’s absence.

#8 The Arizona Coyotes spent most of their offseason shedding salaries but, ultimately, they need to have a full roster and that will present opportunities. One player who will get a chance with the Coyotes is Alex Galchenyuk, who signed a one-year, $750,000 deal with Arizona. Galchenyuk had 41 points (19 G, 22 A) in 72 games for the Coyotes in 2018-2019 but has 37 points (13 G, 24 A) in 94 games split between four teams across the past two seasons. His career has gone downhill since some early success in Montreal but there may be an opportunity for Galchenyuk to produce a bit in the desert.

#9 Columbus Blue Jackets center Max Domi had shoulder surgery in early June and was looking at a 4–6-month recovery time and now that he has passed the four month timeline, it does appear that Domi has a chance to be ready early in the regular season, potentially even by opening night. Would Domi’s potential return hinder the opportunity for the rookies trying to crack the Blue Jackets lineup? Yegor Chinakhov and Cole Sillinger have impressed in camp and could force their way into the lineup but that could get more challenging if another veteran returns to claim a spot.

#10 It is not like the Detroit Red Wings have been overrun with skill in recent seasons so losing Jakub Vrana to shoulder surgery, which will keep him out for four months, is crushing. However, that does create a chance for Lucas Raymond, the fourth pick in the 2020 Draft to play for the Red Wings right away. Raymond had 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 34 Swedish Hockey League games last season and might have been a likely candidate to start in the AHL this year, but the Wings could at least give Raymond an early look to see if he can keep the pace in the NHL.

#11 Everything in Buffalo seems to be overshadowed by the Jack Eichel situation and the Sabres are likely going to have a hard time without him, but they also might have someone flying under the radar a bit in veteran winger Jeff Skinner. Since scoring 40 goals in 82 games for the Sabres in 2018-2019, Skinner has managed 37 points (21 G, 16 A) in 112 games for Buffalo. But part of the issue was that previous Sabres coach Ralph Krueger got so frustrated with Skinner that he buried him on the depth chart – his most common linemate in the past two seasons was Curtis Lazar. At the very least, Skinner should be looking at a role more suited to his offensive skills this season.

#12 The New Jersey Devils blueline looks to be in tough shape entering the season, with injuries potentially keeping Damon Severson and Ty Smith out of the lineup. This would mean bigger roles for Jonas Siegenthaler and P.K. Subban but also could open up roster spots for the likes of Christian Jaros and Mason Geertsen, who was recently claimed on waivers. For fantasy purposes, Subban is the only one of those four with any potential and even his fantasy impact has declined quite significantly in recent seasons.

#13 While the New York Islanders are hopeful that veteran netminder Semyon Varlamov will be ready for the start of the season, it is possible that a nagging undisclosed injury could keep him out of the lineup and that would mean Ilya Sorokin gets the early starts for the Islanders. Sorokin had a .918 save percentage in 22 games for the Islanders last season which makes him one of the higher-quality backups in the league.

#14 Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto is currently dealing with a head injury, which could affect his start to the season. The hope for fantasy managers is that a healthy Yamamoto gets to skate alongside Leon Draisaitl consistently at evens because, in the past two seasons, the Oilers have outscored opponents 59-27 during 5-on-5 play with Draisaitl and Yamamoto on the ice and Draisaitl has assisted on 14 of Yamamoto’s 19 goals in the past two seasons.

#15 Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman is working his way back from a lower-body injury and is likely to miss at least a couple of weeks at the start of the season, possibly more. His absence seems to make for an easier fit for Jonathan Drouin’s return to a top-six role at 5-on-5 and the bigger issue may be on the power play, where Brendan Gallagher or Tyler Toffoli could get bumped to the second unit if the Habs’ plan is to ultimately have Hoffman and Cole Caufield as shooters on each side.

#16 With Kevin Hayes recovering from abdominal surgery, which could cost him the first month of the season and the Philadelphia Flyers demoting prospect Morgan Frost, it looks like Derick Brassard has a chance to play a significant early role for Philadelphia. He did have some productive years under Alain Vigneault with the New York Rangers, but Brassard has 75 points in 189 games with five different teams across the past three seasons.

#17 A player worth considering in deep leagues, even as a waiver pickup at some point early in the season is Chicago’s Wyatt Kalynuk, who is likely to miss 2-4 weeks at the start of the season due to a sprained ankle, but he had nine points (4 G, 5 A) in 21 games for Chicago last season and, when healthy, still see some second unit power play time.

#18 The St. Louis Blues appear to be giving a long look to left winger Jake Neighbours, the 26^th pick in the 2020 Draft who tallied 33 points (9 G, 24 A) in 19 games for Edmonton in the Western Hockey League last season. With Oskar Sundqvist still recovering from knee surgery, maybe that helps Neighbours get some early action with the Blues and his performance can dictate whether he stays or goes.

#19 Last season, the New Jersey Devils gave a lot of young forwards a chance to play and show what they could do in the NHL. That list included Yegor Sharangovich, Janne Kuokkanen, and Michael McLeod, but also Nathan Bastian, Mikhail Maltsev, Nick Merkley, and Nick Merkley – all of those players logged at least 300 minutes for the Devils last season. This year, the team is improved, in part because of the development of some of those young forwards, but also has some rookie forwards that are legitimate contenders for spots. Alexander Holtz was the seventh pick in the 2020 Draft and scored 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in 40 SHL games before adding two points (1 G, 1 A) in 10 AHL games last season. Then there is Dawson Mercer, the 18^th pick in the 2020 Draft who had 36 points (19 G, 17 A) in 23 QMJHL games for Chicoutimi last season. The Devils need their infusion of skill up front, but the question is if they decide that they need it immediately.

#20 While the first two picks of the 2021 Draft, Owen Power and Matty Beniers, are going back to the University of Michigan (as are fourth pick Luke Hughes and fifth pick Kent Johnson), the third pick in the 2021 Draft is making a push to start this season with the Anaheim Ducks. Mason McTavish had 18 points (11 G, 7 A) in 17 regular-season-plus-playoff-games for EHC Olten in Switzerland last season, shifting gears when there was no Ontario Hockey League season, and he does not look out of place on this rebuilding Ducks roster.

Washington Capitals 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:30:48 +0000

Many clubs in the Capitals’ position of always being in the hunt, always being buyers at the trade deadline, see their prospect stock stumble, mostly due to the combined effects of having fewer picks, picking later when they do make picks, and sometimes trading away still developing youth for the more reliable promise of tested veterans.

In many cases, teams supplement their prospect income with free agent signees, and Washington has been no exception, although to a lesser extent than many other teams, with only seven qualified having been brought into the organization – having been brought into professional hockey – as undrafted free agents. That said, the player’s inked by the Capitals off the free prospect market do not have the organizational impact that you see from free agents in other systems. While the two free agent collegians signed by Washington this year (Joe Snively from Yale and Bobby Nardella from Notre Dame) were considered for the top 20 list, none of the free agent signees ultimately featured in the list below.

Also incidentally not appearing anywhere in the top 20 below is a single product from the Capitals’ small draft class of 2017, when they did not select a single player prior to the fourth round.

The above factors would typically lead to a system that is among the bottom end of systems in the game, and while we have not yet scored out all systems as of this writing, and even without Chase Priskie, who would have likely been in the top six here were it not for his stated intentions to explore free agency after Washington’s right on him expire in mid-August as a college graduate, the Capitals have a decent system, buttressed by a top four who all profile to be top half of the NHL roster players.

The system, from the 30,000 foot view lacks for inspiration, but between minute munching, two-way defender Alexander Alexeyev, long-touted netminder Ilya Samsonov, who began to demonstrate the potential that had Capitals’ brass salivating for years in the second half of his season in North America, and their top two picks from the 2019 class, forward Connor McMichael and Brett Leason, there are four players here who could grow into future core pieces for a franchise that should reasonably expect to continue to contend for postseason glory.

What the system lacks, on the other hand, is the breadth and depth of the system that is also needed to ensure that a team can withstand the inevitable injuries that teams accrue over the course of a season. The AHL talent – at least those guys who will not be AHL rookies this year – has very few forwards who could be expected to play NHL roles yet, with the only young potential 2019-20 contributing players coming on the blueline. In fact, two of the following three players listed below after the aforementioned top three, and three of those in the 5-10 range are defensemen with at least one full season of AHL experience under their belts.

The moral here, if there is one, is that the Capitals have a better system than might be expected, but that the system may not be structured to help the NHL team as needed, depending on how those needs shake out. Expect their depth to be tested this year.

-Ryan Wagman

Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire)

1 Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Alexeyev is a great story wrapped in a very good player who has all the tools to be a top four defender in the NHL. He has good size, skates very well, and has more snarl in his game then most give him credit for. Couple all that with a defender who is an excellent passer both in his own zone as well as when quarterbacking a powerplay, and he shows real promise. He has had some injury trouble the past couple of seasons and had a tragic loss as his mother passed away mid-season in his draft year. Despite so many ups and downs he has been one of the top defenders in the WHL since his arrival from Russia. He projects as playing both sides of special teams although maybe on second units and he could be an very solid second pairing defender. - VG

2 Ilya Samsonov, G (22^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 1) Having had good numbers in the KHL, Samsonov was destined to be a top goaltender in North America, however despite his cool demeanor, depending on the outcome of a play he can get easily frustrated and distracted. His playoff performance with AHL Hershey was less than desirable and he seemed to lack the maturity to keep his focus into the postseason. Samsonov is a very intense, high pressure goaltender and he has all the traits to be a starter in the NHL. It will be a matter of time and perhaps a chance at a better playoff run to build his confidence up before we see him make the leap to starting more than a game or two with Washington. There is no doubt that with his tracking abilities and poise Samsonov will see another call up to the NHL again this season and hopefully for a longer time frame in order to further his NHL experience. - SC

3 Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) McMichael was one of the most consistent performers for the London Knights this past season, despite being in his NHL draft year. His hockey IQ is his best asset as he is such an intelligent player in the offensive zone. He is also a great skater, which he uses in combination with his vision and anticipation to find those soft spots in the opposing defense. As a shoot first center, McMichael’s ability to create for his linemates will need to improve should he want to stick down the middle moving forward. A lot of that comes from a need to play with more intensity, especially with the puck on his stick. He needs to attack the middle of the ice with more ferocity. While scouts are unsure as to whether McMichael is a center or wing in the future, he profiles as a strong two-way middle six forward who can provide versatility and goal scoring to the Capitals in the future. - BO

4 Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Leason’s skating has improved by leaps and bounds since his first time through the draft. He is now an average skater but it is now enough to enable his many other skills to shine through now that he can keep up with play. He is an underrated passer with good instincts in the offensive zone. He is a monster on the cycle game and below the dots where he can tire out opponents forcing them to chase the game. His shot is lethal and he is an excellent net front presence as he battles and keeps his skill free to tip pucks or reach loose pucks. If the scoring doesn’t translate he can still be an effective energy guy that can tilt the ice and generate offensive zone time. At his best he could be a power forward with 20-25 goal potential. -VG

5 Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) An aggressive import from Slovakia, Fehervary played full time in the SHL last season, in his last year qualifying for junior hockey. He finished the season ranked sixth on HV71 in ice time. All told, he had a good, but not great, season. He played in his customary aggressive style, with quick skating, physicality, and good reach. His game was well suited to the SHL level and he had mostly good underlying numbers. The one area where his stats were not as strong was in his on-ice save percentage. While that rate is usually luck-related, with only a single season of data, it is hard to tell for sure. He still has NHL potential, with the look of a third pairing blueliner. His skating, reach and aggressiveness will becoming a strong defensive defender. He should be playing n North America next season, most likely in the AHL, which will go a long way in pushing his development along. - JH

6 Jonas Siegenthaler, D (57^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 12) Siegenthaler really stepped up at the end of last season and managed a good enough performance as a call up to the Capitals to earn a spot as one of their starters for this coming season. He is a strong and smooth skating defenseman who has a very high hockey IQ which makes him an asset to any team. As a bottom pairing defender with the Capitals to start this season, it will be up to Siegenthaler to work his way up the ladder a little more. An added bonus is his playoff experience from last season, having already proved himself in the most high pressure of situations. It should be a relatively easy transition from training camp into NHL mode this season with fewer nerves to worry about. It is safe to say that Siegenthaler’s time in the AHL is done if he can clock his first full season with the Capitals in 2019-20. - SC

7 Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016, Last Year: 2) It is debatable whether Johansen is a good skater. His crossovers and edgework are fine but he lacks consistency with his speed in-game. If he can continuously maintain an urgency to his game and avoid being caught standing still then he will be on the right track to earning his first call up to the Capitals next season. For now, he will remain at the AHL level with the Bears until he finds the maturity in his game to take him to the next level. As a first rounder in 2016, Johansen has the skill to play the NHL and the potential to be a second pairing defenseman but he is still only scratching the surface with his development. Johansen will most likely be relegated to another two seasons in the AHL before being in position to gain a full time roster spot with the Capitals. - SC

8 Aliaksei Protas, C (91^stoverall, 2017. Last Year: IE) Protas is a monster on the ice. His presence is as noticeable as his shadow. He needs to work on his feet as he is slow and cumbersome as he moves around the rink. That said, he has pretty good puck skills and is a very deft passer. He is able to create from the halfwall or from behind the net where he can hold on to the puck for longer than most. He uses his size very effectively although his overall game is not especially physical. He gained more scouting notoriety as he upped his offensive game drastically in the WHL playoffs, playing a key role in pushing the Raiders to a WHL championship. If he can improve his skating stride there is some potential there. - VG

9 Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 9) Riley is the latest chapter in the Sutter family dynasty with the Capitals selecting him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He was on a good pace last year, with 41 points through 38 games, before suffering a severe lower body injury that cost him the remainder of the regular season (although he managed to return for the end of Everett’s postseason run, as well as a cameo with AHL Hershey in their playoffs). Sutter is a solid two way forward with good size and smarts. He is versatile and can play either center or on the wing, has a nose for the net, and an above average shot. He projects to be a bottom six forward at the highest level and will most likely be used in checking roles as he moves up. As he turns 20 in October, he could still return to Everett for another season, but the ods suggest he will spend next season in the AHL. - KO

10 Connor Hobbs, D (143^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) Hobbs is a great team player and a solid passer compiling 15 assists over the course of the season. He is not the smoothest of defensemen and may seem somewhat scrambly but he gets the job done. Although he plays a more gritty and passionate game than other defensemen on this list, his maturity on the ice is what will carry him to the next level. His positioning is good and he is dynamic and capable of playing an offensive role which only adds to his value. Hobbs plays with vibrant energy and his progression with the Capitals organization has been good and will only get better should he stay focused. That being said, expect him to play another full year in the AHL before earning a call up. The unorthodox, late blooming defenseman has the potential to be a Tory Krug type of defender, but will need another full year in the AHL to come into his own. - SC

11 Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) One would expect the son of former NHL’er Wendell Clark to be quite the physical aggressor and that expectation happens to be a correct one. Kody Clark is an intense competitor who is very active on the forecheck and in puck pursuit. He also has great lower body strength which makes him difficult to separate from the puck as he works the wall and prolongs possession for his more skilled linemates. There are some limitations to Clark’s offensive game and subsequently his offensive ceiling. His puck skill, creativity, goal scoring instincts, hands, and vision would all have to be classified as average. Likely the key to Clark’s development moving forward will be the development of his defensive game. This will determine whether he becomes more than just a fourth line agitator and energy player. -BO

12 Colby Williams, D (173^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) Among defensemen in the Washington system, Williams is on the smaller end but that does not stop him from making smart plays. He plays a physical game, is strong on the boards and does well at keeping the puck on his stick. His shot production and offensive play needs to improve a little more before he can be considered for a call up to the NHL. He is a mature enough player to earn the call and he plays with enough determination and control that he would be a solid addition to the Capitals’ roster. It is hard to estimate at this point whether or not Williams will play another full year with the Hershey Bears or be sent up for a few games. If he checks off every area of development, he could emerge on a third pairing in time. - SC

13 Shane Gersich, C (134^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) Gersich is a high energy and entertaining forward to watch and having already won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 he has high pressure experience with the big club under his belt already. Unfortunately however, Gersich fell short this season with Hershey as he did not quite live up to expectations. Gersich is a very fast and skilled player with a great set of hands but these skills were lost as he adjusted to the pace of his first professional season while making the jump from NCAA. Gersich had a great development camp and it is without question that he will be better adjusted and prepared this coming season when he starts with Hershey. It is well known that the Capitals have a strong forward lineup but a spot on the Capitals’ roster is not too far away for Gersich as he is certainly dynamic, aggressive and skilled enough to be a bottom six forward once he gets the call. - SC

14 Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) Vanecek is a tricky case with the Washington Capitals in terms of goaltenders in their system as they have a lot of goaltending talent and it is quite a competitive system in terms of skill. On the smaller end of the standard goaltender size spectrum, Vanecek moves well, has good vision and keeps rebounds low which are all things that make him a contender for a spot on the Capitals. Last season, Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov nearly split the starts evenly. Vanecek finished in the top 20 in the AHL for his goals against average which is a testament to his athleticism. His temperament may be stable enough for an NHL club however consistency is an issue and he needs to work on being more stable in net if he wants to earn a spot as a backup goaltender in the future. - SC

15 Eric Florchuk, C (217^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Florchuk has been a mixed bag this past season but he has some offensive skills and good hockey IQ. He is a pass first player who makes smart plays in all three zones. He needs to add some strength to continue to develop into his pro-sized frame. He is a responsible two-way player who back checks hard and gets in on his forecheck well. He projects as a bottom six forward that helps on the penalty kill and contributes to an overall team game. While not the most exciting or high skilled forward in the system, he looks like great value for literally the final pick of the 2018 draft.- VG

16 Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7) When he is at his best, Jonsson-Fjallby is a highly energetic and quick player to play with and tough to keep up when paired against. His speed makes him a force to be reckoned with and his hockey IQ has improved drastically in the last year. He has become a smart and reliable two way player, whereas once his defensive game was insubstantial. His backwards skating is weak and his consistency and ability to read the play needs to drastically improve. Jonsson-Fjallby still has the potential to be a bottom six forward but first he needs to complete a full season in North America - last season did not go as planned and he returned back home to play with Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League - and prove that he has made a proper adjustment to the ice size and style of North American professional hockey. - SC

17 Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) Pilon is a hard working forward capable of winning battles, allowing for good puck possession. He is dynamic and has a good head on his shoulders where playmaking is concerned. He creates offensive opportunities and passing is certainly a strength of his with his goal/assist ratio only proving that fact. He is a clean, but physical player who gets well into the tough spots and adds notable pressure to create turnovers. However, good two way players are a valuable commodity and Pilon needs to find an extra gear and find a way to keep up the tempo in all zones and not just the offensive end to move to the next level. His level of comfort moving from the Everett Silvertips of the WHL to the AHL has been shifted somewhat and it will be up to him to manage his transition better in order to be noticed as a potential bottom six center with Washington. - SC

18 Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Last season, Riat left his childhood team of Geneve-Servette for NLA competitor Biel-Bienne, and there was some hope that the fresh start would allow him to take that next step in his development as a prospect. And while he had a decent season with his new team, Riat did not take any such steps. His point production barely budged (from 24 to 25 points in an equal number of games) and according to first-hand accounts, the skilled winger didn’t look any better in producing the way either. He is still an agitating winger whose feet are as quick as his hands, but with his NLA contract expiring this summer, this will be a critical year for him to show that his greasy game would be worth an ELC from the Capitals. - RW

19 Beck Malenstyn, LW (145^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Last season was rough for Malenstyn and presumably not how he expected to start off his professional career. With only a meager 16 points throughout 74 games, the regular season was disappointing. He started to pick up steam as he hit the playoffs only for Hershey to be eliminated, killing his momentum. It is optimistic to say that he will need a confidence boost next season in order for him to be able to showcase his skills better. When on his game, Malenstyn is a natural goal scorer and great at gaining puck possession, but he will have to have a much better showing in order to prove to Washington that he still has NHL upside. With his shot and natural scoring ability, he will have to find the back of the net more than just 7 times next season to reach even ensure that he can remain in the AHL long term. - SC

20 Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The Capitals selected the towering Czech defenseman in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. Has spent the past two seasons with Tappara U20 and unless he makes the Liiga team this year, it is reasonable to think that he will stay at the U20 level. His shooting ability stands out, with a wrist shot that is hard and accurate, while his slap shot features a lot of power and a good wind up. He also has a knack for getting shots through on the net. His other attributes project to be more around average and the jury is still out on whether he has enough upside to play a significant role in the NHL at his maturation. His acceleration and overall mobility need work and although he shows promise in his defensive and physical games, there is room for improvement in those areas as well. – MB

Metropolitan Division Training Camp News

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:36:52 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

There’s some cautious optimism that this might be the season Carolina ends its nine-season playoff drought, but the Hurrianes’ chances took a blow before the season even started. Victor Rask sustained a hand injury that will cost him months and perhaps the hardest part of it to swallow is the fact that he was hurt in the kitchen and not the ice.

The one thing Carolina did better than any team last season was win faceoffs (54.1%) and Rask was a significant part of that (54.9%) as were Derek Ryan (56.5%) and Elias Lindholm (54.5%), who are no longer with the team. Those two departures combined with Rask’s tough-luck injury have created a void up the middle that there is no clear answer for. Sebastian Aho has been tested as a center, but coach Rod Brind’Amour hasn’t liked what he’s seen there.

Lucas Wallmark might end up making the team, especially given the Hurricanes’ need for centers right now. He excelled in the AHL last season with 17 goals and 55 points in 45 contests. He also got into 11 games with Carolina, but averaged just 9:30 minutes and recorded a single goal.

Outside of the center issues, the Hurricanes’ other big focus has been Andrei Svechnikov, who is fighting for a roster spot after being taken with the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to at least see him get a nine-game trial with Carolina so that the Hurricanes can test him out in the regular season before coming to a final decision.

Columbus Blue Jackets

When everyone’s healthy, Columbus has a strong blueline, but that ideal isn’t what the Blue Jackets will start with. Seth Jones suffered a second-degree MCL sprain on Tuesday, which is projected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks. Needless to say, losing Jones is a far bigger deal to Columbus than Murray. Jones has been a top-tier defenseman for a while now, but he found another level in 2017-18 with 16 goals and 57 points while averaging 24:36 minutes per game. That led to him finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

To further complicate the situation, Ryan Murray isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. Injuries have plagued Murray’s career and in this case it’s a groin issue that will cost him time. When the Blue Jackets were only looking at dealing with the absence of Murray, there was speculation that Markus Nutivaara might be slotted into as David Savard’s partner – at least until Murray was available as an alternative. It’d be a big opportunity for Nutivaara after he averaged just 16:02 minutes in 2017-18, but it’s worth noting that he did a fair amount offensively in that role with seven goals and 23 points in 61 games. Now that Jones is out too, the Blue Jackets need to scramble to find new pairings, but this just makes it more likely that Nutivaara will be on the second pairing, whether it’s with Savard or someone else should Savard get bumped to the top unit. Nutivaara might also be asked to serve on the second power-play unit now that Jones is out.

At least the Blue Jackets also got some positive news on the injury front as Zach Werenski is on track to play in the season opener. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum after playing with the problem for most of 2017-18. That injury might have been part of the reason he went from recording 47 points as a rookie to 37 points as a sophomore, so he could have a nice bounce back this season provided he’s healthy. If Columbus had to enter the season without Werenski and Jones, it would have created a massive void, but at least it appears they’re narrowing avoiding that nightmare scenario.

New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider had an up-and-down 2017-18 campaign, but rather than wonder if he can be consistent going forward, the more immediate question is if he’ll be available. He had hip surgery over the summer and while he has practiced during training camp, he hasn’t gotten into a preseason game. That puts his status for New Jersey’s opener on Oct. 6 very much in question.

Keith Kinkaid would start in Schneider’s absence and given how well Kinkaid did down the stretch last season, if Schneider ends up missing a meaningful amount of time, Kinkaid could take that opportunity to make a strong case to steal the starting gig. Meanwhile, veteran goalie Eddie Lack is projected to make the Devils’ opening game roster if Schneider isn’t ready.

At least the Devils sorted out a different question mark on Sept. 22 when they signed Miles Wood to a four-year, $11 million contract. Wood missed the start of training camp as a RFA contract holdout, but these events might favor New Jersey in the long run. Giving Wood four years is a risk given that he still has more to prove, but the 23-year-old forward had an encouraging 19 goals, 32 points, and 84 penalty minutes in 76 contests last season, so if he continues to develop than he should more than live up to that contract.

New York Islanders

Luca Sbisa joined the Islanders’ training camp on a tryout basis and ended up securing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with time to spare. In doing so, the Islanders have created a logjam on the blueline with eight different defensemen signed to one-way contracts. They also have Dennis Seidenberg participating in their camp on a tryout basis, but it’s hard to see him earning a one-way contract after Sbisa already signed.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 26: New York Islanders Center Mathew Barzal (13) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders on October 26, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.The Wild defeated the Islanders 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Of course, the big question for the Islanders going into the season is how their top two forward lines will shake out. John Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs naturally created a big hole that no one on the team is capable of truly filling. The Islanders are fortunate in the sense that Mathew Barzal excelled as a rookie in 2017-18, so they at least have a strong first-line center even without Tavares, but then who do they put on the second line? Brock Nelson might end up getting that gig. He’s been tried out with some of the Islanders’ top wingers during camp, including Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, and Josh Bailey. Nelson is obviously going to be a huge step down from John Tavares, but taking Nelson on his own merits, he might end up being an okay second-line center.

One player that won’t be trying to fill that offensive void left by Tavares, at least not at the start of the season, is Joshua Ho-Sang. The Islanders have already reassigned him to the AHL, which has to be extremely disappointing for the 2014 first-round pick. Ho-Sang hasn’t been able to establish himself as quickly as some hoped and now it seems that even the fresh start he was provided by the Islanders changing their general manager and coach hasn’t moved things in a positive direction.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will began the rebuilding process last season and gave this new era a face when they hired David Quinn to serve as the new head coach straight from Boston University. A new coach on a rebuilding team creates a golden opportunity for young players and it looks like Filip Chytil has taken advantage of that. Chytil has been one of the Rangers’ standouts and given Quinn’s philosophy of having his best nine forwards serve on the top-nine regardless of positional considerations, Quinn should find a way to give Chytil healthy opportunities in the regular season provided the 19-year-old forward continues to impress.

Not everyone has had as strong a camp though and Jimmy Vesey might not have done enough to earn more than a fourth-line spot out of the gate. Vesey might be playing alongside Vladislav Namestnikov on that unit, which would be a huge step down from most of 2017-18 when Namestnikov was primarily playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Whether you feel the Rangers won or lost the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay, it seems evident that Namestnikov was the biggest loser in the shift.

It’s also worth noting that Kevin Shattenkirk made his preseason debut on Sept. 22, which was his first game since Jan. 18 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He got a pair of assists in the 5-2 loss and while preseason statistics aren’t terribly useful, it’s encouraging to see him do well after being absent for so long.

Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn’t be the Philadelphia Flyers if there wasn’t goaltending drama. The latest chapter starts with Michal Neuvirth, who now appears doubtful for the start of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury. If he can’t play, then the Flyers safest alternative would be Alex Lyon given that he got into 11 games with Philadelphia last season – but Lyon is dealing with a lower-body injury and therefore also not an option.

VOORHEES, NJ - JULY 06: Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers poses for his official headshot for the 2017-2018 season on July 6, 2017 at the Virtua Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carter Hart

That leaves Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off two knee surgeries and played a total of four games in 2017-18 (three in the ECHL), and Carter Hart, the man Flyers fans are putting their hopes and dreams on. Hart has done great in the preseason, but even so it’s reasonable to wonder if it’s really a good idea to send him straight from the WHL to the NHL? It’s asking a lot of him and might not be ideal for his development. The Flyers might end up having to acquire a goalie, which is something that would have seemed crazy just a few weeks ago when it looked like they had an organizational logjam in goal.

Outside of the Flyers’ goalie issues, one emerging storyline has been Corban Knight. He’s 28-years-old, has only played in 29 career NHL games and spent the last two seasons entirely in the minors so he naturally didn’t come into training camp with any special attention paid to him. Knight has managed to claw himself into the conservation for the Flyers’ fourth-line spot though, frequently playing alongside Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Knight survived Tuesday’s round of roster cuts, so if nothing else, he would be one of the last players cut if he doesn’t make the team.

Even if Knight makes the team, he wouldn’t have a huge impact, but it would make for a nice feel good story of a guy that kept fighting long after he lost the prospect tag and eventually managed to defy the odds.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jean-Sebastien Dea has managed to survive the Penguins’ cuts thus far and is consequently one of the final 15 forwards on the roster. He’s coming off his best campaign in the AHL to date with 18 goals and 50 points in 70 games. He also has the versatility to play center or right wing and kill penalties. If he does make the Penguins, it will likely be as a fourth-liner though.

Whatever happens with Dea, the biggest change for the Penguins going into the season will be the addition of offseason signing Jack Johnson. It wasn’t long ago that Johnson was a workhorse that consistently logged an average of over 24 minutes each season for Columbus, but his role declined in 2017-18 to the point where he averaged 19:33 minutes and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. With that all behind him, it looks like Johnson will enter the season on the Penguins’ second pairing with Justin Schultz. The X-Factor there is the fact that Schultz skipped Wednesday’s preseason game due to a nagging upper-body injury. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t make it seem like anything serious, but obviously if Schultz ends up being unavailable for the start of the season then Johnson will temporarily play alongside someone else.

Washington Capitals

After winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals made a point of minimizing roster turnover, so naturally there weren’t a lot of question marks going into training camp. That’s led to a quieter preseason, so there has still been a couple smaller storylines.

For example, Devante Smith-Pelly hasn’t gotten into a preseason game yet and that’s reportedly because he hasn’t lived up to the Capitals’ conditioning standards. At this point it’s not clear if the Capitals will use Smith-Pelly as part of their opening game roster. It’s unfortunate to see this happen given that he was one of the role players that helped push the Capitals over the top with his seven goals and eight points in the postseason. Washington felt good enough about what he brought to the table to sign him to a one-year, $1 million contract over the summer, but now it seems like he might not live up to that deal.

The Capitals might also start the season without defenseman Michal Kempny, but for a very different reason. He’s sidelined after absorbing a high elbow from St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Tuesday’s game. Although the Capitals have simply termed Kempny’s injury as “upper body,” it’s reportedly a concussion and if that’s true then it’s hard to say how long he’ll be out for. Kempny is another one of those role players that came through for the Capitals during the playoffs. In his case, Kempny logged 17:42 minutes per contest in the postseason, which led to Washington signing him to a four-year, $10 million contract back in June. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that 21-year-old defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has looked good in training camp and should be included in the Capitals’ final roster if Kempny isn’t available.

Washington Capitals Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:30:56 +0000

At this time last year, we were collectively nonplussed by Washington’s system. Of course, we recognized that Ilya Samsonov was one of the better goaltending prospects in the sport, but we also recognized that he would not be available to the Capitals during the season, except as an asset to dangle in trade talks.

That take on a bland system was the natural result of an organization that had been trading draft picks like hockey cards for years. The Capital made only four selections in both the 2015 and the 2017 drafts. In the latter year, their earliest pick came at the tail end of the fourth round.

Some teams can get away with not drafting often as they supplement their systems with undrafted free agents. After all, the difference in quality between players drafted in the sixth or seventh rounds and the top 30-50 undrafted free agents can be pretty minimal. In fact, the latter group, as they are generally older, are closer to realizing their potential than 17-18 year-olds who are still in the early stages of their respective journeys.

Unfortunately, Washington has not had a strong track record of luring undrafted talent into their ranks. Most of the undrafted players playing with their AHL affiliate in Hershey were of the older variety. To wit, their average age on the farm last year was 25.51 years old, second oldest in the league to only the San Diego Gulls.

As it happened, any successes experienced by Hershey last year were largely the product AHL veterans, instead of NHL prospects. Their 1A goalie turned 26 during last season, and four of their top ten scorers will be at least 28 years old before the 2018-19 season begins.

In fairness, there were some pretty important contributions from Washington’s top prospects on the team’s run to their first Stanley Cup championship. Number two prospect Jakub Vrana, a former first rounder, had 27 points in his rookie NHL season and added eight postseason points. Chandler Stephenson, who had ranked eighth on this list last year, was a fixture on the fourth line. He contributed 18 points in the regular season and another seven in the postseason. Madison Bowey, who we had ranked fifth, was the ostensible seventh defenseman during the regular season, although he did not play in the playoffs at all. Finally, thirteenth ranked Christian Djoos, who had cycled in and out of the lineup with Bowey in the regular season, cemented his place in the lineup in the playoffs, playing in 22 of the Capitals’ 24 games. A few other guys snuck into games here and there, but he have covered the bulk of the prospect contributions to the championship.

We can appreciate the fact that the Capitals’ championship was a largely veteran affair, but we cannot overlook the value of the draft in creating the Cup raising team. Instead of making a series of veteran-adding trades at the deadline, this team was run by players who had spent years in the organization. From former first rounders such as Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Carlson, Wilson, Burakovsky, and the aforementioned Vrana, to later round picks like Dmitri Orlov, and Braden Holtby, the importance of the draft cannot be overlooked. By it is also a reminder that the payoff is generally not immediate.

1 Ilya Samsonov, G (22^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 1^st) The wait on one of the best goalies on the planet not yet in the NHL has seemingly come to an end with Samsonov’s dominant three year run with Magnitogorsk of the KHL coming to an end with a combined .929 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA. His game between the pipes is very well rounded. He is a high-end athlete who adjusts his body quickly and acrobatically to get to puck that other goalies would have no chance on. He is competitive, reads the game well and technically sound, covering his angles well and playing with an understanding of depth. He even does well at controlling the first shot, thereby minimizing second and third chances. He could still to improve his puck handling skills. While Washington’s net is in capable hands with Braden Holtby, in Samsonov, they have a succession plan in place, and he will spend most, if not all, of the coming season in the NHL.

2 Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3^rd) An exceptional puck mover, Johansen has developed at a stately but reasonable pace since the Capitals made him a late first round pick in 2016. Coming out of the blueline factory in Kelowna, he is another highly mobile, modern-era defenseman who has more upside than any other skater in the system. Thanks to his late birthdate, he was able to play in the AHL before his 20^th birthday and he ended the season fifth in points among U21 blueliners in the league. Almost as impressive as his offensive capabilities, he also shows a responsible game in his own end. His point shot is strong enough to pick up time on the power play once he reaches the NHL. Speaking of the NHL, he still needs to add muscle to his lanky frame while the chance to dominate at a lower level will allow him to explore the extent of his game before being under the spotlight.

3 Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) The final pick of the 2018 first round, Alexeyev had to overcome quite a lot to get to that point. Not only did he leave home before his 17^th birthday to play hockey in Red Deer, but he also dealt with a few injuries in his time on the WHL, notably a knee injury that robbed him of a large chunk of his draft year. Even more than that though, he dealt with the unexpected passing of his mother near mid-season. Alexeyev showed a lot of maturity and drive to come back to Canada within a few weeks of that tragedy and continue to play a high end two way game. He brings size and processing power to his own end, and a big point shot and even more impressive passing ability to the offensive game. His above average skating comes with him wherever he goes. May have more untapped potential than any skater in the system.

4 Connor Hobbs, D (143^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4^th) The Capitals took a risk drafting Hobbs after a draft year partially lost due to a dispute with his original WHL club. The subsequent growth in his game in his final two WHL years make him the best value pick in the organization still working his way up the ladder. He plays a punishing physical game with a big, strong frame. His offensive output from the WHL has not yet followed him to the AHL, but he has been able to demonstrate a promising ability to move the puck, both as a carrier and as a passer. There will be an expectation placed on his shoulders to stand out more in his second-go-round with Hershey, such as being more selectively assertive with his powerful point shot, but his first step showed enough to keep him high in Washington’s future plans.

5 Shane Gersich, C/LW (134^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 9^th) The Capitals were very patient with Gersich. After using a fifth round pick on him four years ago, they waited as he spent one more season in the USHL and three seasons in NCAA with North Dakota. He played a depth role as UND won a national title in his freshman year but was more prominent in their failed attempts to return to the summit in the last two years. He is a fantastic skater, with both speed and slipperiness. Gersich is also a creative stickhandler, able to find ways out of tricky situations. After his junior year, he signed a late-season ELC with Washington, getting into three regular season games and two in the postseason, to add an NHL title to his NCAA glory. More likely to break into the league as a winger than a center, he should spend most of the next season apprenticing in the AHL first.

Martin Fehervary

6 Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A smooth skater with a rich resume in international hockey, Fehervary had already represented his country in two WU18s, two WJCs, and one World Championship before being selected in the second round by the Capitals this past June. He does not jump out on the stats pages, and unfortunately, that is indicative of the type of game he brings to the ice. In addition to his prime acceleration and overall mobility, he has a large frame that he knows how to use and has an advanced feel for the game. With the puck, he is less of a sure thing, sometimes looking downright jittery. He does not have great upside, but has a mature game that can find a fit on the back half of an NHL defensive corps.

7 Axel Jonsson Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Last Year: not ranked) With his rock star flow and sprinter’s speed, Jonsson Fjallby had a coming out party in last year’s WJC, dazzling as he helped Sweden to a Silver Medal. He grew into a depth scoring role in his first full season in the SHL, but showed more finishing touch with six goals through the first two rounds of the SHL playoffs for Djurgardens. He can be unpredictable to cover, not just with the elusiveness that is a natural by-product of his near-elite speed, but some creativity with the puck as well. He knows how to utilize his speed to be a PK asset as well. Signed to an ELC in May, he should send this coming season in the AHL.

8 Riley Barber, RW (167^th overall, 2012. Last Year: 15^th) After a year beset by injury, Barber stayed healthy and played a practically full schedule last season, but had his worst output yet as a pro in a down year for AHL Hershey. Further, without a single callup to Washington, he was not able to add to his bulging championship collection. The Capitals will want to see more ability to control the offensive game, and he has the tools to do so. His skating, shot, and puck skills all grade out as above average and last year was his first year where he was not near his team’s scoring lead. He should have a good chance to make the team as an extra forward this year.

9 Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A prototypical member of the Sutter dynasty, son of Ron is a meat-and-potatoes winger who brings a pluggers’ mentality along with a pretty hard wrist shot that has won him a number of admirers in the WHL. The type of player who can play on both special teams units, Riley Sutter can screen the opposing goalie at one end while shutting down the play from the point at the other. He has ideal size for a bottom six winger at the NHL level, and would probably have been a first round pick in clutch and grab days of the early to mid-1990s. These days however, skating prowess rules the day, and while his top speed is alright, Sutter is a bit sluggish afoot. A more explosive takeoff can make him a high-end NHL prospect.

10 Brian Pinho, C (174^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 18^th) Like Shane Gersich above, Pinho is a product of patience on Washington’s part. He spent an additional year in the USHL after being drafted and then four full years at Providence before finally signing an ELC. Also like Gersich, Pinho won an NCAA title in his freshman year as he gradually grew into a leadership role for his school. The captain as a senior, he has a full set of solid tools to play with, although nothing that would qualify him as a dynamic talent. He projects as more of a defensive sound center who can chip in offensively, but cannot drive play on his own.

11 Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 10^th) After two times each at the WU18 and the WJC, Riat has aged out of junior competition and spent part of his offseason this year helping Switzerland get to the World Championship final, albeit in a depth role. A strong skater, he also grades out well for his puck skills, hockey IQ and physical game. The point requires note that his lack of size will ensure that he is never a punishing player, but he plays with a pest’s mentality, forechecking hard and generally getting into the face of an opponent as he works to separate him from the puck. The Capitals seem to be n no real rush to bring him state-side and his new contract with Biel-Bienne in the Swiss NLA should keep him in Europe for another two seasons.

Jonas Siegenthaler

12 Jonas Siegenthaler, D (57^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 7^th) A physical specimen at 6-2” and over 220 pounds, Siegenthaler is much more than a coke machine on ice. For starters, he is fairly mobile. Not dynamic by any stretch (which is something that can be said about most parts of his game), but he gets around well and has shown that he can keep up at the pro level. He showed a bit more offense in his first year in the AHL than some had anticipated, which is to say that he could be more than a pure stay-at-home defender. The fact that he was playing professionally in his native Switzerland from age 17 shows up in his reads and positioning. His one true selling point, however, as expected by his frame, is a high end physical game. He is not mean, but when he leans on a guy, there isn’t much the opponent can do.

13 Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Despite his status as a second round pick of the defending Stanley Cup champions, Kody Clark has a long way to go before he ceases being primarily the son of Wendel Clark. Whereas his father was a star for his toughness and world class wrist shot – not always in that order – Kody is a very raw player. He has flashed a facsimile of what made his father great, as well as some reports of fine wheels, but he has never really put it all together on the ice and his production has been closer to that of a late round pick than someone with a number in the mid double digits. He needs to play with more consistency and start to anticipate instead of react.

14 Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14^th) To be absolutely clear, the Capitals highest hopes for Vanecek are as a future backup. This would be the case almost no matter how well he performs. With a former Vezina winner still in his prime in the NHL and one of the top netminding prospects in the sport ready to move into the NHL this year, the athletic Czech goaltender is more a curiosity at this point. His third pro season did not match his second, although Hershey as a whole had a down year. He does a pretty good job of limiting second chances, but the rest of his game is fairly average. Also worth noting is that at 6-1”, he is on the small side for the modern goalie.

15 Travis Boyd, C (177^th overall, 2011. Last Year: 11^th) While Hershey had a rare down year, Boyd continued to produce offense and earned his first NHL stint, including one playoff game to start his career off with a ring. The former Golden Gopher has the offensive tools necessarily to be a respectable secondary scoring presence in the NHL, although his size and lack of attention to detail in his own zone mean he will likely need to be sheltered, whether with a more responsible linemate, or with favorable shifts. Expected to compete for the fourth line center job in 2018-19, he will also need to prove that he can play effectively in the greasy areas in order to secure that spot and create new career highlights.

Nathan Walker

16 Nathan Walker, LW (Waivers: Dec. 20, 2017 [Edmonton]. Last Year: not ranked) All’s well that ends well, I suppose. The first Australian drafted by an NHL team, the Caps placed Walker on waivers in late November and he was promptly claimed by Edmonton. He was with the Oilers for eight games, six of which were spent in the press box, before he was waived again and the Capitals re-claimed him. Small, quick and feisty, he spent much of the rest of the season in the AHL, but got up to Washington for stretches, and played in one playoff game against Pittsburgh, where he even picked up an assist. He will once again be viewed as organizational depth on the wing, but he got his name on the Cup.

17 Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17^th) Son of longtime New York Islander, the offensively declined Rich Pilon, Garrett developed as a two way forward instead. There were hopes that he could develop more offensively as he completed his junior career, but his tools have trended more towards average. As with most sons-of, his hockey IQ is the selling point of his prospects for an NHL future. At present Washington’s system is not very deep, so he will get a decent chance. But as the team replenishes its minor league ranks, he will have to show more ability to drive the play than he has to this point.

18 Chase Priskie, D (177^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 20^th) Very much a late bloomer, Priskie has shown much greater ability to drive the play with Quinnipiac than he ever had in the BCHL. Now the captain of the Bobcats, he is a fantastic skater, fast and with plus edge work, making his forays up the ice a treat to observe. Despite the impressive goal totals for the defenceman, his shot is not nearly as impressive as his ability to control the flow from the point as a distributing quarterback. He has also filled out some physically in his time on campus, but his game is lacking a physical component. Expect the Capitals to make a big push to get him under contract after his senior season ends.

19 Juuso Ikonen, RW (UDFA: May 2, 2018. Last Year: IE) One year after younger brother Joni was drafted in the second round by Montreal, Juuso signed as a free agent with Washington. Juuso is a little bit smaller and a fair amount less talented than his brother, but is still a decent player in his own right as is demonstrated by his having played high level hockey in Finland and Sweden since his age 16 season. He skates well and is tricky with the puck on his stick. His hockey has been well honed by his accumulated experience, although do not be mistaken into thinking he is a defensive specialist, as he is here to help drive the offense. He will have to prove that his size is not a detriment in the AHL before getting a full NHL opportunity.

20 Steven Spinner, RW (159^th overall, 2014. Last Year: not ranked) Yet another example of the Capitals’ willingness to let their collegians maximize their time on campus, Spinner has slowly grown into a reliable play-maker’s game with Nebraska-Omaha. He is a skilled puck handler who has good reach and strong puck protection ability. The Mavericks have not hesitated to use Spinner on the penalty kill and in other defensively challenging situations. Despite having average size, he adds a dash oh physicality to his skilled game, finishing his checks before re-assuming a defensive posture. His upside is not the greatest, but there should be room for him in Hershey after next year, if he want sot sign with Washington.

Washington – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:10:04 +0000

Most teams scout in a variety of leagues to help replenish the minor league ranks with NHL-potential talent. Both historically and currently, the most popular destinations have been the three leagues of the CHL, the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. Looking at the various organizations around the league, the vast majority of teams had players to follow in all three leagues. There were a handful of teams that did not have a single player affiliated with a QMJHL season last year. There are also two teams that were barren in terms of WHL alumni in the system. And then there are the Washington Capitals. Not only are they the only system without players who spent last year in the OHL, but they also have not recently had a QMJHL affiliated player.

It is possible that their strong lean towards the WHL is a side effect of often having few picks to play with and often only late ones at that. Like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are perennially contending, trading picks for players of present-day value, and thus putting an inordinate amount of faith in the their NCAA and NCAA feeder league scouts, so too might the Capitals be limiting their scouting exposure to the OHL, QMJHL, and apparently, Finland. Instead, they scout the WHL, Sweden, Switzerland, and to a lesser extent, the NAHL, very heavily, hoping that better depth in specific areas will improve their chances of successful outcomes.

To understand how deep this strategy of omission runs, the last player drafted by the Capitals out of the OHL was Tom Wilson in 2012. The last player they drafted out of the QMJHL was Stanislav Galiev in 2010. And 2004 was the last time they drafted a player out of the Finnish leagues, when they used picks on both Sami Lepisto and Pasi Salonen.

That is how the Capitals’ 2017 draft class, four players strong, included picks out of Fairbanks in the NAHL, EVZ Academy in the second Swiss league, MODO J20 in the Swedish junior leagues, and Almtuna J20, of a lower level Swedish junior league. It is also almost fair to note that the team augmented their system with a trio of college free agent signings from lower profile NCAA schools Alaska-Anchorage, Merrimack, and St. Lawrence.

From where we stand today, the depth over breadth approach to amateur scouting has not paid too many dividends. Although the team tends to be among the best in the league during the regular season, they have tended to flame out in the playoffs, at least in part due to a lack of firepower from the bottom half of the roster. Very few young players are breaking through from their (generally competitive) AHL affiliate in Hershey although the current depth chart suggests that two or three prospects may be ready for their big chance.

Without either a longer playoff run or a group of young prospects establishing themselves in short order with the NHL club, the Capitals will be forced to change their strategy or change the people executing on that strategy. Or both.

Ilya Samsonov

1 Ilya Samsonov – If the Capitals did not already have one of the best netminders in the NHL in his prime and locked up for another three seasons, they would be even more excited for having in their possession one of the clear-cut best goaltending prospects in the game. His numbers have been near the top in the KHL over the last two seasons while literally world beating at the WJC. He has exceptional athleticism for a goalie and rebounds immediately from the occasional stoppable goal allowed. When he is ready to leave Russia, the Capitals will find a way to make room for him on the NHL roster.

Washington Capitals left wing Jakub Vrana (13)(Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire)

2 Jakub Vrana – In two partial seasons in the AHL, the offensively gifted former first round pick has put up very strong numbers for Hershey, there are open questions about how well his game will translate to the NHL. Not even looking at his first 21 games last year (three goals, three assists), his high end speed and puck handling skills risk being neutralized in the NHL by a general lack of urgency. If he proves that he can produce with fewer soft spots in coverage to exploit, he can be a top six winger. No guarantee, though.

Lucas Johansen of the Kelowa Rockets was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, NY on Friday June 24, 2016. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

3 Lucas Johansen – To the naked eye, Johansen’s first post-draft year was marginally disappointing. Scouting the stat line shows offensive totals that had dropped somewhat, from 0.71 points per game in 2015-16, to 0.60 PPG last year. Moving past the stats, Ryan Johansen’s kid brother has been rounding out his game nicely. He has plus mobility and puck playing ability and is developing his defensive zone game marvelously. He still needs to bulk up, but has shutdown, possession ace ability.

4 Connor Hobbs – Hobbs, whose draft year got off to a very rough start, demanding a trade out of Medicine Hat, sojourning with Nipawin of the MJHL before being traded to Regina, is looking like a Grade A steal for the Capitals. He checks off all of the scouting boxes. Average or better as a skater, puck handling, shooter and strong hockey IQ to boot. He also has a solid frame and uses it well. The blueliner finished his WHL career with 109 points in 100 regular season plus playoff games. He is ready for the next level.

5 Madison Bowey – Bowey had a rough second season in the AHL, as sliced tendon in his ankle kept him out of action for nearly half the season. When he did play, his numbers were no better than they had been as a rookie pro. Further, he had a disturbing propensity to make unforced errors, pointing to poor decision making. On the other hand, he is an above average skater with intriguing puck skills and he flashes his physical tools fairly regularly. The next step is consistency.

6 Pheonix Copley – Had the Vegas Golden Knights selected Philipp Grubauer in the expansion draft instead of Nate Schmidt, Copley would be the odds-on favorite to land the backup goalie role in Washington for 2017-18. Signed by the Caps as a free agent out of Michigan Tech, Copley was traded to St. Louis two years ago and traded back this year at the deadline. A good athlete who does not quit on a puck, he has already proven his worth in the AHL. All that stands between him and the NHL is opportunity.

7 Jonas Siegenthaler – Sieganthaler has a very wide frame, uses his body to good effect, skates well for his bulk and is dependable in his own end. He has an active stick, muffles shooting and passing lanes well and keeps tight gaps. On their own, those traits should be enough for the young Swiss blueliner to play in the NHL. Which is good, because he brings little to the table with the puck. He makes a decent first pass in his own zone and nothing else. His shot is poor and his puck carrying is middling.

8 Chandler Stephenson – Although not a serious offensive threat, Stephenson is an easy player to root for. An exceptionally smart two-way forward, the former third rounder is also blessed with a strong set of wheels. While not fancy with the puck, his decisions tend to be the right ones, such as deciding when to hold it or when to lay it off for a teammate. His shot also holds some potential.

9 Shane Gersich – Additional playing with the reigning NCAA champions in North Dakota have led to vastly superior results for Gersich, a talented forward. His stickhandling is his strong-suit, as he has plus hands, good vision and a flair for opportunism. He is also trusted to kill penalties and plays a tenacious brand of hockey that belies his somewhat small frame, crashing the net and not shying from the tough areas.

10 Damien Riat – On the one hand, Riat’s production in his second season of high-level Swiss hockey with Geneve-Servette dropped considerably. On the other, he was once again a force at the World Juniors for his native Switzerland. He pays a sound two-way game, combining a powerful and speedy skating stride with a hard and accurate wrist shot and attention to detail in his own zone. He will be back in the NLA for a third season next year.

11 Travis Boyd – In many ways, Travis Boyd has a lot of the same prospect attributes as Jakub Vrana, profiled above. He is a very good puck handler, understands his role in all three zones and knows how to fire the puck in anger. The main differences between the two are that while Vrana is a very good skater, Boyd is only in the range of average, and Boyd is around 2.5 years older than Vrana, giving him less room for improvement. He has earned an NHL opportunity.

12 Beck Malenstyn – A big-bodied grinder, Malenstyn may be a future success story of the Capitals’ depth approach to scouting discussed at length above. In his first post-draft season, he bumped his goals from eight to 32 and his points from 25 to 56, on a team in a down year. He is unselfish with the puck and can take a hit without being removed from the play. He is also a strong skater who flashes some emerging puck skills. Definitely one who could rise on this list in future seasons.

13 Christian Djoos – Another late round pick who has proven to be an above average AHL player, Djoos’ strongest tool is without doubt his puck moving ability. He exudes confidence with the puck on his stick and generally makes strong decisions, deftly weighing risk and reward. He is also a solid skater. The main question is whether the aforementioned attributes are enough to overcome his slight frame (6-0”, 165). He may have done enough for Washington to try to find out.

14 Vitek Vanecek – Although recently a second round pick, Vanecek has not done enough yet to cement himself in Washington’s future plans. He had a strong rookie North American pro season in the ECHL but was below average in the AHL last year, prompting the team to re-acquire Pheonix Copley. An agile, butterfly-style netminder who is aggressive in his crease. This may be his last chance to stake his claim to a future in DC before Samsonov comes to America.

15 Riley Barber – Another AHL scorer, Barber has a long history of championships under his belt. He has won a Clark Cup with Dubuque, earned Gold Medals in both WU18 (2011-12) and WJC (2012-13) play and led Miami (Ohio) to an NCHC title as a junior in 2014-15. His offensive play is still ahead of his defensive play. He also has a tendency to take extraneous offensive risks. Healthy after missing close to half of last year with a hand injury, he will get more time in the NHL this year.

16 Tobias Geisser – Selected this year at the end of the fourth round, Geisser was the first pick made by the Caps, as they returned to one of their favorite scouting haunts, in Switzerland. He is remarkably mobile for his plus frame with a strong start up. He is also very calm with the puck and is strong on his stick when digging for loose pucks. He more than held his own in his first experience with high level men’s hockey in Switzerland’s second league and is a likely WJC participant this year.

17 Garrett Pilon – Despite a strong post draft season with Kamloops, improving to nearly one point per game, Pilon is still primarily a defensive forward prospect. Most of his game screams “average!”, particularly his ability to push play in the offensive zone. The son of longtime NHLer Rich Pilon still has one more season to leave a mark in the WHL.

18 Brian Pinho – Pinho’s first two post draft seasons were very successful from a team perspective, as he first won a Clark Cup with Indiana, and followed that up with an NCAA championship as a freshman at Providence. Since then, he has steadily improved his ability to produce at the NCAA level. He is a decent skater with solid puck skills combined with offensive zone vision. Quick hands make him dangerous.

19 Hampus Gustafsson – One of three college free agents signed by Washington this offseason, Gustafsson was a decent offensive producer in his last three seasons with Merrimack, trailing only Devils pick Brett Seney in points each year. Other than a partial season in Midget hockey after first coming over from Sweden to North America, he has never produced dominant numbers. What allows him to stand out is his strong 6-4” frame.

20 Chase Priskie – A strong offensive defenseman from Quinnipiac, Priskie brings decent top end speed and confident puck play to the ice. The Florida native still turns off some observers due to risk taking and a propensity for being caught up-ice after a stalled rush. Also most points are finished by his teammates as his point shot is average at best.

The Capitals have a relatively deep system in terms of players who could play roles in the NHL, especially if AHL production is as reasonable a gauge as it usually is. The concern is that after Samsonov, it is hard to state with any certainty that too many guys will mature into players capable of being types that a team can integrate into a part of a winning core. Even those with that potential have clear flaws. It is time for some of these players to be given extended looks in the NHL.

Scouting Reports: Czech, Swiss – Ostap Safin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Patrik Hrehorcak, Sven Leuenberger, Roger Karrer

Dennis Schellenberg — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:36:16 +0000

McKeen's Hockey welcomes Dennis Schellenberg. Dennis lives in Zurich, Switzerland, the city of his birth. Dennis covers Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia as well as the Czech Republic for McKeen’s. He also covers International tournaments such as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in SVK/CZE and the U18 Five Nations Tournament in Switzerland. He can be found on Twitter: @ScoutingFactory

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Ostap Safin	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: LW, Shoots L	H/W: 6-4", 200 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	HC Sparta Praha U20, Czech U20 (21-5-12-17-66)
	HC Sparta Praha, Czech (8-1-1-2-2)

Ostap Safin at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Photo by Karel Svec.

Skating: Despite his size, Safin is an agile skater with good edgework and acceleration. He uses long and powerful strides to hit a decent top speed. Possesses the agility and skating power to play a power forward style of game. He is able to make quick turns along the boards to get rid of defenders. Grade: 55

Shot: Safin possesses goal scoring instincts and therefore also possesses a good shot. Especially with his powerful wrist shot, he can beat goaltenders from the slot. He can shoot the puck with good velocity and accuracy. Usually does not waste time firing the puck towards the goaltender if he sees an open lane and uses good timing when shooting the puck, going down on his knees for one-timers. Grade: 60

Skills: Safin shows good passing skills with positive marks for both accuracy and power. Although he is not known for his creativity, he shows some nice puckhandling skills from time to time and likes to go into one-on-one situations where he can make quick turns with the puck on his stick to bypass opponents in the neutral zone. Grade: 50

Smarts: Like most goal scorers, Safin possesses a nose for the net and is dangerous around the crease. He knows where to position himself for a good shooting spot and has the ability to sneak into dangerous spots, making him available for passes within the offensive zone. Possesses a solid understanding of his own zone responsibilities and backchecks hard to eliminate odd men rushes. Reads plays well and covers defenders who jump rushes. Safin is aware of his linemates, has good vision and underrated set up skills. Grade: 55

Physicality: Safin is listed at 6-foot-4 and almost 200 pounds and therefore possesses the right frame to play a strong physical game. He likes to drive the net with the puck and uses his long reach to keep the puck away from defenders, who have a hard time handling the big-sized Czech at junior level. His size and strength gives him an advantage when battling for rebounds in front of the slot. Grade: 60

Summary: Ostap Safin plays a power forward type of game. His size and strength definitely support that playing style. He possesses the physical game, offensive upside and goal scoring nose which could lead to being a power forward at the NHL-level. He can add size in front of the net and drives the net with his long reach and good puck protection skills. However, Safin might lack some creativity and often needs someone to set him up and that could prevent him from being a first rounder. Also, he needs to work on his leadership skills as he did not lead the U18 Czech team at the Five Nations Tournament as much as I would have liked to see, despite being one of the oldest players on the squad. Safin played some games at the highest Czech league this season with Sparta Praha and was also loaned to the second highest division, giving him more playing time at pro level.

Jonas Siegenthaler	2015 Draft (57th - Washington Capitals)
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-2", 220 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	ZSC Lions, NLA (21-0-6-6-16)
	Switzerland U20, WJC (5-1-5-6-2)

January 03 2015: Jonas Siegenthaler (25) of Switzerland fights for the puck against Germany during Switzerland's 5-2 victory over Germany at the IIHF World Junior Championship at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Skating: For a guy his size, Siegenthaler shows good skating agility and can move over the ice smoothly. His edgework and pivots are fine, too. However, he needs to work on explosiveness especially in his first strides and make use of his powerful legs more efficiently. Quickness in his feet has been an issue for a while now and has not improved recently. Especially at the fast NHL-level, he could have a clear disadvantage in skating speed against smaller and speedier forwards. Grade: 50

Shot: His shot is disappointing in terms of release, speed and power. He needs to use his strength better when shooting the puck, and needs to gain strength and accuracy both in his wrist shot and slap shot. The power is not nearly as good as it should be for a powerful physical player like he is. Grade: 40

Skills: Siegenthaler can deliver powerful and accurate passes within his own zone and is also a good pass receiver. He does not panic when he is under pressure in his own zone and shows patience when playing an outlet pass as he waits for the perfect passing moment. However, his first pass is mostly a safety-first pass instead of a long and opening outlet pass. Siegenthaler is no gifted puck carrier, although he has improved in that matter and shows more confidence when carrying the puck. Grade: 45

Smarts: Siegenthaler plays a reliable own zone game and keeps it simple defensively. He is very hard to pass by in one-on-one situations as he uses an active stick and good positioning to keep the opponents away from dangerous shooting spots. He also does so in front of the net where he does not allow opposing forwards to benefit on rebounds. He interferes with plays and reads plays well. He shows good gap control and keeps opposing puck carriers away from the net, forcing them to make plays along the boards. Grade: 55

Physicality: Given his size and strength as well as skating balance, it is no surprise Siegenthaler plays a strong physical game. He uses his big body along the boards and wins many of those battles. Once he manages to force the opposing forwards to get involved along the boards, he often succeeds in separating them from the puck. He closes gaps first with his long and active stick before closing the gap physically. Shows good overall strength and is able to take a big hit without dropping to his knees. Grade: 60

Summary: There are two concerns when it comes to Jonas Siegenthaler – He is a pure defensive-minded defender who does not have lots of offensive upside and the question will be if that is enough to succeed at the NHL-level. Second, his skating speed and quickness has been an issue in the highest Swiss league and it could be even more of an issue at a higher level as he lacks explosiveness and gets caught flat-footed against speedy forwards. Next to those issues, he brings everything to the table to be a successful shut-down defenceman. His size, physical game and positioning are all excellent. He also showed at the WJC that he can play big minutes and play against the opposing team’s top line. It still seems like a 50-50 gamble if he can be an NHLer but if he fixes his skating issues he could very well succeed and be a Washington Capital in the coming years.

Patrik Hrehorcak	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: LW, Shoots L	H/W: 5-9", 180 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	HC Trinec U20, Czech U20 (36-22-25-47-51)

Skating: Patrik Hrehorcak can be described as an overall good skater. He is small and quick which gives him a shiftiness most talented undersized forwards possess. He is agile and skates with determination. He always keeps his feet moving and possesses a motor that never breaks. Creates lots of speed in his shifts and does not take one off, plays with a good energy level. Shows quick acceleration and top speed and can take off in a hurry and outspeed opponents. Grade: 55

Shot: Hrehorcak can fire the puck with good velocity and possess a good shot release combined with good power. His shot is accurate and he can make use of his entire shot arsenal. He is no pure sniper but certainly can score goals and beat goaltenders with his slapshot as well as wrist shot. Grade: 55

Skills: Hrehorcak possesses fine hands and solid puckhandling skills. He is able to make quick turns along the boards with the puck and can be hard to catch for defenders. His backhand passes are accurate and arrive on the tape. On the powerplay he is often the player who orchestrates the plays and initiates passes as he reads open ice well but can also fire the puck. Grade: 50

Smarts: He is a fine team player and shows good work ethic. Possesses leadership skills and communicates well, especially on the powerplay where he usually is the team’s most important player. He does not quit on any play and backchecks hard to eliminate odd-man rushes. Hrehorcak wants to make things happen and often goes for an active play. He knows where to position himself in the defensive zone in order to successfully stand in shooting or passing lanes and is not afraid to go down on his knees to block shots. Shows good overall awareness of the game. Grade: 55

Physicality: At only 5-9”, Hrehorcak is rather smallish but that does not keep him away from throwing his body around. He shows tenaciousness in most battles and is a tough competitor along the boards. He loves to battle and compete and mix things up. He does not quit on any play and keeps going hard after the puck as long there is still gas left in his tank. Grade: 50

Summary: Patrik Hrehorcak is one of those guys who make up for his lack of size and strength with his fine work ethic and willingness to battle. He possesses a decent shot, puck skills and good skating, but is not outstanding in any of those areas. In other words, Hrehorcak might not be more than a bottom-six guy at a higher level. Nevertheless, he is willing to do whatever it takes to win the game and his tenaciousness and work ethic impressed me and makes me believe that he can succeed at a higher level. The next step for the Slovakian is to make his season debut in the Czech Extraliga for HC Trinec as he did not yet played professionally.

Sven Leuenberger	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: C/RW, Shoots R	H/W: 5-10", 185 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Zug U20, Swiss Elite Jr. A (34-13-16-29-34)
	EVZ Academy, NLB (10-1-1-2-5)

Sven Leuenberger at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Photo by Karel Svec

Skating: Sven Leuenberger is a smallish centerman who possesses good overall skating. He makes quick and small steps to hit top speed. He also shows good acceleration and quickness in his first steps which helps him to take off in a hurry. He has good edgework and can smoothly skate in all four directions. His skating can be described as both powerful and determined. Grade: 55

Shot: It is rather hard to judge his shot as he is neither a sniper nor a true goal scorer. Most of his goals are scored in the dirty areas in front of the net. He is definitely not a guy that will catch your eye with a rocket. However, his wrist shot is decent in terms of accuracy and power. I would like to see him more often making use of it. Grade: 50

Skills: Leuenberger is able to handle the puck with solid puckhandling skills, but does not possess overly flashy hands. He has decent quickness in his hands and can escape from opponents with quick turns. He changes direction very quickly with the puck on his stick. He drives the net with the puck thanks to his good puck protection skills. When killing penalties, he has the ability to keep the puck out of the defensive zone. Grade: 50

Smarts: Leuenberger is a smart hockey player who understands the game well. In front of the net, he often has a good nose for the right position. He executes well on rebounds and battles hard for position. He is always ready for an opening outlet pass as he puts his stick on the ice to receive the pass. His overall awareness and vision are good, as he seems to see teammates in the back of his head and sees the open ice well. Defensively, he backchecks and takes his responsibilities seriously. He successfully controls the sticks of opposing forwards in order to prevent them from scoring on rebounds. He has displayed some leadership skills as of late and communicates well on the ice. His coach uses him in all situations. Leuenberger shows good work ethic and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas for rebounds. Although he plays mostly at center, his faceoff skills are a real concern and something he needs to work on. Grade: 55

Physicality: Given his size and strength, Leuenberger will never be the most physical guy on the ice. With that being said, I need to add that he definitely shows the willingness to get his nose dirty and battles as hard as he can. Especially in front of the net, he succeeds at junior level, but it remains to be seen if he can also do so at a higher level and against bigger and stronger opponents. However, he protects the puck nicely and keeps defenders away from the puck. Grade: 50

Summary: Sven Leuenberger’s strong play at the U20 level got him a call-up to the NLB, the second highest Swiss pro league where he made his first steps. Next to teammate Tobias Geisser, Leuenberger is the second most intriguing prospect out of the Swiss leagues this year. He impresses with good work ethic and an overall understanding of the game. He plays with maturity and is a very reliable player for his junior club. He might not a guy who catches your eye with fancy moves as he is rather a quiet worker. Neither does he possess high-end offensive upside, therefore I do see him more of a bottom-six guy who can kill penalties and add some depth to a pro team. His rather smallish size could be a concern but so far at junior level he shows the willingness and competitiveness to contribute physically more than might generally be expected. Whoever drafts Leuenberger gets a competitive work horse who fits into a typical bottom-six role but lacks any outstanding skills.

Roger Karrer	2017 Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots R	H/W: 5-11", 180 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	ZSC Lions, NLA (14-0-2-2-0)
	GC Kusnacht Lions, NLB (25-2-3-5-8)
	Switzerland U20, WJC (5-0-0-0-0)

Skating: Roger Karrer is a strong skater. He glides over the ice smoothly and has fluid strides and very good top speed. Thanks to his mobility, he can escape from forechecking forwards elegantly and with ease. With his high-end top speed, he can hustle back in a hurry to eliminate odd man rushes. Is able to close gaps with his very agile skating style and opposing forwards usually have a tough time to get rid of him skating wise. Grade: 55

Shot: Karrer’s shot is above-average and is his biggest asset as a prospect. He shoots the puck with great power and can unleash his shot with a quick release. Uses all of his shooting arsenal but he is at his most dangerous when using his slap shot. Especially on the powerplay, he can be a dangerous weapon on the blueline with his heavy shot Grade: 60

Skills: Blessed with decent puckhandling skills. Karrer is a puckmoving defenceman and can carry the puck up ice with ease. He possesses an accurate pass and can make crisp outlet passes. He tends to play a risky first outlet pass as he mostly goes for a difficult pass rather than a secure one. That causes some unforced giveaways by Karrer from time to time. Grade: 50

Smarts: Karrer sees open teammates well and is able to read plays as well as open ice. He uses an active stick and shows good timing when using the stick to interfere with plays and keeps opposing forwards outside the dangerous area. I would like to see him play with more confidence and leadership. He is now in his second season of professional hockey and needs to step up. With that being said, he does all of the above on the powerplay where he takes over responsibility with the puck and can guide a powerplay with good vision, and his strong shot and passing skills. Grade: 45

Physicality: He is a player that does not have a notable physical impact, although he is trying to battle hard for position in front of the net. He mostly loses those positional battles in front of the net and along the boards due to his smallish size. Would rather use his stick than body to gain puck momentum. Grade: 40

Summary: Having scouted Roger Karrer at U20 junior level as well as in professional hockey in Switzerland, I have come to the conclusion that he truly cannot elevate his game to the next level in order to guarantee him a roster spot at the highest levels. Too often he hides behind teammates and does not step up, not even at the junior level. He had a quiet WJC generally playing in the shadow of teammate Jonas Siegenthaler. He possesses a great shot as well as good puck skills and skating which could pave the way to become a starter at NLA-level, although probably not more than that. Karrer was not selected at last year’s draft probably because of his lack of strength and physicality. He re-enters the draft this year hoping to become a late round pick, but seems again to be a long-shot to be selected.