Prospect Info: Capitals Prospects and Minor League Affiliates (Hershey Bears, SC Stingrays) - 2014-18

[Brian23]

Grubby will be traded I feel, dunno if they have the money to keep him and sign Carlson (and I expect them to be true to their word and find a way to keep him). I think that means Copley is gonna be the backup in Washington, which puts fear in my heart, so I expect Samsonov to get the full load in Hershey for the next year and probably see some time the following year short of injury?

He should still be on his ELC anyway so he shouldn't be a concern come expansion draft.

 

[Langway]

so do we trade Grubs? what about the Seattle lottery? protect two goaltenders or keep Sampsonov down for a year

Samsonov would be exempt either way as an ELC player. RMNB has a link to an interview with him where he says he'll start in the AHL but could quickly wind up in the NHL based on his conversations with MacLellan. I suspect that's the plan and they'll just roll with Copley initially.

The time is now to cash out on Grubauer prior to him hitting UFA. They need the assets he'd bring back, whether just to deepen the system further or to give them further flexibility to make other moves.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Samsonov would be exempt either way as an ELC player. RMNB has a link to an interview with him where he says he'll start in the AHL but could quickly wind up in the NHL based on his conversations with MacLellan. I suspect that's the plan and they'll just roll with Copley initially.

The time is now to cash out on Grubauer prior to him hitting UFA. They need the assets he'd bring back, whether just to deepen the system further or to give them further flexibility to make other moves.

Yup. Getting a high end asset(s) for Grubi, whether it be a 1st round pick or a top prospect, would really help replenish their depth. If they get another 1st round pick they'll have 3 in the top 50 thanks to having Florida's 2nd rounder. That should give them either a quick injection of young talent back into the pipeline or the currency needed to make a few roster changes during the offseason.

 

[Chockey Hockey]

After what I witnessed this season, Copley isn't an option for back-up NHL duty. If Grubauer is traded, I would expect the Caps to sign a reputable back-up for minimal money as there will be quite a few available.

 

[Langway]

Yup. Getting a high end asset(s) for Grubi, whether it be a 1st round pick or a top prospect, would really help replenish their depth. If they get another 1st round pick they'll have 3 in the top 50 thanks to having Florida's 2nd rounder. That should give them either a quick injection of young talent back into the pipeline or the currency needed to make a few roster changes during the offseason.

I'd be even more inclined to bundle the Florida pick with their first to move up if they, say, added Buffalo's second rounder at the top of the round in a Grubauer trade. That could get them up into the top 20 or so and perhaps net them a faller like Veleno or Kravtsov or someone like Kupari or Kaut. They could use that level of a forward prospect.

They could just let Copley, Samsonov and Vanecek battle it out in camp. The trouble with signing a veteran of any quality is having enough ice-time for all four. Vanecek or Copley could go the ECHL but it's an issue. I could see them "keeping" Copley on the roster but allowing for Samsonov to play in Hershey early on and also be recalled should they actually need a spot start. Either way you'd expect Holtby to have to carry the load early on. I wouldn't think that the adjustment period for Samsonov would be terribly long but we'll see. You'd think they'd give him plenty of games between the usual rookie tournament and then the pre-season.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'd be even more inclined to bundle the Florida pick with their first to move up if they, say, added Buffalo's second rounder at the top of the round in a Grubauer trade. That could get them up into the top 20 or so and perhaps net them a faller like Veleno or Kravtsov or someone like Kupari or Kaut.

They could just let Copley, Samsonov and Vanecek battle it out in camp. The trouble with signing a veteran of any quality is having enough ice-time for all four. Vanecek or Copley could go the ECHL but it's an issue. I could see them "keeping" Copley on the roster but allowing for Samsonov to play in Hershey early on and also be recalled should they actually need a spot start. Either way you'd expect Holtby to have to carry the load early on. I wouldn't think that the adjustment period for Samsonov would be terribly long but we'll see. You'd think they'd give him plenty of games between the usual rookie tournament and then the pre-season.

I haven't studied too much of the draft this year given the Caps success this season so I'm not totally familiar with it outside of the top guys and a few guys that I find really interesting (Noel and Kravtsov come to mind there). Is it a deep draft or is there a notable drop off after a certain point? Trading up is interesting if there's a specific guy available but if it's a deeper draft I'd prefer to add quantity given their total lack of top six or center talent in the pipeline.

 

[Langway]

See the draft thread on my tier rundown but I think there's a drop-off at 10 and then again around 18. So if they could move up and nab one of those more impactful forwards I'd do it. They're going to need it, if nothing else then to put more serious pressure on the likes of 65/13 to mature or else. They might be okay staying put but particularly if they add another high pick to the mix I'd do it. There's decent talent through the first round and early second but there's less to choose from that could be fast-tracked with upside. Noel seems to be a riser they'd need to move up for. Maybe they could stay put and get Dellandrea or something. He could be a Stephenson type with greater offensive upside and be at home playing a bottom six role initially. Or opt for a relatively safe speedster like Foudy that would be able to further their depth speed and PK ability in the short-term with upside to be a versatile complementary player. McLeod or Olofsson could be decent in time, though I wonder assertiveness with both. Veleno isn't without his concerns either but a Kaut or Kupari would mesh pretty well going forward I think. A speedy, right-handed RW is an organizational weakness. I guess we'll see if Wilson eventually gains a PP role or not but regardless they can't just keep giving a guy like Connolly a run to more or less remain the same somewhat untrustworthy player. Plus, there's likely going to be a time before too long where Oshie on the third line makes them harder to match up against.

 

[peterthegreat12]

See the draft thread on my tier rundown but I think there's a drop-off at 10 and then again around 18. So if they could move up and nab one of those more impactful forwards I'd do it. They're going to need it, if nothing else then to put more serious pressure on the likes of 65/13 to mature or else. They might be okay staying put but particularly if they add another high pick to the mix I'd do it. There's decent talent through the first round and early second but there's less to choose from that could be fast-tracked with upside. Noel seems to be a riser they'd need to move up for. Maybe they could stay put and get Dellandrea or something. He could be a Stephenson type with greater offensive upside and be at home playing a bottom six role initially. Or opt for a relatively safe speedster like Foudy that would be able to further their depth speed and PK ability in the short-term with upside to be a versatile complementary player. McLeod or Olofsson could be decent in time, though I wonder assertiveness with both. Veleno isn't without his concerns either but a Kaut or Kupari would mesh pretty well going forward I think. A speedy, right-handed RW is an organizational weakness. I guess we'll see if Wilson eventually gains a PP role or not but regardless they can't just keep giving a guy like Connolly a run to more or less remain the same somewhat untrustworthy player. Plus, there's likely going to be a time before too long where Oshie on the third line makes them harder to match up against.

They love their Swedes so I could see them taking Lundestrom (probably won’t be available) or Bergrren.

I don’t see a world in which Foudy or Dellandrea go in the first round.

 

[Langway]

They love their Swedes so I could see them taking Lundestrom (probably won’t be available) or Bergrren.

I don’t see a world in which Foudy or Dellandrea go in the first round.

Lundestrom fits for sure given his positional maturity and hockey sense. Berggren seems just a bit too small to fit. I have him and those two Canadians at the very end of the first round but it's more a matter of fit and preference. I suspect it's more likely that options like Samuelsson, McIsaac and perhaps Miller go in the first round over Dellandrea & Foudy but my rankings aren't really meant to be predictive. They're meant more as a guide in light of what the Caps have in the system and their projected short-term needs. But IMO the first round does open up in the early-to-mid 20's to where I think you could see any of 12-15 players potentially sneak into the end of the first round based on org. values and perhaps positional priority. A lot of the later first round picks are held by rebuilding deadline sellers that will be picking for a second time. We'll see if that makes them more inclined to gamble on higher upside talents like Merkley or Denisenko, whether they play it safe or whether they prioritize defense if they don't go that way with their first pick.

I'd be very surprised if Foudy or Dellandrea don't go top 40 at least. To me there's just enough questions surrounding many of the end of the first round options to where the door is open for speedier, safer, more mature NHL bets like Dellandrea or Foudy or even a raw high schooler like O'Brien if teams want to really roll the dice on upside. If the Caps do manage to win another game here they'll pick between 28-31 and, barring moving up, that's a tough area to predict. You never know what may happen earlier on but by then I think they might kind of have to hope for a Merkley or Denisenko type faller based on their typical way of thinking. But I think one could easily make the case for a Dellandrea type instead when it comes to a smart, hard-working third-liner in the short-term with upside beyond that. That would certainly have it's usefulness in the short-term when it comes to becoming deeper still and remaining competitive. A team would need to be sold on their character and dedication leading to the ability to play further up the lineup in time but I wouldn't be surprised if some teams feel that way. I think we'd all be surprised by the lists of certain teams and how far they may diverge from any consensus view.

 

[peterthegreat12]

Lundestrom fits for sure given his positional maturity and hockey sense. Berggren seems just a bit too small to fit. I have him and those two Canadians at the very end of the first round but it's more a matter of fit and preference. I suspect it's more likely that options like Samuelsson, McIsaac and perhaps Miller go in the first round over Dellandrea & Foudy but my rankings aren't really meant to be predictive. They're meant more as a guide in light of what the Caps have in the system and their projected short-term needs. But IMO the first round does open up in the early-to-mid 20's to where I think you could see any of 12-15 players potentially sneak into the end of the first round based on org. values and perhaps positional priority. A lot of the later first round picks are held by rebuilding deadline sellers that will be picking for a second time. We'll see if that makes them more inclined to gamble on higher upside talents like Merkley or Denisenko, whether they play it safe or whether they prioritize defense if they don't go that way with their first pick.

I'd be very surprised if Foudy or Dellandrea don't go top 40 at least. To me there's just enough questions surrounding many of the end of the first round options to where the door is open for speedier, safer, more mature NHL bets like Dellandrea or Foudy or even a raw high schooler like O'Brien if teams want to really roll the dice on upside. If the Caps do manage to win another game here they'll pick between 28-31 and, barring moving up, that's a tough area to predict. You never know what may happen earlier on but by then I think they might kind of have to hope for a Merkley or Denisenko type faller based on their typical way of thinking. But I think one could easily make the case for a Dellandrea type instead when it comes to a smart, hard-working third-liner in the short-term with upside beyond that. That would certainly have it's usefulness in the short-term when it comes to becoming deeper still and remaining competitive. A team would need to be sold on their character and dedication leading to the ability to play further up the lineup in time but I wouldn't be surprised if some teams feel that way. I think we'd all be surprised by the lists of certain teams and how far they may diverge from any consensus view.

I would love if they would change their strategy in terms of always going for bigger players from the WHL, or Swedes. It would be nice to see them take a chance on a high-skilled smaller player like Bokk.

Another player who I've watched a few times now who is intriguing is Kirill Marchenko. Reminds me of a poor mans Semin or Panarin.

I hear you on Dellandrea. He certainly will go in the top 40, and you could be right, I'm never surprised by the Caps, they tend to go "off the board" from time to time.

I also could see Ross and crew really liking Noel but they would most likely have to move up.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Noel and Wilson together would be something.

 

[peterthegreat12]

Noel and Wilson together would be something.

The new smash brothers:

 

[Sam Spade]

Caps just have to stay on the path they are with integrating kids who are ready into the lineup, no matter who is the head coach.

I hope Axel is ready to get some PK and 4th line minutes next season just because.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Noel and Wilson together would be something.

I know Noel has the size and supposedly has the good hands but skating is questionable but is he a physical player?

 

[Langway]

I would love if they would change their strategy in terms of always going for bigger players from the WHL, or Swedes. It would be nice to see them take a chance on a high-skilled smaller player like Bokk....

I hear you on Dellandrea. He certainly will go in the top 40, and you could be right, I'm never surprised by the Caps, they tend to go "off the board" from time to time.

The thing that makes me wonder when it comes to one of the safer, more versatile and defensive-minded (or at least defensively responsible two-way) types is the relatively seamless transition Stephenson has been able to make in the top six as a complementary player. That sort of versatility can be particularly valuable come playoff time (whether situationally or due to injuries requiring the lineup moving around). There are some things that Dellandrea & Foudy have to work on. Pretty much anyone not named Dahlin or Svechnikov will need to improve in some areas to make it. Maybe AJF is enough of that sort of player already to where it won't factor in as a priority but we'll see. Speed should be a big part of what they're selecting right throughout the draft and even with younger likely PKers like Stephenson & AJF they could use more that can be trusted in those situations (ideally all situations). Maybe that's not much of a factor for their first pick and they instead go with upside but in the early-to-mid second round it probably should be part of the thinking. Marchenko should be a consideration in that area but so should forwards like McShane, Gustafsson and Drury.

I know Noel has the size and supposedly has the good hands but skating is questionable but is he a physical player?

His skating is fine but he's nowhere close to as physical as Wilson was at the same age. He will use his body to shield or separate players from pucks and will finish his checks but he doesn't really go out of his way to be a physical force ala Wilson.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Would love to find a way to parlay grubi into anoyher late 1st early 2nd and also nab Drury along with a high risk/reward guy with our first rounder. Chris Drury was my favorite player growing up, would be full circle. His compete level is off the charts just like uncle Chris . Going to need to start filling out the bottom 6 with high compete young kids soon. The Beagles/DSP/Chaissons will have to seek work elsewhere if we want to stay competitive in the salary cap world.

 

[hockeykicker]

Dont know if it's still the same or changed

 

[usiel]

Dont know if it's still the same or changed

I believe Charlotte is new to the Atlantic.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Dont know if it's still the same or changed

Only change to Eastern Conference is that Cleveland joins the north division. They previously played in the Western Conference. Bears division remains the same

 

[troyerlaw]

Hats off to Troy Mann and staff in Hershey. The guys who have been getting a chance with the parent club in postseason have looked well trained and battle ready.

Also, the Caps should force all new prospects to watch tape of the first half of Game 5 against the Penguins.

Even though our play yielded only a 1-0 lead, the discipline, tenacity, and puck pursuit were exemplary.

Reminded me of the Predators last year in playoffs. Hard on every puck, challenging every puck carrier, just totally relentless, all through the lineup.

 

[Calicaps]

Hats off to Troy Mann and staff in Hershey. The guys who have been getting a chance with the parent club in postseason have looked well trained and battle ready.

Also, the Caps should force all new prospects to watch tape of the first half of Game 5 against the Penguins.

Even though our play yielded only a 1-0 lead, the discipline, tenacity, and puck pursuit were exemplary.

Reminded me of the Predators last year in playoffs. Hard on every puck, challenging every puck carrier, just totally relentless, all through the lineup.

Weird, given that Mann and his crew got fired. Didn't expect such well-prepared rooks.

 

[Marshall]

With the news that Bau has been signed, I think I'm missing something - Giggles Kurshudyan seems very excited about it, and Smokin' Al asked her if she got a cut, as if she was his agent. I don't follow her, has she been high on him or something?

 

[usiel]

With the news that Bau has been signed, I think I'm missing something - Giggles Kurshudyan seems very excited about it, and Smokin' Al asked her if she got a cut, as if she was his agent. I don't follow her, has she been high on him or something?

OT but I have to say, Marsh, that I am PRO giggles in general.

 

[hb12xchamps]

With the news that Bau has been signed, I think I'm missing something - Giggles Kurshudyan seems very excited about it, and Smokin' Al asked her if she got a cut, as if she was his agent. I don't follow her, has she been high on him or something?

If I remember correctly she made jokes/raved about him all season long based on his name and his height. I think she might have done a story on him during rookie camp or training camp.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

If I remember correctly she made jokes/raved about him all season long based on his name and his height. I think she might have done a story on him during rookie camp or training camp.

Evidently size matters to her.