Prospect Info: Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #10

[tenken00]

#1 Connor McMichael London Knights / OHL

C | 6' 0" | 183 lb | Age: 19
Draft: 2019 WSH, 1st rd, 25th pk (25th overall)
42 Votes - 73.7%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #1
2019 Ranking - #3

#2 Hendrix Lapierre Chicoutimi Sagueneens / QMJHL

C | 6' 0" | 179 lb | Age: 18
Draft: 2020 WSH, 1st rd, 22nd pk (22nd overall)
28 Votes - 54.9%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #2
2019 Ranking - N/A

#3 Martin Fehervary Hershey Bears / AHL

LD | 6' 2" | 200 lb | Age: 21
Draft: 2018 WSH, 2nd rd, 15th pk (46th overall)
47 Votes - 73.4%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #3
2019 Ranking - #4

#4 Alexander Alexeyev Hershey Bears / AHL (Salavat Yulaev Ufa / KHL)

LD | 6' 4" | 210 lb | Age: 20
Draft: 2018 WSH, 1st rd, 31st pk (31st overall)
37 Votes - 82.2%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #4
2019 Ranking - #2

#5 Aliaksei Protas Prince Albert Raiders / WHL (Dinamo Minsk / KHL)

C | 6' 6" | 210 lb | Age: 19
Draft: 2019 WSH, 3rd rd, 29th pk (91st overall)
37 Votes - 86.0%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #5
2019 Ranking - #13

#6 Vitek Vanecek Hershey Bears / AHL

G | 6' 2" | 187 lb | Age: 24
Draft: 2014 WSH, 2nd rd, 9th pk (39th overall)
25 Votes - 61.0%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #6
2019 Ranking - #7

#7 Bobby Nardella Djurgardens IF / SHL

LD | 5' 9" | 180 lb | Age: 24
Draft: Undrafted
13 Votes - 30.2%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #7
2019 Ranking - Unranked

#8 Damien Riat Hershey Bears / AHL (Genève-Servette HC / NL Switzerland)

W/C | 6' 0" | 180 lb | Age: 23
Draft: 2016 WSH, 4th rd, 26th pk (117th overall)
15 Votes - 35.7%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #8
2019 Ranking- #20

#9 Bogdan Trineyev Dynamo Moscow / KHL

RW | 6' 3" | 198 lb | Age: 18
Draft: 2020 WSH, 4th rd, 24th pk (117th overall)
21 Votes - 55.3%
Prospect Info: - Capitals Top Prospects 2020 Post-Draft #9
2019 Ranking - N/A




Well here we go!

Vote for your your Caps prospects for the 2020 Post-Draft rankings.

Again, to be eligible for the poll, player must be 25 years or younger and has played no more than 25 NHL games.

If there is someone I missed in the poll or you think should be added, please post about it below.



Former Caps prospects dropping out the rankings - No longer part of the organization or no longer eligible or has graduated to the NHL

Tyler Lewington
Liam O'Brien
Colby Williams
Kristofers Bindulis
Connor Hobbs
Alex Kannok-Leipert
Eric Florchuk
Ilya Samsonov

Like in the previous pollings, I'll close the polls after 2 days.

Now VOTE 2020!

Click to read more...

 

[Rayquaza64]

Leaning towards Beck as of now

 

[Bieronymus Trotz]

I voted for AJF, but considered Leason and Pinho. Malenstyn is there with those guys, but he has lacked offense so far in the AHL to a degree that really gives me pause.

 

[hb12xchamps]

If we’re being honest, Malenstyn/Pinho/AJF are all pretty comparable and worthy of the 10th spot.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I voted for AJF, but considered Leason and Pinho. Malenstyn is there with those guys, but he has lacked offense so far in the AHL to a degree that really gives me pause.

That’s more due to Malenstyn’s usage at the AHL level than anything. He’s primarily used as a shutdown line/PK guy and the offense has always been an added bonus. His ceiling is a 4th liner/PK guy at the NHL level at this point. Can’t see him providing enough offense on an NHL 3rd line

 

[Capagonia]

Went AJF here. I think Mitchell Gibson should be in the conversation in the next few rounds of this vote. Oskar Magnusson as well IMO.

 

[Hivemind]

Voted Beck. He’s got the best odds of actually sticking in the NHL.

 

[Ridley Simon]

LuJo has more high end impact than anyone left. It seems obvious to me

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

LuJo has more high end impact than anyone left. It seems obvious to me

LuJo..

..sure

 

[Ridley Simon]

LuJo..

..sure

Yes. We all know your “feelings” for some of the Caps players and prospects.

 

[Rayquaza64]

i am very surprised AJF is winning this poll

 

[Random schmoe]

I still don't have enough confidence that AJF will reach his scoring potential to be comfortable projecting him as a regular NHLer on a good team.

(Further thought: his elite speed would be useful as a forechecking/PK forward. But I'm not sure the rest of his game supports that role.)

But as usual, what do I know?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

LuJo has more high end impact than anyone left. It seems obvious to me

LuJo would require a pretty substantial turnaround to be of any value at this point. They obviously still have some hope for him if they brought him back but he's essentially lost two years to injuries and is buried on their depth chart. Best case scenario, I think he comes on strong and could be a trade chip. Don't see a path to a future in DC for him barring a huge jump this season, which likely is more difficult given the current Covid realities.

 

[Capagonia]

LuJo would require a pretty substantial turnaround to be of any value at this point. They obviously still have some hope for him if they brought him back but he's essentially lost two years to injuries and is buried on their depth chart. Best case scenario, I think he comes on strong and could be a trade chip. Don't see a path to a future in DC for him barring a huge jump this season, which likely is more difficult given the current Covid realities.

I definitely agree with this. Hypothetically though he could be in line to play some big minutes in Hershey this year if the AHL season is able to move forward. Lewington, Hobbs, and Williams are all gone. Nardella is in Sweden for the year. If the NHL has expanded rosters or there are any significant injuries Fehervary and LaDue could spend a good chunk of time in the NHL. That could leave a big opportunity for LuJo to get more ice time in Hershey.

 

[Ridley Simon]

LuJo would require a pretty substantial turnaround to be of any value at this point. They obviously still have some hope for him if they brought him back but he's essentially lost two years to injuries and is buried on their depth chart. Best case scenario, I think he comes on strong and could be a trade chip. Don't see a path to a future in DC for him barring a huge jump this season, which likely is more difficult given the current Covid realities.

I don’t punish a players potential due to injuries. At least, not until proven “broken” (like poor Alzner and Laich).

LuJo healthy has more potential than anyone left in the rankings.

 

[Langway]

I definitely agree with this. Hypothetically though he could be in line to play some big minutes in Hershey this year if the AHL season is able to move forward. Lewington, Hobbs, and Williams are all gone. Nardella is in Sweden for the year. If the NHL has expanded rosters or there are any significant injuries Fehervary and LaDue could spend a good chunk of time in the NHL. That could leave a big opportunity for LuJo to get more ice time in Hershey.

Plus Alexeyev might stay in the KHL, although you'd think they'd rather have him available for recall.

Either way, Johansen's ceiling is probably a lesser Siegenthaler and he has little near-term path. More problematic is that according to CapFriendly Johansen will have to clear waivers to be assigned to Hershey (as does Gersich). It may still happen given his durability issues but similar to Djoos I think there's probably a prospect swap to be had somewhere (perhaps Nashville for someone Laviolette likes?). Johansen has seemingly embraced that he'll be more of a mobile yet slightly physical stay-at-home type similar to an Alzner but more likely he's a decently mobile 5-7 barring a breakthrough (and probably elsewhere).

AJF is probably not a third-line talent all-around but he's got a smidge more offensive upside compared to Malenstyn. At this stage you're looking for one or two standout traits/tools, hence AJF's more obvious popularity. But Leason probably deserves the nod from a pure upside standpoint.

 

[Silky mitts]

I feel like if they’re 22 and not at least knocking on the door then their ceiling is basically Andrew Gordon or Lepisto

 

[Ridley Simon]

Plus Alexeyev might stay in the KHL, although you'd think they'd rather have him available for recall.

Either way, Johansen's ceiling is probably a lesser Siegenthaler and he has little near-term path. More problematic is that according to CapFriendly Johansen will have to clear waivers to be assigned to Hershey (as does Gersich). It may still happen given his durability issues but similar to Djoos I think there's probably a prospect swap to be had somewhere (perhaps Nashville for someone Laviolette likes?). Johansen has seemingly embraced that he'll be more of a mobile yet slightly physical stay-at-home type similar to an Alzner but more likely he's a decently mobile 5-7 barring a breakthrough (and probably elsewhere).

AJF is probably not a third-line talent all-around but he's got a smidge more offensive upside compared to Malenstyn. At this stage you're looking for one or two standout traits/tools, hence AJF's more obvious popularity. But Leason probably deserves the nod from a pure upside standpoint.

I don’t think we’ve even seen a fully healthy LuJo? At least not for an extended stretch?

Mahoney hasn’t really whiffed on a 1st round pick in how long? (I’m not sure we can really count the Anton Gustafsson pick as being an Alum lineage choice, he may not have been Mahoney’s first choice, but who knows).

even including Anton Gus, Mahoney has nailed 1st rounders for the last 15yrs. Every single one since Backstrom (2006) have been tremendously successful. Obv we cannot determine the more recent ones yet, but their trajectories are terrific (Alexeyev, McMichael, Lapierre). LuJo is the only outlier.

So to me, whatever he saw in LuJo is still there, IMO, again ... IF healthy.

 

[Langway]

So to me, whatever he saw in LuJo is still there, IMO, again ... IF healthy.

Every draft is different, though. The 2016 draft looks to be a pretty weak one after the top 25 or so and picking 26/28 is later than normal for them. There's Frederic & Steel immediately after Johansen and DeBrincat/Girard in the second as more diminutive sliders but they did trade down from 26 prior to selecting Johansen (adding a third). It may have simply been a draft--particularly given what we know about them and their tendencies generally--when no one from their desired top tier group was left at 26. They moved down and then took what was a relatively safe bet in their estimation instead. It was never going to be a home run pick IMO.

When healthy Johansen profiled more like a newer-aged, mobile defensive-defenseman 3/4D. But the window for him has basically shut in Washington and the value of a sort of middling defensive-defensemen is relatively weak. In hindsight DeBrincat was the wiser bet to make (or Steel given that they had to have a lot of intel on him as a Regina Pat). A player like Ryan Graves can be either selected later in the draft or acquired via savvy scouting/decision-making. IMO it was an attempt at getting a solid double rather than nothing and looks to have probably run its course. Maybe Johansen slides through waivers and can recoup his value as an asset. That's probably the best-case barring something aligning in the pre-season. He could still perhaps round into a 4D ala John Moore or something in time, which I guess is a decent floor for a first-rounder. It just isn't going to be in Washington you'd think.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Every draft is different, though. The 2016 draft looks to be a pretty weak one after the top 25 or so and picking 26/28 is later than normal for them. There's Frederic & Steel immediately after Johansen and DeBrincat/Girard in the second as more diminutive sliders but they did trade down from 26 prior to selecting Johansen (adding a third). It may have simply been a draft--particularly given what we know about them and their tendencies generally--when no one from their desired top tier group was left at 26. They moved down and then took what was a relatively safe bet in their estimation instead. It was never going to be a home run pick IMO.

When healthy Johansen profiled more like a newer-aged, mobile defensive-defenseman 3/4D. But the window for him has basically shut in Washington and the value of a sort of middling defensive-defensemen is relatively weak. In hindsight DeBrincat was the wiser bet to make (or Steel given that they had to have a lot of intel on him as a Regina Pat). A player like Ryan Graves can be either selected later in the draft or acquired via savvy scouting/decision-making. IMO it was an attempt at getting a solid double rather than nothing and looks to have probably run its course. Maybe Johansen slides through waivers and can recoup his value as an asset. That's probably the best-case barring something aligning in the pre-season. He could still perhaps round into a 4D ala John Moore or something in time, which I guess is a decent floor for a first-rounder. It just isn't going to be in Washington you'd think.

Yeah, obv a lot of teams missed on Debrincat, Caps included. Many us wanted him that draft day, but that’s easy to have 20/20 on.

Still — my overall point is that LuJo has a higher floor and higher ceiling than everyone else on the list. Doesn’t mean he will end up being better than all the rest, but the odds are more in his favorite than any of the others — again assuming he’s healthy.

Your commentary on this (which I always respect even if disagree with on occasion) seems to back up my thinking a little bit.

 

[Langway]

Maybe but the injuries have been pretty tough the past two seasons and are concerning when it comes to lost development time, physical fitness and confidence. All of those factors make you wonder if the floor is that high. A dirty work sort of defensive defenseman that hasn't managed to stay healthy (with noted issues bulking up) makes for an iffy proposition. He could turn it around but for me his tools and sense hasn't indicated he's one of their typical first round hits. Had he managed to stay healthy he may have come around. He does have pretty good skating and mobility for a defenseman, albeit nothing electric. He seemed to understand his path to the NHL was in becoming more physical defender. I'm just not sure he can withstand it or is capable of bulking up to the point where he can going forward.

In the WHL it was his defensive IQ and gap control as his calling card but you would have hoped for more dominance offensively in his D+1 season. Beyond the injuries some limitations have been present. There's still time to turn it around but, again, probably not in DC and I don't know that his upside is all that high. He can be an NHL player but it increasingly seems more likely as a fringe rotational type barring significant strides. That can happen but it's really the whole frame to role issue that would most concern me. If he's just an okay skating jack-of-all-trades then that's more of waiver fodder type. A lot of these talents are in that category but I think I'd at least go with Leason ahead of him from an upside standpoint. Malenstyn as well more for durability and high floor. Really, after Protas the rest is a mixed bag with not much separation and a lot of fringe.

 

[Hivemind]

Johansen has seemingly embraced that he'll be more of a mobile yet slightly physical stay-at-home type similar to an Alzner but more likely he's a decently mobile 5-7 barring a breakthrough (and probably elsewhere).

Funny how I made this comparison a while ago but posters jumped down my throat telling me I was wrong.

At this point I'm skeptical Johansen is going to reach the NHL at all, and his upside is pretty much a bottom pairing game manager. If you look at the history of 1st round buffs, injuries are the most common reason for players failing to develop. It may not be "fair" to LuJo, but losing 1.5 years to significant injury doesn't work in his favor.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Funny how I made this comparison a while ago but posters jumped down my throat telling me I was wrong.

At this point I'm skeptical Johansen is going to reach the NHL at all, and his upside is pretty much a bottom pairing game manager. If you look at the history of 1st round buffs, injuries are the most common reason for players failing to develop. It may not be "fair" to LuJo, but losing 1.5 years to significant injury doesn't work in his favor.

oh brother

Of course you did. Glad you needed to find something almost 2yrs ago to validate yourself.

well done

 

[Langway]

Funny how I made this comparison a while ago but posters jumped down my throat telling me I was wrong.

I don't think he'll ever really be a shutdown type, though, so it's still not great. I meant that more in the sense of being a somewhat passive defender, although he does possess the ability to push the pace with his skating and he isn't altogether a possession black hole. He's not on the level of Djoos in terms of hockey IQ so IMO there's less upside and certainly initially I'd wager on something more passive being his game. But it's something he could easily add to with a little confidence and experience. He's probably most similar to a cross between Jensen, Kempny and Djoos when it comes to more recent Capitals defenseman (minus Jensen's PK utility and some of Djoos's headiness). It's possible he could have a similarly late NHL ETA as some of them.

The upside to all of the time off is maybe he too has bulked up further but, again, that's been an obstacle previously.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't think he'll ever really be a shutdown type, though, so it's still not great. I meant that more in the sense of being a somewhat passive defender, although he does possess the ability to push the pace with his skating and he isn't altogether a possession black hole. He's not on the level of Djoos in terms of hockey IQ so IMO there's less upside and certainly initially I'd wager on something more passive being his game. But it's something he could easily add to with a little confidence and experience. He's probably most similar to a cross between Jensen, Kempny and Djoos when it comes to more recent Capitals defenseman (minus Jensen's PK utility and some of Djoos's headiness). It's possible he could have a similarly late NHL ETA as some of them.

The upside to all of the time off is maybe he too has bulked up further but, again, that's been an obstacle previously.

Through some combination of the injuries and bulking up, his skating doesn't seem as much of a plus asset as it once did. And I don't think he's got the skill or hockey sense to really push the pace at the NHL level. I think you and I both see that he's trending towards having to play a more responsible, reactive game if he wants to stick in the NHL. Maybe he can become more of a Jensen-type than an Alzner, but I don't see him carrying anything like Djoos' jump into the NHL.

Either way, he's going have to be the type of defenseman who's game is built around limiting his own mistakes more than it about forcing the opponent to make mistakes.