Prospect Info: Caps Top Prospects General Discussion Thread Vol. 1

[tenken00]

Interestingly enough, AA had been playing RD in the KHL:

Alexeyev has settled in on the right side of the third pair, where he has played for most games in November. Whether a request by the Capitals, or just based on defensive needs by Salavat, Alexeyev’s consistent play on the right side is a good sign for the Capitals, who are thin with right-side defensive prospects.


Capitals Prospect Alex Alexeyev Scores Two Goals In First Six Minutes Of Game

 

[Rayquaza64]

Interestingly enough, AA had been playing RD in the KHL:

Alexeyev has settled in on the right side of the third pair, where he has played for most games in November. Whether a request by the Capitals, or just based on defensive needs by Salavat, Alexeyev’s consistent play on the right side is a good sign for the Capitals, who are thin with right-side defensive prospects.


Capitals Prospect Alex Alexeyev Scores Two Goals In First Six Minutes Of Game

good, that kind of makes the LD prospect logjam more managable

 

[Rayquaza64]

Protas as the 2C for his second game in a row

 

[Rayquaza64]

if my understanding of russian is correct Bogdan Trineyev is being called up to practice with the KHL team

 

[Raikkonen]

Interestingly enough, AA had been playing RD in the KHL:

Alexeyev has settled in on the right side of the third pair, where he has played for most games in November. Whether a request by the Capitals, or just based on defensive needs by Salavat, Alexeyev’s consistent play on the right side is a good sign for the Capitals, who are thin with right-side defensive prospects.


Capitals Prospect Alex Alexeyev Scores Two Goals In First Six Minutes Of Game

Orlov-AA pair is too logical.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Interestingly enough, AA had been playing RD in the KHL:

Alexeyev has settled in on the right side of the third pair, where he has played for most games in November. Whether a request by the Capitals, or just based on defensive needs by Salavat, Alexeyev’s consistent play on the right side is a good sign for the Capitals, who are thin with right-side defensive prospects.


Capitals Prospect Alex Alexeyev Scores Two Goals In First Six Minutes Of Game

He played RD most of the time in Red Deer too.

 

[Random schmoe]

Related to the discussion of AA's side..

Projecting the Washington Capitals' opening-night lineup (The Athletic, $$)

We also know new assistant coach Kevin McCarthy, who’ll run the D for Laviolette, is big on having right shots skate on the right side and left shots on the left.

“It really tends to get the most out of your players,” McCarthy said. “Sometimes, when you’re a left shot playing the right side or vice versa, it makes it tough to play the game and play the style of game that you want to play, especially in the offensive zone, keeping pucks alive on the boards when they come out. Even in transition, with the way teams skate today, the way they pressure you, when you’re making D-to-D passes in the neutral zone and getting pucks up to forwards, having a lefty-righty combination is huge.”

 

[Rayquaza64]

Bogdan Trineyev is the 2LW in the KHL club's game today

 

[Rayquaza64]

Alex Alexeyev named rookie of the week for last week

 

[Johnny97]

Martin Hugo Has makes the roster

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

McMichael top line LW and Lapierre 2nd line LW, both for Team White, for Team Canada's intrasquad scrimmage tonight.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Not surprising but Lapierre has been released from Team Canada.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Not surprising but Lapierre has been released from Team Canada.

lapierre in the first round of cuts over guys like gage gonclaves???? not very encouraging.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

lapierre in the first round of cuts over guys like gage gonclaves???? not very encouraging.

I don't think it's too alarming or surprising. The team is stacked and Lapierre missed all of last year and only got to play in four games (I think it was four, correct me if I'm wrong) before the WJC camp due to Covid cancellations so it's not like he had a big body of work for the coaches to go off of.

 

[Langway]

lapierre in the first round of cuts over guys like gage gonclaves???? not very encouraging.

Worth noting that while Goncalves was a '20 pick he is an '01-born player so a year older. Also much more of a bottom six checking player.

Lapierre said he was disappointed with his play prior to the shutdown and rightfully so. It wasn't good enough for that level. Once he gets faster & stronger maybe he can do something like the Kuznetsov glide but as of now he's got much of the same weaknesses without 92's top-end glide. He could have forced his way onto the third line but the substance isn't quite there yet.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Worth noting that while Goncalves was a '20 pick he is an '01-born player so a year older. Also much more of a bottom six checking player.

Lapierre said he was disappointed with his play prior to the shutdown and rightfully so. It wasn't good enough for that level. Once he gets faster & stronger maybe he can do something like the Kuznetsov glide but as of now he's got much of the same weaknesses without 92's top-end glide. He could have forced his way onto the third line but the substance isn't quite there yet.

Hopefully his first Capitals training camp will be a good experience for him to be ready for WJC 2022

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

McMichael made Team Canada.

 

[Futures Passed]

McMichael made Team Canada.

For those interested, here's Wheeler's analysis on McMichael's play in the WJC camp for Canada:

"McMichael was quietly excellent in all three intrasquad games. Like top-three-player-in-camp quietly excellent. When he’s not getting open for slot opportunities of his own, he’s sliding deft passes under sticks, going to the front of the net, or making quick decisions to put pucks in behind defenders. He has also been the most effective player in camp from below the goal line, keeping his head up to make a series of low-to-high plays that have resulted in chances and goals. His wrister will make him a threat from mid-range in the tournament but the rest of that could help a potential case for the event’s end-of-tournament awards and all-star teams. If Alexis Lafreniere isn’t returned, count on McMichael to be Team Canada’s top left wing. He and Dylan Cozens (who has been used at centre but played right wing in last year’s tournament) already have clear chemistry but I’d be interested in seeing Cozens moved to the wing and one of Dach or Quinton Byfield slotted between the two of them on the top line. McMichael is just so darn consistent."

 

[Futures Passed]

For those interested, here's Wheeler's analysis on McMichael's play in the WJC camp for Canada:

"McMichael was quietly excellent in all three intrasquad games. Like top-three-player-in-camp quietly excellent. When he’s not getting open for slot opportunities of his own, he’s sliding deft passes under sticks, going to the front of the net, or making quick decisions to put pucks in behind defenders. He has also been the most effective player in camp from below the goal line, keeping his head up to make a series of low-to-high plays that have resulted in chances and goals. His wrister will make him a threat from mid-range in the tournament but the rest of that could help a potential case for the event’s end-of-tournament awards and all-star teams. If Alexis Lafreniere isn’t returned, count on McMichael to be Team Canada’s top left wing. He and Dylan Cozens (who has been used at centre but played right wing in last year’s tournament) already have clear chemistry but I’d be interested in seeing Cozens moved to the wing and one of Dach or Quinton Byfield slotted between the two of them on the top line. McMichael is just so darn consistent."

And here's what Wheeler had to say about Lapierre: "After a stellar return to action in the QMJHL, at the end of a long year and a half, I’d pegged Lapierre as a candidate for one of the team’s extra forward spots because of his ability to potentially help out up and down the lineup. He’s a player Team Canada has typically liked. He’s a guy who has performed well internationally, he could’ve played on the second power-play unit if need be, his pace and detail could have lent itself to second penalty-kill usage, and he’s the type who’s always moving and works with a variety of linemates. But the truth is that he got outplayed by the others who were in that same tier as he was. When it came time for cuts, he would’ve been among mine as well. I thought he looked consistently good in the first of the three scrimmages he participated in but he stickhandled himself into trouble and looked like he was forcing the issue in the second. When I saw that he wasn’t among those at the top of the scoresheet in the third, the cut felt inevitable."

 

[tenken00]

CMM was centering the 4th line in today's first WJC practice. Guess we expect that to change, but curious placement.

 

[usiel]

CMM was centering the 4th line in today's first WJC practice. Guess we expect that to change, but curious placement.

Maybe just getting some center reps...

 

[Hivemind]

CMM was centering the 4th line in today's first WJC practice. Guess we expect that to change, but curious placement.

Not terribly surprising considering Canada's center depth. If he's at center, it will be hard to pass Byfield and Cozens, and even Newhook is quite a player. Ultimately I think they'll play CMM on the wing, but if he's at center he'll likely be a bottom sixer for the team.

 

[tenken00]

This is a few days late, but Wheeler's take on the two Caps prospects during cut time on team Canada:

Wheeler: Final thoughts on Team Canada's 2021 world junior selection camp

C Hendrix Lapierre (Washington Capitals)

After a stellar return to action in the QMJHL, at the end of a long year and a half, I’d pegged Lapierre as a candidate for one of the team’s extra forward spots because of his ability to potentially help out up and down the lineup. He’s a player Team Canada has typically liked. He’s a guy who has performed well internationally, he could’ve played on the second power-play unit if need be, his pace and detail could have lent itself to second penalty-kill usage, and he’s the type who’s always moving and works with a variety of linemates. But the truth is that he got outplayed by the others who were in that same tier as he was. When it came time for cuts, he would’ve been among mine as well. I thought he looked consistently good in the first of the three scrimmages he participated in but he stickhandled himself into trouble and looked like he was forcing the issue in the second. When I saw that he wasn’t among those at the top of the scoresheet in the third, the cut felt inevitable.

LW Connor McMichael (Washington Capitals)

McMichael was quietly excellent in all three intrasquad games. Like top-three-player-in-camp quietly excellent. When he’s not getting open for slot opportunities of his own, he’s sliding deft passes under sticks, going to the front of the net, or making quick decisions to put pucks in behind defenders. He has also been the most effective player in camp from below the goal line, keeping his head up to make a series of low-to-high plays that have resulted in chances and goals. His wrister will make him a threat from mid-range in the tournament but the rest of that could help a potential case for the event’s end-of-tournament awards and all-star teams. If Alexis Lafreniere isn’t returned, count on McMichael to be Team Canada’s top left wing. He and Dylan Cozens (who has been used at centre but played right wing in last year’s tournament) already have clear chemistry but I’d be interested in seeing Cozens moved to the wing and one of Dach or Quinton Byfield slotted between the two of them on the top line. McMichael is just so darn consistent.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Alex Alexeyev gets the primary assist on this play

 

[tenken00]

Just a reminder that tonight starts the first and only exhibition WJC games for Caps prospects Connor McMichael (Canada vs Russia) at 6 pm ET and Martin Hugo Has (Czech Republic vs Slovakia) at 9:30 pm ET. NHL Network is showing both. Not sure what platforms are streaming.