Capitals Center Prospects

With some free time I thought it would be fun to do a little writeup about the Washington Capitals prospect pipeline. The Karp league has had a paucity of articles so far this season so it is probably a good thing to add at least some content to the site. Kill two birds with one stone...

Since the original team selection draft in which we finished last overall, we were left with Los Capitales of DC. Embracing the situation at the time we decided to purge most of the contracts and to sell off what few assets where marketable. Gone were all the veteran players off to better opportunity and the team was left with at best a marginal roster. Not the greatest of beginnings.

The plan was for anywhere from 3 to 5 seasons to build up to a situation where the team was at least somewhat competitive. We wanted a significant amount of cost certainty and a pipeline populated with a number of NHL prospects with the size, speed and skill to have a chance at making the show. Looking back on our decisions, we clearly made some mistakes but overall I'd say the franchise is in good hands going forward.

While it is up to debate at which position many of these players will excel but we've gone with the listings provided by internet hockey sites.

First up is at Center and we will start with Calum Ritchie who is a solid prospect that made the Avalanche out of camp this season. He clearly has the size and skill to play in the NHL, the question is where in the lineup he best fits for Colorado. His OHL numbers are very impressive and the Avs are in need of a centerman to play behind MacKinnon. I think Ritchie has the inside shot at those minutes, but a lot of things can happen before anything is decided. We are penciling him in at the 2C spot going forward as he can slot in behind Tim Stutzle.

Next is Rasmus Kumpalainen who has taken an interesting career path so far, playing a season in the CHL before returning home to play pro hockey in Liiga. While his pro numbers are nothing to write home about, he does have the size and skating to at least get a good long look at the NHL level. We view him as more of a defensive centerman and are hoping he fits nicely into the 3C spot, although if we include the next player on the list perhaps one of the two can move over to wing.

Speaking of 3C next up is Daniel Nelson. A defender who transitioned to forward for USNTDP. We can see a pattern developing in that Danny is 191cm so is slightly smaller than Kumpalainen. We like the kids who bring some beef. As they say in baseball, speed never slumps and I believe the same is true for size in hockey. Nelson appears to be just what the doctor ordered for a Karp team in need of defensive presence with some offensive upside. Currently in his 2nd season in the NCAA for Notre Dame, the NHL Islanders are in dire need of some youth in their program. I think his chances of at least making the show are favorable.

Speaking of the NHL Islanders we also have Kamil Bednarik who can play center, currently playing for Boston University. At only 183cm he is one of the smaller pivot prospects for the Karp Capitals. A fine defensive prospect with good speed we have hopes that he can also get a shot at a NHL Islanders franchise. Since we drafted him in the 3rd round, we don't have much more than depth expectations for him.

Lastly is Vojtech Hradec who lists as a 192cm pivot with defensive acumen. Although he is effective when standing in front of the net and looking for tips, rebounds and “garbage” goals. He had a very fine showing for Czechia in the WJC-20 where he potted 4 plants in 7gp. Drafted by the NHL Utah Hockey Club we have a good feeling that he will make his way over to North America to join a team that is very deep in prospects. With some luck and continued development its not unreasonable to see him play 4th line minutes at some point in the future.

An honorable mention is Danila Yurov who has been playing center ice minutes in the KHL but is still listed as a right wing on many site. His numbers are down so far this season but that is pretty normal for players who have decided NOT to resign in the KHL. He looks to join many other NHL Wild prospects in a team moving in the right direction. As to where he plays in the NHL ? That is anyone's guess. We however will not complain if its at center where he may likely join Kumpalainen. A good problem to have.