Trade Deadline Thoughts

So the NHL trade deadline passed earlier this afternoon and the Capitals were one of the more active teams in the league. But while active it was still quiet as no big name players were on the move.

What did the Caps do?

• Received RW Scott Walker from Carolina for a 2010 7th round pick.
• Received C Eric Belanger from Minnesota for a 2010 2nd round pick.
• Received D Milan Jurcina from Columbus for a 2010 6th round pick.
• Received D Joe Corvo from Carolina for a 2011 2nd round pick, D Brian Pothier, and LW Oskar Osala.

I am not sure the years of all those picks is correct as I think a couple are conditional and depend on different outcomes.

Either way the Caps gave up 4 picks, Oskar, and Pothier for 4 players. Not too bad honestly.



Personally I think they did the best they could but I don't think they upgraded all that much. Walker and Belanger will surely help the penalty kill and defensive end play but they are limited in what they can achieve.

Jurcina was already traded from Washington this year and I think it speaks volumes on the quality of player available at the deadline that they brought him back. Sure he is solid but lets face it he is at best a 5/6 defenseman on a team with plenty of those types.

Corvo is solid but is he a top 4 defenseman like they needed? I don't know about that. I would say he could be a top 4 guy but barely. And is he really better than Alzner or Carlson...not sure. I think they now have 8 defenseman with only 1 that could truly be considered a top 2 guy (Mike Green) and 7 that are more 4-6 guys.

Now I say that but considering what was available I don't think they did badly.

I was emailed for my opinion earlier about how this will effect the Bears going forward and I think it is going to be more than some people think.

Immediately it will help the Bears.

1. The Caps now have 15 forwards so Quintin Laing could be headed back to Hershey for the stretch run and playoffs. Not to bad.
2. With 8 defensemen on the roster I don't think Alzner or Carlson will be headed to Washington for any considerable amount of time barring injury.

But in the future I think it will hurt the Bears. While 2nd round picks are rarely consistent NHL stars they are regularly AHL guys (Bourque and Bouchard were both 2nd rounders) who could bring a couple years worth of value to Hershey. And 6th/7th round guys are many times AHL lifers who contribute immensely. (Kyle Wilson was round 9, Perreault - round 6, Gordon - round 7, Giroux - round 7)

All those picks WILL be missed. Maybe not in the next 2-4 years but eventually the cupboards will thin out. One year is okay but the Caps can't turn around next year and do something similar.

Overall I would say the Caps did okay at the deadline. Nothing that stands out but I think what they did will help come playoff time.

How much it will effect Hershey is yet to be determined and won't be for years to come but I do think at some point there will be one.

All in all it could have been worse for Hershey. The roster remains relatively unchanged and might actually get better in the coming weeks.

Who Is Left to Play?

Yesterday we examined who was not signed for next year but that only answers part of the equation for the 09-10 Bears. Most of you have probably already figured out which players weren't listed yesterday so this list might not surprise you. But at the bottom I include a section on players that MIGHT make the move to the AHL this season that you may or may not have heard of.


Goalies:

• Michal Neuvirth
• Braden Holtby

Both of these netminders are under contract for multiple years (Neuvy for 2, Holtby for 3). Unless Neuvirth makes the Caps out of camp (unlikely in my opinion) this will be the goaltending duo for the next season or two.


Defense:

• Patrick McNeill
• John Carlson
• Tyler Sloan
• Sean Collins
• Joe Finley
• Josh Godfrey
• Viktor Dovgan
• Greg Amadio

Already this looks like a pretty full lineup. The biggest question mark is Carlson. If the Caps have the space he might end up in Washington most of the season. There are a few players mentioned below that you might be able to add to this group.

As you can see there isn't a lot of room for too many more players. Which solidifies my opinion that Pokuluk, Lepisto, and Kronwall have played their final games in Hershey. But it also means good things for Deano and Helmer. Hershey will want some veteran leadership on the blueline and both players obviously provide that. Add to that the fact that Hershey obviously likes to have extra players in case of injury so adding two more isn't out of the question.


Forwards:

• Keith Aucoin
• Jay Beagle
• Andrew Gordon
• Francois Bouchard
• Mathieu Perrault
• Oskar Osala
• Michael Dubuc
• Quintin Laing
  

As far as players from this year that are still under contract that is it. And I think Aucoin is on an one way NHL deal next season which means he probably won't be playing in Hershey again. As for the others the only player that I think has a shot at the NHL next season is Beagle. And that is only if Boyd Gordon and Bourque are not resigned.

One could argue that any of the 3 rookies (Osala, Bouch, Mathieu) could make the jump to the NHL but judging from their (lack of) production in the second half I think they have at least another year of AHL work ahead of them.

Quintin Laing is the first of the free agents to resign with the Caps/Bears but I would not be surprised to see a few more in the next couple weeks.


Prospects to Watch:

Zach Miskovic - D - He spent the past 4 seasons playing NCAA hockey for St. Lawrence University. He signed a 1 year deal back in March so he doesn't have too much time to prove his worth. His offensive numbers improved just about every season and he finished this past season with 16 goals. Not a real big guy at only 6'1" 185 but that doesn't always measure physical play (see Bourque).

Keith Seabrook - D - The younger brother of Blackhawks Brent Seabrook he has spent the past 2 years playing in the WHL for the Calgary Hitmen (including one year with Alzner). He seems to play a similar style as his brother. He had 15 goals and 40 assists this season for the Hitmen so he can product on the blue line. He is also a little thicker then Miskovic at 198lbs. According to hockeysfuture.com he is the #12 prospect in the Caps organization.

Trevor Bruess - C - He has spent the past 3 seasons playing NCAA hockey and creating quite a reputation for himself as a rough player. He was suspended two separate times this season for in game incidents. He was signed in March to a 2 year contract beginning in 09-10. He led his college team in points with 30 during his sophomore year which included 3 short handed goals. To me he seems like a Pinner type player...wouldn't be surprised to see an ECHL start for him.

Jake Hauswirth - C - Hauswirth was a free agent invite to developmental camp last season (like Dubuc) and was quite impressive. In fact he was impressive enough that the Caps offered him a 3 year contract. He is a big body...6'5" 210...who likes to bang in front of the net. He was the top goal scorer in developmental camp last season and then added 28 goals and 24 assists in 58 games in the USHL. Personally I don't think you can have too many big bodies that like to play in front of the goalie.

Joel Broda - C - Broda has spent the past many years playing in the WHL including this past season with Seabrook in Calgary. #14 prospect in the Caps organization he is eligible to turn pro this season but it isn't known if he will. He was drafted last year in the 5th round after scoring 36 goals in 38 games for Moose Jaw. This season he totaled 17 in 28 games but improved his assists by 10.

Dmitri Kugryshev - RW - The #10 prospect in the organization (top player other than Gustafsson not already in Hershey or Washington) is a definite prospect. Played this season in the QMJHL for Quebec and did wonders. He scored 34 goals and added 40 assists in 57 games. Like Broda he isn't a guarantee to turn pro this season but I would be surprised if he isn't in Hershey next season.

Mikhail Yunkov - C - Yunkov is a bit of an unknown. He has been under contract with a KHL team but is supposedly a free agent this summer and intends to come for the developmental camp. He has been compared to Ron Francis in his play and very well could be in Hershey this season. I would be very surprised if he makes the NHL that quickly.


That is most of the prospects in the organization that are eligible to play in the AHL this season. There are a number of NCAA players but I doubt any of them will be making the jump this year.

If you are wondering why I didn't mention Stefan Della-Rovere it is because he is not eligible to play in the AHL this season. He is not old enough as of yet as a player drafted out of the CHL needs to be 20 before the end of the calendar year to play in the AHL.

And as for Anton Gustafsson I would be really surprised if we ever see him in Hershey. He will stay in Sweden until he is ready to play for the Caps.

A couple other names to keep an eye on are Brett Leffler and Justin Taylor. Both players were originally drafted by the Capitals but were not signed before their rights ran out. Now they are re-entered in this season's draft. IF they go undrafted they will be free agents and Washington could conceivably sign both. I wouldn't be surprised to at least see them at the developmental camp in July. Leffler totaled 33 goals and Taylor had 37 in juniors this season.


It is going to be a very interesting and active offseason. On the sidebar you can find links for the Capitals/Bears contract situation as well as important dates this offseason.

A look at the Caps draft:

A little overdue but here is a look at the Washington Capitals draft and what it could mean for Hershey in a few years.

1. Anton Gustafsson - Sweden - 6'2" 194 - center

• was said to be the best all around Swedish player eligible for the 08 draft.
• described as a highly skilled 2-way center.
• will be playing in Sweden's 2nd best league in 08-09 and could be in the Swedish Elite League for 09-10.

I actually expect to see Gustafsson in Hershey at some point. I think he will be ready to come over in 2-3 years and will play one season as a Bear. Mainly because of the depth at center that the organization seems to be accumulating. A lot of it though could be gone depending on what the Caps do with Nylander and Federov in the coming seasons. But don't expect to see Anton for more than 1 year.


2. John Carlson - USHL - 6'2" 212 - defense

• described as a Scott Stevens like player with better offensive skills
• attending the University of Massachusetts beginning this fall
• a question due to lack of quality competition

He has been playing in the USHL which is just not near as talented as any of the junior leagues in Canada. That could spell a year or 2 in Hershey. But I think of all the players in this draft, he will be the most likely to not appear in Hershey. The Caps are already waiting for a player like this. And with him going to college he could stay there for 4 years. Although he is expected to only play a year or 2. If he leaves college after next season then he WILL come to Hershey for a season.


3. Eric Mestery - WHL - 6'5" 195 - defense

• more of a stay at home defensemen, but can skate fairly well for a big guy
• needs to get thicker and stronger

We will definitely see him in a Bears uniform in a couple of seasons. I would say that he will be on the Black Aces come spring of 2010. And I think we could see him for multiple seasons. He is nowhere strong enough right now and needs to develop that in the coming years. But he could be a big part of the Caps future if he adds the muscle necessary and can keep skating fluidly.


4. Dmitri Kugryshev - Russia - 5'11" 183 - right wing

• had almost as many points as teammate Filatov (6th overall pick) last season
• is as talented as Filatov but not as fast
• has 2 years left on Russian contract

He will be joining the Continental Hockey League this fall and depending on his development and the leagues growth in the next 2 years, we may or may not ever see him in North America. It is said that he wants to come play but money can do funny things. I would be kinda surprised to see him in Hershey, but it depends on how long he stays in Russia. If he comes over after 2 years than I think we could see him for a season or part of a season. But if he stays for another year or 2 than he will go straight to Washington, as long as he gets faster.


That takes care of rounds 1 and 2. The following players were selected afterwards and as long as these players stay in the system we will definitely see all of them in Hershey. And some will be in Hershey for an extended period.

5. Braden Holtby - WHL - 6'1" 205 - goalie

Holtby has a significant uphill battle if he expects to be a goalie in the Caps system. There are already numerous prospects that are developing nicely. He was rated the 4th best goalie from North America in the 08 draft.

6. Joel Broda - WHL - 6'0" 196 - center

A good 2-way center that could turn into a top 6 forward in the NHL. He really needs to develop consistency. If he doesn't than the best he will do is 3rd or 4th line.

7. Greg Burke - EJHL - 6'1" 185 - left wing

Seems to be a solid player. He had 21 goals and 25 assists last season in the EJHL. But that competition is even worse than the USHL. He has time to develop but has potential.

8. Stefan Della Rovere - OHL - 5'10" 196 - left wing

Not much out there on him. He looks to be either a career minor leaguer or a guy who gets to play in the NHL but is regularly a healthy scratch.



Obviously all of these players making it to Hershey requires that Washington and Hershey stay affiliated for many years. But I think it was a good draft for Hershey and Washington. There is a ton of talented players in the Washington system and we are just starting to tap into it in Hershey.


News and Notes:

• Jamie Hunt and Stephen Werner were not offered qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
• Doug Yingst was named AHL executive of the year, Congratulations Doug!!
• The AHL has adapted a few new rules for the upcoming season, the biggest of which are these 3: teams can now dress 18 skaters per regular season game and 2 goalies, which is up from 17 and 2 the last few seasons; shooting the puck up over the glass from your own zone will result in a delay of game penalty (the NHL already does this); and at the behest of the NHL (meaning they want to see what happens) penalties in overtime, during the regular season only, will be 1 minute instead of 2.