Prospect Info: Caps Prospects General Discussion Thread - 2024-25

[Lou Sassole]

Goal and 2 assists. Kid just drives the play so much, in all zones.

 

[Vilica]

Schedule for the week:

Hershey - [All-Star Break], Sat 2/8
South Carolina - Tue 2/4, Sat 2/8

CHL:
Andrew Cristall Spokane - Fri 2/7, Sat 2/8

Terik Parascak Prince George - Tue 2/4, Fri 2/7, Sat 2/8

Patrick Thomas Brantford - Wed 2/5, Fri 2/7, Sat 2/8 vs Windsor

Ilya Protas Windsor - Wed 2/5, Fri 2/7, Sat 2/8 vs Brantford

Cam Allen London - Tue 2/4, Fri 2/7

Eriks Mateiko Rimouski - Wed 2/5, Fri 2/7, Sat 2/8

College:
Ryan Leonard BC - [Beanpot Mon 2/3], Fri 2/7, [Beanpot Mon 2/10 vs BU]

Ryan Chesley Minn - No Games

Cole Hutson BU - [Beanpot Mon 2/3], Fri 2/7, [Beanpot Mon 2/10 vs BC]

 

[ynotcaps]

I really appreciate all the folks running the schedules and including videos of our embarrassment of talented prospects -- thank you!!

It begs the question for me as a life-long Caps fan: have we ever been this loaded with potential difference-makers? Maybe the Young Guns era?

And I'm not discounting the fact that the World Juniors brought so much exposure, but still, that happens every year and I can't recall us ever having so many guys not just playing but being huge cogs on their respective teams. (And that's without CAN completely shitting the bed leaving AC off, among other sins.)

 

[Calicaps]

Screw BU and BC

you're a counter-jinx. BU and BC will meet in the Beanpot final next Monday.

 

[Kazer]

I really appreciate all the folks running the schedules and including videos of our embarrassment of talented prospects -- thank you!!

It begs the question for me as a life-long Caps fan: have we ever been this loaded with potential difference-makers? Maybe the Young Guns era?

And I'm not discounting the fact that the World Juniors brought so much exposure, but still, that happens every year and I can't recall us ever having so many guys not just playing but being huge cogs on their respective teams. (And that's without CAN completely shitting the bed leaving AC off, among other sins.)

The only era that compares to me is post fire sale/draft 2004. Not every player worked out, obviously, but the Caps system (after the trade deadline) had:

Top drafted prospects from '01 to '03 (no particular order):
Steve Eminger
Alexander Semin
Boyd Gordon
Eric Fehr
Maxime Daigneault
Nathan Paetsch
Johnny Oduya (too bad we never got him in a Caps sweater)

Traded prospects added from the firesale:
Fleischmann
Morrisonn
Klepis
Laich
J. Johansson
Aulin
Ouellet*

Top drafted prospects added in the 2004 draft:
Ovechkin
Schultz
Green
Bourque
Lepisto

*Not directly related to the firesale but included him here since I had nowhere else to put him. Ouellet was part of the Oates trade which was not in 2003-2004.

Ovechkin alone pushes that group ahead of our current group. However, if you subtract Ovechkin, our current group looks very strong compared to this group.

As a side note, this trip down memory lane was a fresh reminder as to how awful the Caps '05 draft was (Pokulok & Finley). Very thankful the Caps rebounded with the '06 (Backstrom, Varlamov, Neuvirth, Perreault) and '08 (Carlson, Holtby) drafts.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I really appreciate all the folks running the schedules and including videos of our embarrassment of talented prospects -- thank you!!

It begs the question for me as a life-long Caps fan: have we ever been this loaded with potential difference-makers? Maybe the Young Guns era?

And I'm not discounting the fact that the World Juniors brought so much exposure, but still, that happens every year and I can't recall us ever having so many guys not just playing but being huge cogs on their respective teams. (And that's without CAN completely shitting the bed leaving AC off, among other sins.)

Well, if you look at the pipeline in the early 80’s (I know I know I know), we have Stevens, Hatcher, Murphy, etc etc.

So it was flush. Then again in the mid 00’s and early 10’s.

And then now.

 

[Ridley Simon]

you're a counter-jinx. BU and BC will meet in the Beanpot final next Monday.

As they should. They are both much stronger programs at the moment. Northeastern has been crappy for a while, and Harvard comes and goes.

At least I will be able to say “screw B (something)!!” after they play.

 

[Calicaps]

As they should. They are both much stronger programs at the moment. Northeastern has been crappy for a while, and Harvard comes and goes.

At least I will be able to say “screw B (something)!!” after they play.

FWIW, Northeastern won it last year and 5 of the past 6.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Whoa. Maybe I need to leave 2019?

Edit — they were good in 22-23. Make the NCAA tourney.

I stand corrected!

 

[Calicaps]

Whoa. Maybe I need to leave 2019?

I wouldn't if I were you. Wish I could go back.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I wouldn't if I were you. Wish I could go back.

Oh to be 50 again

 

[Silky mitts]

I really appreciate all the folks running the schedules and including videos of our embarrassment of talented prospects -- thank you!!

It begs the question for me as a life-long Caps fan: have we ever been this loaded with potential difference-makers? Maybe the Young Guns era?

And I'm not discounting the fact that the World Juniors brought so much exposure, but still, that happens every year and I can't recall us ever having so many guys not just playing but being huge cogs on their respective teams. (And that's without CAN completely shitting the bed leaving AC off, among other sins.)

There was a point in 2010 before Carlson or Alzner graduated where they had them who were mortal lock top 4 D,, Orlov, Holtby, Mojo, Cody Eakin, they had just drafted Kuzy, Galiev, and Grubauer, there was some positivity around Mestery and Gustafsson was not yet 100% written off.

 

[Cush]

There was a point in 2010 before Carlson or Alzner graduated where they had them who were mortal lock top 4 D,, Orlov, Holtby, Mojo, Cody Eakin, they had just drafted Kuzy, Galiev, and Grubauer, there was some positivity around Anton Gustafsson and Mestery.

not sure about that

 

[Devil Dancer]

Maybe for a couple of months post draft.

That Anton pick was a spectacular bust.

 

[ynotcaps]

Maybe for a couple of months post draft.

That Anton pick was a spectacular bust.

I call those "a Dolly Parton"

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Maybe for a couple of months post draft.

That Anton pick was a spectacular bust.

Man did they flush that draft class other than Carlson and Holtby, which were home runs….what could have been….Roman Josi and Carlson would have been a sweet 1-2

Picks:
RD 1- Anton Gustafsson, C, (21st overall)
RD 1- John Carlson, D, (27th overall)
RD 2- Eric Mestery, D, (57th overall)
RD 2- Dmitri Kugryshev, RW, (58th overall)
RD 3- No 3rd-round pick
RD 4- Braden Holtby, G, (93rd overall)
RD 5- Joel Broda, C, (144th overall)
RD 6- Greg Burke, LW, (174th overall)
RD 7- Stefan Della Rovere, LW, (204th overall)

 

[Devil Dancer]

Man did they flush that draft class other than Carlson and Holtby, which were home runs….what could have been….Roman Josi and Carlson would have been a sweet 1-2

Picks:
RD 1- Anton Gustafsson, C, (21st overall)
RD 1- John Carlson, D, (27th overall)
RD 2- Eric Mestery, D, (57th overall)
RD 2- Dmitri Kugryshev, RW, (58th overall)
RD 3- No 3rd-round pick
RD 4- Braden Holtby, G, (93rd overall)
RD 5- Joel Broda, C, (144th overall)
RD 6- Greg Burke, LW, (174th overall)
RD 7- Stefan Della Rovere, LW, (204th overall)

SDR! I was rooting for that guy to make it.

 

[Misery74]

SDR! I was rooting for that guy to make it.

He had a mean streak.

 

[DWGie26]

We have a lot of great assets at high value right now. They can’t all play for the Caps. Just not enough space. I’m holding Leonard, Cristal, and Hutson. Lil Pro may be untouchable as well. But i am fine using a high end prospect from Miro to Lapierre, and even McMichael to a Matieko or Paraszak. I wouldn’t touch Dee either. And of course value for value and we need to get the right player. I like Bjorkstrand.

 

[wickedwitch]

Summer 2010 had Kuzy, Carlson, and Holtby. So a future 1C (who could have won the Conn Smythe), a Norris runner-up, and a Vezina winner. If our current pool ends up at that level, I'll be very, very happy.

 

[Kazer]

We have a lot of great assets at high value right now. They can’t all play for the Caps. Just not enough space. I’m holding Leonard, Cristal, and Hutson. Lil Pro may be untouchable as well. But i am fine using a high end prospect from Miro to Lapierre, and even McMichael to a Matieko or Paraszak. I wouldn’t touch Dee either. And of course value for value and we need to get the right player. I like Bjorkstrand.

I don't know that it's that bad. I'll caveat this with noting that every player won't make it, obviously, but if you lay out a super rough outline (including young players or signed long-term with prospects sprinkled in), a 28-29 (4 seasons from now) lineup could look something like:

A. Protas - PLD - Wilson
Cristall - McMichael - Leonard
Miroshnichenko - I. Protas - Parascak
Mateiko - Rybinski - Trineyev
Lapierre, Funk, Sikora, Thomas

Hutson - Roy
Sandin - Iorio
Fehervary - Chesley
Allen, Muggli, Lemay(!)

There's enough extras there that there are obviously guys who could move, but it's not like there's so many prospects that guys are going to be 'blocked'. Having said that, the competition in Hershey for playing time is going to be very fierce the next few seasons.

 

[twabby]

#2: Cristall
#4: Protas
#15: Leonard
#22: Parascak

I don't really know who this guy is but I choose to believe these rankings!

 

[Random schmoe]

(I'm thinking about my next poll vote.)

For those who watch Hershey on a regular basis and have for years...

Tell me why Iorio won't end up as another Lucas Johansen?

Meaning, a "Just A Guy" type, good enough to be good in the AHL, but not good enough to play NHL minutes on a good team. Or even an Alexeyev - someone we wouldn't lose any sleep over if they were gone from the org. (I actually believe AA is good enough to play bottom pairing minutes if given a consistent chance. Every time I've seen him play consistently, he's improved steadily.)

Let me state clearly for the record that this is almost entirely emotional, and I "get it". I have some major feelings that I can't shake of 'If this guy is all that good why isn't he in the NHL?'

There is some 'prospect fatigue' here, in that, just a feeling, I've been hearing his name, seeing him in prospect lists for so long now, that I start to wonder if he is actually good enough to play regular minutes in the NHL.

I don't know... I just can't shake a feeling that Vinny won't ever be a "core", even regular bottom pairing, piece of a good NHL team.

And yes, I know we like to talk about 'overcooking' our D prospects. But we don't really overcook the ones who are regular NHL caliber. Siegenthaler and Fehervary, for example, were playing regular NHL minutes by the age of 22, where Iorio is now.

Below is the number of AHL games some of our recent "top" d prospects have played, along with the number of seasons that they were played across. Simple point being the 2 guys who ended up good DIDN'T play all that long in Hershey. And for the record, I know that Fever and Siegs spent some of their "development" years playing in top Swedish and Swiss, respectively, leagues, making this a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.

*Siegs: 116 games, 3 seasons
*Fever: 80 games, 2 seasons
Alexeyev: 142 games, 4 seasons
Vinny: 164 games, 3 seasons
Lujo: 257 games, 7 seasons

LuJo and AA were both steady, similarly qualified, top performing defensemen in Hershey. Lujo dealt with major injuries in his age 22 and 23 seasons that probably 'stunted' his development. But when he returned in the 2021-22 season, mostly injury-free, he was thought of (by some) as the best defensive d-man on the Bears and also good enough offensively to be on the 2nd PP unit.


(As an aside... going back and reading top prospect poll discussions from 2019 is funny.)

 

[Silky mitts]

#2: Cristall
#4: Protas
#15: Leonard
#22: Parascak

I don't really know who this guy is but I choose to believe these rankings!

Interesting the smallest guy is #3 and the biggest guy is #4
edit: Fink might be smaller than Catton and Walton bigger than Protas nm

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Edit: somebody else posted this while I was typing the post but I’m doubling down on it and not deleting. Committed to the cause.

Caps are the only team in the league with four top-20 PNHLe forward prospects, including two and four (Cristall and Baby Pro). Not bad. Somebody check on @twabby and make sure he hasn’t died nerd excitement overload yet.