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

[MW6]

Lapierre with 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 4 games. With the monkey off his back he might make himself a contender for 3C by the playoffs!

 

[lakai17]

2G, 3A, +1 with 6 shots for the younger Protas today.

Cheat mode for him with 4G + 8A for a total of 12 points in 3 games this weekend. Nasty.

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

What is the future for baby Protas here? I see twitter posts of him all the time? Is he turning into a high end prospect as it seems or is he just taking advantage of the competition he’s playing against?

 

[Silky mitts]

Just works Misa there, he’s only 7 months older than Misa

 

[Langway]

Have to believe Ilya will be in Hershey ASAP after the season he's having. Probably not a whole lot gained by going back. I don't know if he'd play center in Hershey per se but overall he's probably ready for the jump in pace/physicality.

Cristall & Protas in Hershey could be as dynamic a playmaking duo as they've had in a long time.

 

[qc14]

What is the future for baby Protas here? I see twitter posts of him all the time? Is he turning into a high end prospect as it seems or is he just taking advantage of the competition he’s playing against?

Competition in the CHL in general is not very good. That being said, he's scoring at a dominant pace there that's completely in line with what other top prospects score at. Protas has 98 in 52 games. His linemate and 26oa pick Liam Greentree has 99 in 55. Beckett Sennecke, 3oa last year has 80 in 48. Scoring isn't everything, but given his age and scoring pace he's performing like a first rounder

 

[Cush]

 

[Dr John Carlson]

A few choice quotes from the Spitfires thread over in the OHL subforum:

"Protas arguably the frontrunner for league MVP, and I don't take pleasure in saying that. Lol!"

"I fear Protas will be gone, I don’t see him staying and I like Greentree, but it feels to me, Protas could succeed just as well on another line, where Greentree may not."

"Protas is the best Spitfire since Wyatt [Johnston]. Unfortunately he looks like this league has met all it can for his development."

 

[Coldnwindy]

"Protas is the best Spitfire since Wyatt [Johnston]. Unfortunately he looks like this league has met all it can for his development."

That's some high praise. Ironically enough Johnston was picked using the Caps' own 2021 1st round pick that made its way to Dallas.

In other news, seems like Sikora has picked up his offense in the Czech league recently. Now top 10 in his club's scoring and all of the guys ahead of him are 7+ years older and have played 10+ more games. He might also be ready for Hershey in the next 2 seasons.

 

[Cush]

Cristall 2+2

 

[DWGie26]

Gonna be nice to have both Cristal and Lil Pro in Hershey next year. And Suzdalev as well. We need to resign Rybinski an Trineyev as well. And probably Dube. But it will be a younger team with new look next year with Lappy and (probably Miro) going up. Miro has one more year of waiver exempt.

 

[Lou Sassole]

That's some high praise. Ironically enough Johnston was picked using the Caps' own 2021 1st round pick that made its way to Dallas.

In other news, seems like Sikora has picked up his offense in the Czech league recently. Now top 10 in his club's scoring and all of the guys ahead of him are 7+ years older and have played 10+ more games. He might also be ready for Hershey in the next 2 seasons.

Loved his moxie in the wjc.

 

[trick9]

I can't think of a single legendary goalie who didn't have a awful game. Patrick Roy and Marty Brodeur are arguably the best goals of all time and you can go on for days watching meltdown videos of them on YouTube after giving up bad goals and totally collapsing. I mean here's our own beloved Holtby being pulled for playing like trash and having a little melty down tantrum. The guys a teenager, a goalie(psycho) and he's going to have some ups and downs. I wouldn't in any way whatsoever say a bad game should be a reason to stay away from him or lower his draft stock.

Sure, but everything should be taken into account, esp. mental game with goalies. Perhaps this was just an outlier game, i can't say since i don't get to watch him consistently enough but just pointed it out since i did happen to catch that game.

He's supposed to be the goalie that's above the rest of the pack in this draft, but for me, i don't see it. His last season was a lot better and back then it was easier to put him above guys like Rimpinen and other top goalie prospects but given how his play has taken a dive this season and few other guys have taken a step forward, i'd put him right there next to the other top guys around the 2nd round mark.

If someone out there feels Ravensbergen is clearly above the rest of the pack as in 1st rounder vs. other top goalies as 2nd/3rd rounders... why is that? Size, but anything else?

 

[Langway]

Spitfires' Ilya Protas named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week - Ontario Hockey League

Windsor Spitfires forward Ilya Protas is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week with 14 points over four games.

chl.ca

14 points in four games.

 

[Vilica]

Schedule for the week:

Hershey - Sat 3/1, Sun 3/2
South Carolina - Wed 2/26, Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1, [Mon 3/3]

CHL:
Andrew Cristall Spokane - Wed 2/26, Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1

Terik Parascak Prince George - Tues 2/25, Wed 2/26, Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1

Patrick Thomas Brantford - Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1

Ilya Protas Windsor - Thu 2/27, Fri 2/28, Sun 3/2

Cam Allen London - Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1, Sun 3/2 - Suspended Indefinitely

Eriks Mateiko Rimouski - Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1

College:
Ryan Leonard BC - Fri 2/28 Sat 3/1

Ryan Chesley Minn - Fri 2/28, Sat 3/1

Cole Hutson BU - Tue 2/25

 

[Cush]

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Insane

 

[Lou Sassole]

Insane

Kid has sick hands.

 

[Cush]

BU wins it in the shootout. Cole had a breakaway in OT but lost control of the puck

Second leading scorer on the team with 33 points

 

[Cush]

 

[wickedwitch]

Insane goal from Cole.

(I'm going to see how fast I can summon a Habs fan by saying he might be as good as his brother in the prospects forum.)

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Cole took over hockey twitter with that goal

 

[Misery74]

Parascak looks exciting. But the more I watch Prince George highlights, all you can see is empty seats. No one goes to those games

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I wonder if Cole’s emergence is giving them hesitancy on signing Chychrun. I know it’s not ideal to hope that a college freshman can turn into a top pairing defenseman and they should plan on maximizing this team’s window while Ovi is still around but they also have Sandin signed through 2028-29 and Fever will be a RFA in 2026. Both guys would be easy to trade if it came to that, but still makes me wonder if there’s a line on cap hit/term they won’t cross with Chychrun and that’s why he hasn’t signed an extension yet.

Does Cole go pro after this year if there’s a clear path to a roster spot in Washington within a year or two? Does he stay in college and force their hand if he sees every LHD is signed through nearly the end of the decade? Interesting decisions upcoming.

 

[wickedwitch]

I wonder if Cole’s emergence is giving them hesitancy on signing Chychrun. I know it’s not ideal to hope that a college freshman can turn into a top pairing defenseman and they should plan on maximizing this team’s window while Ovi is still around but they also have Sandin signed through 2028-29 and Fever will be a RFA in 2026. Both guys would be easy to trade if it came to that, but still makes me wonder if there’s a line on cap hit/term they won’t cross with Chychrun and that’s why he hasn’t signed an extension yet.

Does Cole go pro after this year if there’s a clear path to a roster spot in Washington within a year or two? Does he stay in college and force their hand if he sees every LHD is signed through nearly the end of the decade? Interesting decisions upcoming.

Yes and no. Mainly it's Chychrun's play that should give them hesitancy to sign him to a big, long-term contract.

Here's my thinking: Hutson gives them leverage to get a good (and tradable) contract for Chychrun. If Chyrchrun was playing like Quinn Hughes (or even prime Carlson), it wouldn't matter what Hutson was doing in college. But since it's realistic that Hutson may outplay Chychrun, the Caps "need" to sign a fair contract so that they can trade Chychrun if Hutson ends up better. So basically it has to be a contract that is tradable when his shooting % drops back to normal levels.

Apparently Allen Walsh has said stuff about players going for shorter contracts with the rising cap. If Chychrun were willing to do that, I wouldn't mind seeing the Caps give him 2-3x$10 million or something with essentially no trade protection on the second (and third) year. But historically, hockey players have favored longer contracts at lower AAV. (As would I if I were in their shoes.)