A Guide to Capitals Development Camp

DDP_svHXUAERNcq
Graphic: @CapitalsPR

Coming to Development Camp? If so, you’ve come to the right spot. In this guide we will look at the schedule and roster to see which prospects and future Capitals you will see this week. Development Camp kicks off on Tuesday, June 27th and concludes Saturday, July 1st. Fan Fest will take place on the first day of Development Camp. On the final day there will be a scrimmage. For a general guide to Kettler Capitals Iceplex, click here.

SCHEDULE
Tuesday, June 27:
Defense on ice (Public rink) 9 a.m.
Forwards on ice (Capitals rink) 9 a.m.
Goalies on ice (Capitals rink) 2:15 p.m.
All players on ice (Capitals rink) 3 p.m.
Fan Fest 3 p.m.
Alumni Game 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 28:
On-ice testing (Public rink) 11 a.m.
Goalies on ice (Capitals rink) 11 a.m.
All players on ice (Capitals rink) 12 p.m.

Thursday, June 29:
Defense and goalies on ice (Capitals rink) 9:15 a.m.
Forwards on ice (Public rink) 9:15 a.m.
All players on ice (Capitals rink) 10 a.m.

Friday, June 30:
Defense and goalies on ice (Capitals rink) 10:15 a.m.
Forwards and goalies on ice (Public rink) 10:15 a.m.
All players on ice (Capitals rink) 11:15 a.m.

Saturday, July 1:
Intrasquad scrimmage 10 a.m.

MORE INFO ON FAN FEST
Capitals Announce Fan Fest Set for June 27th

ROSTER
Kristofers Bindulis (D)
Free agent

Bindulis finished with 12 points in 28 games last season while playing for Lake Superior State University. Elliotte Friedman praised the young 21-year old defender as “raw, but certainly talented.”

Brian Pinho (C)
2013 6th round

Pinho enters his senior year of college at Providence. In 39 games last season, he led the Friars with 28 assists and 40 points.

Hampus Gustaffson (C)
Free agent

The Capitals acquired Gustaffson in March of this year from Merrimack College. The 23-year old posted 26 points in 36 games during his senior year and after signing with the Capitals he appeared in 10 games with Hershey. He had two assists with the Bears. Looking to adjust his game professionally, this development camp week will be good for him.

Tanner Jeannot (LW)
Free agent

Jeannot registered 52 points (19 goals, 33 assists) in 71 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL last season. He is tied for first in overtime goals (2), tied for second in game-winning goals (5), second in penalty minutes (84), fifth in goals and points, and tied for fifth in assists.

Mason Mitchell (LW)
Free agent

Mitchell registered 14 points (12 goals, two assists) in 31 games with the University of Alaska-Anchorage (NCAA) last season. His 12 goals led the team in that category and he was ranked fourth in points.

Adam Carlson (G)
Free agent

Carlson was acquired near the end of the 2015-16 season. He was signed right after his freshman season at Mercyhurst University. He was a backup goaltender that posted a .919 save percentage in 17 games. He will be back on the ice for the first time since getting hurt during ECHL action with the South Carolina Stingrays.

Kevin Elgestal (RW)
2014 7th round

This will be his first time on the ice after breaking his thumb back in January during practice. He had a hat trick eight days prior to the injury.

Shane Gersich (C)
2015 5th round

I’ll let this goal do the talking.

Connor Hobbs (D)
2015 5th round

Hobbs led all WHL defensemen in points by a margin of 14. He had a grand total of 85 points (31 goals, 54 assists) in 67 games played. It was the most points by a WHL defenseman in 17 years. Him and Lucas Johansen could be a pair someday in Washington.

Lucas Johansen (D)
2016 1st round

Lucas is the younger brother of Ryan Johansen of the Nashville Predators. He will be a vital piece to the Capitals in the future. He is a force with and without the puck with a high hockey IQ. This is his second development camp.

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (LW)
2016 5th round

Axel had a good season in the SuperElit League. Among those who played in 30 games, he had the third best points per game with 37 points in 32 games.

Jimmy DeVito (RW)
Free agent

DeVito tallied six points (three goals and three assists) in 37 games with RPI (NCAA).

Collin Delia (G)
Free agent

Delia posted a 9-8-3 record with three shutouts, a 2.15 goals against average, and a .927 save percentage with Merrimack College last season.

Michael Lackey (G)
Free agent

Lackey played in six games with Harvard during the 2015-16 season. On November 6, 2015 he made his first collegiate start against Yale and earned his first win a day later with 21 saves in a 5-2 victory over Brown. He was named ECAC Rookie of the Week on November 10, 2015.

Stephen Collins (RW)
Free agent

Collins registered 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists) in 27 games with SUNY-Geneseo (NCAA) last season. He was named a First-Team All-American the last two seasons.

Beck Malenstyn (LW)
2016 5th round

Malenstyn has got both the size (6’2”, 194 lbs) and skill to be a power forward in the Capitals’ system. He had a great third season in the WHL with 32 goals and 24 assists for 56 points in 70 games which more than doubled his point total from the previous year (8 goals and 17 assists for 25 points).

Tim McGauley (C)
Free agent

McGualey had a stellar year in 2014-15 in the WHL where he posted 105 points in 72 games. He was signed by the Caps that summer. Since then he has battled the injury bug and looks to have a healthy season.

Garrett Pilon (C)
2016 3rd round

Garrett Pilon is a bright kid with a bright future as he pointed out in my interview with him last year. Son of Rich Pilon, Garrett put up 65 points in 67 Western Hockey League games, but only 10 of those came on the power play. I think he will be a force in the power play drills. If he gets more opportunities on the man-advantage next season, his point totals should increase.

Chase Priskie (D)
2016 6th round

Priskie led Quinnipiac in scoring with 26 points in 38 games and he’s a defenseman! There is a possibility that he’ll be among the Top-10 among highest scoring defensemen in the NCAA. If you miss the Mike Green days, Priskie could be one of the most fun blue liners you’ll see this week.

Sheldon Rempal (RW)
Free agent

Rempal finished with 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) in 39 games with Clarkson (NCAA) last season. He led all ECAC rookies in points and earned ECAC All-Rookie honors.

Damien Riat (LW)
2016 5th round

Riat was drafted by the Capitals last year and is headed into his second development camp. He played in 46 games with Geneve-Servette and put up 14 points with seven goals and assists. Riat’s goal this season is to get more ice time and development camp should be a great week for him to work on his game.

Mack Shields (G)
Free agent

Shields posted a 13-7-0 record with one shutout, a 1.91 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage with York University (U Sports) last season. He led his conference in goals-against average and finished second in save percentage.

Jonas Siegenthaler (D)
2015 2nd round

The Capitals gave up their third and fourth picks to acquire Siegenthaler. Siegenthaler could be battling for a roster spot on the blueline this upcoming season.

Steven Spinner (RW)
2014 6th round

Spinner wrapped up his sophomore year at University of Nebraska-Omaha and finished with a respectable 21 points in 39 games. He spent most of his time on the bottom six forward line.

Colby Williams (D)
2015 6th round

Williams was drafted just one round after Connor Hobbs who was also his partner in the WHL. He moved to the AHL and his first goal as a Hershey Bear was a game-winner.

Dmitri Zaitsev (D)
2016 7th round

Zaitsev had an interesting first year in the WHL. In his first 16 games he had 10 points and only just 10 more over the last 54 games.

Mark Simpson (C)
Free agent

Simpson recorded 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 29 games with the University of New Brunswick (U Sports) last season. He led the team in shorthanded goals with two and was tied for second on the team with two game-winning goals.

Tobias Geisser (D)
2017 4th round

Geisser is a defenseman from Switzerland and was the first Capitals pick in this year’s draft. According to Elite Prospects, “Geisser is two-way defenseman with excellent size and mobility. Sees the ice well and plays crisp passes to spark a team’s transition game. Has a long reach and shows a smart defensive game, while keeping his plays simple. Needs to improve his physical play and has to make better use of his excellent frame, as he plays a soft game. Owns a hard shot, which makes him a valuable option for the power play.”

Sebastian Walfridsson (D)
2017 5th round

Walfridsson is the second defensemen the Capitals took in this year’s draft. He was in the spotlight at the Swedish 18-U team at the 2017 World Championships where he scored two goals and tallied five assists.

Brenton Maas (D)
2017 6th round

Maas was the third and final defenseman taken by the Capitals in this year’s draft. He score six goals and added 23 assists for 29 points in 25 games with Elk River High School and had 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points with the Firebanks of the NAHL.

Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen (LW)
2017 7th round

Roykas-Marthinsen is the only forward the Capitals selected in the 2017 draft. He is from Norway and had 8 points in 5 games in the World Junior Championships.

Mattias Goransson (D)
Free agent

Goransson earned 23 points (5 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games with UMass-Lowell (NCAA) last season. He was ranked first among Hockey East rookie defenseman in assists.

KEY BATTLES
While many of the big boys in Hershey will be battling for a couple of spots on the forward and defensive lines of the Capitals, that could likely leave some vacancies in the pipeline. Some players will make the jump from South Carolina to Hershey, but the question is who? We’ll see this week who really impresses the coaches. Then, when the boys reconvene in September for training camp, all the rosters will begin to solidify.

Williams and Siegenthaler have both been on Hershey’s roster so seeing how they hold their own against some of the newcomers, especially Johansen, should be fun to watch.
Carlson backed up Parker Milner in South Carolina. He’s looking to keep that spot or advance his positioning in a deep pool of goaltenders (Samsonov has a year left on his KHL contract).
McGauley vs. Gustafsson vs. Pinho – this center battle should be interesting as well. McGauley spent a majority of the season in SC while Gustafsson impressed in a handful of games in Hershey.
Speaking of fun, at left wing, you have Malenstyn, Gersich, and Riat – all highly touted picks.
Pilon vs. Elgestal at right wing should be interesting as both try to show their growth from a season ago.

PROSPECT INTERVIEWS
NoVa Caps Interview with Washington Capitals 2016 4th Round Draft Pick: Damien Riat
Interview: Garrett Pilon – The Capitals 2016 Third Round Draft Pick Hungry for Success
Meet the Prospects – Sigenthaler Here To Stay
Meet the Prospects – Djoos is Loose (and out of the cage)
Meet the Prospects – Paul Carey
Meet the Prospects – Defenseman Tyler Lewington (Interview)