Welcome to the third installment of NoVa Caps’ Washington Capitals monthly prospects report for the 2019-2020 season. The report summarizes activities for each of the Capitals’ prospects for the month of December 2019, and provides an overall “Trending” rating for each player. We also provide a “Top 5 Prospects” ranking for each primary position at the end of this report.

Reminder, you can always check out all of our latest prospect analysis and weekly reports under the “Prospects” tab in the main menu above. You can also follow the #CapsProspects hashtag stream on Twitter for all the latest Capitals prospect news.

2019-2020 Monthly Prospect Reports

• October
• November

2019-2020 Prospect Weekly Reports

• Week 15 Report (12/23 – 12/29)
• Week 14 Report (12/16 – 12/22)
• Week 13 Report (12/9 – 12/15)
• Week 12 Report (12/2 – 12/8)
• .Week 11 Report (11/25 – 12/1)
• Week 10 Report (11/18 – 11/24)
• Week 9 Report (11/11 – 11/17)
• Week 8 Report (11/4 – 11/10)
• Week 7 Report (10/28 – 11/3)
• Week 6 Report (10/21 – 10/27)
• Week 5 Report (10/14 – 10/20)
• Week 4 Report (10/7 – 10/13)
• Week 3 Report (9/30 – 10/6)
• Week 2 Report (9/23 – 9/29)
• Week 1 Report (9/16 – 9/22)

NoVa Caps Prospect Interviews 

• Martin Fehervary
• Alexander Alexeyev
• Beck Malenstyn
• Riley Sutter
• Joe Snively
• Connor McMichael

REPORT ORGANIZATION
The report organizes the Capitals’ prospects by six primary leagues/regions of play. They include:

• American Hockey League (AHL)
• Western Hockey League (WHL)
• Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
• East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)
• European Hockey Leagues (SHL/NLA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

All news, stats and data were aggregated and compiled throughout the month of December and finalized on, or just prior to January 1, 2020. All prospect summaries are then entered into our NoVa Caps prospects database for future use/analysis.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE (BEARS)

The Hershey Bears started 2019 by posting a 7-0-2 month, which jump-started their run to a playoff berth. The Bears ended 2019 with a dominating 10-1 month of December. Hershey won its first nine games of the month and moved from sixth place to third place in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division. They sit just two points out of first place with 41 points.

The Bears went 6-1 in one-goal games during the month and surrendered more than two goals only twice. Led by Mike Sgarbossa, the offense potted 33 goals in 11 games.

The penalty kill has risen to second in the AHL at 86.8%, despite the unit missing Beck Malenstyn for much of the month. The power play is still a work in progress, but has shown signs of life since the return of defenseman Bobby Nardella.

Pheonix Copley – G – Undrafted – 27-years old.
Due to Vitek Vanecek’s stellar play, Copley only started three games in December. The North Pole, Alaska native won all three of those games and has seven wins on the season. He made 26 stops in a 4-3 overtime win over Hartford on December 1. In the third period of that game, Copley turned away a Hartford breakaway immediately after the Bears had taken a 3-2 lead in the third period. He also beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Springfield by identical 3-2 scores. For the season, Copley is 7-5-4-1 with a 2.63 GAA and a .899 save percentage.

Trending: Same

Vitek Vanecek – G – Drafted Second-Round, 2014 NHL Entry Draft – 23-years old. December was a very good month for Vanecek. The Czech netminder won six of his seven starts, giving him 10 wins on the season. His strong play compelled Hershey Head Coach Spencer Carbery to break his typical goalie rotation and this move was a large part of the team’s successful month. Vanecek started seven of the last 10 games in the month. Vanecek turned away 32 shots in a 1-0 shutout over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on December 7, and preserved that shutout and the win by stoning Lehigh Valley’s David Case in close with 1:17 remaining in the game. Against those same Phantoms on December 15, the Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic native bailed out his defense on a few occasions. When his defender fell down, he stopped a breakaway. When another got beat, Vanecek was there to bail him out and the Bears won 3-1. The Czech goalie played a big role in helping Hershey kill off a lengthy 5-on-3 in a 5-2 victory over Bridgeport on December 14. For the season, Vanecek is 10-5-1-1 with a 2.35 GAA and a .908 save percentage.

Trending: Up

Christian Djoos – D – Drafted Seventh-Round, 2012 NHL Entry Draft – 25-years old.
Djoos had a good December. Offensively, he scored two goals and had five assists, with his first period goal against Hartford on December 1 setting off an avalanche of stuffed animals on Teddy Bear Toss Night, as the Bears set a world record with 45,650 stuffed animals being amassed for charity. Djoos leads Hershey defensemen in scoring with 18 points and leads the team in power play assists with eight. The Swedish blueliner played in seven games in the month and finished with a plus-8 rating, and did not finish as a minus in any game. He earned a recall to Washington on December 27 and played in two games. Unfortunately for Djoos, he was injured in his second game with the Capitals.

Trending: Up

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby – LW, RW – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 21-years old.
Jonsson-Fjallby ended a 14-game scoreless streak with an assist on Brian Pinho’s goal in the first period against Bridgeport on December 14. The next night, the Swede snapped a 15-game goalless drought when he tipped in Martin Fehervary’s shot in the first period against Lehigh Valley. The Stockholm, Sweden native added a goal in Hershey’s next game against Springfield (the overtime game winner) and assisted on two goals against Utica to end the month with five points. Jonsson-Fjallby sees a lot of time on the penalty kill and has been a big component of the unit’s rise to second in the league. He is tied for the team lead with three shorthanded points. For the season, Axel has seven goals and five assists in 32 games played. He’s registered 48 shots for a shooting percentage of 14.6% on the season.

Trending: Up    

Beck Malenstyn – LW, RW – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2016 NHL Draft – 21-years old.
Malenstyn played only three games in December. He was injured late in the third period against Lehigh Valley on December 7, as he took an elbow up high and fell awkwardly into the boards, and has not played since. Prior to being injured, he made a diving back check with 7:45 remaining in the game to break up a Lehigh Valley scoring chance and preserve Hershey’s 1-0 lead. The second-year winger tallied a goal against Hartford on December 1 for his only point of the month. For the season, Malenstyn has scored three goals and four assists in 21 games played. He’s registered 34 shots for a shooting percentage of 11.8% on the season.

Trending: Same

Mike Sgarbossa – C – Undrafted – 27-years old.
Since his arrival in Hershey prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, Sgarbossa has been the Bears’ most consistent and best offensive player. Even by Sgarbossa’s high standards, December was a highly productive month. The pivot netted three goals and had 11 assists. Two of his goals were game-winners, the lone goal in Hershey’s 1-0 win over Lehigh Valley on December 7 and the overtime winner at Utica on December 27. Sgarbossa’s 14 points in the month pushes his season total to 32 and he sits third in the AHL in scoring. The Campbellville, Ontario native leads Hershey in points (32), assists (11), game-winning goals (4) and power play points (10).

Trending: Up

Alexander Alexeyev – D – Drafted First-Round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.
December was Alexeyev’s least productive month offensively thus far, but his defensive game improved significantly from November. After finishing as a minus-6 in November, the Russian rookie was a plus-4 in December. His positioning and decision-making were both better. He has been solid on the penalty kill, an improvement that was on full display on December 15 against Bridgeport. The Bears were down two men in the third period. Alexeyev blocked two shots in quick succession and then blocked another to help the Bears kill off the five-on-three. He was deservedly named the third star of the game for his penalty killing efforts. Offensively, the rookie defenseman had three assists to give him a total of 12 for the season, the third most on the team.

Trending: Up

Martin Fehervary – D – Drafted Second-Round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.
The rookie from Slovakia has been Hershey’s most steady defender all season. He leads the team in plus/minus with a plus-10 rating. Fehervary still makes some rookie mistakes, but he learns from them. He allowed Hartford’s Steven Fogarty to go down the middle to score the tying goal on December 1. He faced the same situation later in the game and took the middle away. Fehervary is used heavily on the penalty kill and has had a hand in the unit’s improvement. Offensively, the Slovak had two assists on the month to push his point total for the season to 11.

Trending: Same

Brian Pinho – C/RW – Drafted Sixth-Round, 2013 NHL Entry Draft – 24-years old.
Pinho only had three points in November, but he turned up his offensive production in December. The Providence College product tallied four goals (equaling his total of from all of last season) and dished out four assists. Two of his goals came on tips in front of the net. He now has six goals and nine assists, surpassing the four goals and eight assists he had last season. The North Andover, Massachusetts native picked up his even-strength play. After being a minus-6 in November, he was plus-4 for December. He broke up a scoring chance by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Anthony Angelo on the back check. Pinho is also one of the team’s top penalty killers and is one of the reasons the unit has risen to second in the AHL. For the season, Pinho has six goals and nine assists in 33 games played. He’s shot the puck 63 times for a shooting percentage of 9.5% on the season.

Trending: Up

Brett Leason – RW – Drafted Second-Round, 2019 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.
Leason finally netted his first professional goal against Hartford on December 1 and it was an important goal, as he put in his own rebound to win the game in overtime. The goal was also his third point of the game. The Calgary, Alberta native added two other assists in the month to give him five points in December, after entering the month with two points. Leason has yet to provide the offense he did last season in Prince Albert, but he has carved out a role on the team because he is responsible in his own zone. Against Hartford on December 1, he back-checked to break up a scoring chance in the first period and then cleared the puck away from the front of the net. The rookie is also a good penalty killer. With the Bears on the penalty kill and clinging to a 1-0 lead over Lehigh Valley in the third period on December 7, Leason stole the puck and sent the puck down the ice to clear the penalty. For the season Leason has a goal and seven assists in 29 games played. He’s shot the puck 34 times for a shooting percentage of 2.9% on the season.

Trending: Same

Lucas Johansen – D – Drafted First-Round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 22-years old.
Johansen returned to the lineup for the first time since October 26 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on December 28. Unfortunately for Johansen, his return from injury coincided with the end of Hershey’s 10-game winning streak. The loss was not on Johansen. He had one shot on goal and no points and was even for the game. He was scratched the following night. Similar to Connor Hobbs, Johansen will have to earn his ice time moving forward.

Trending: Same

Connor Hobbs – D – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 22-years old.
December was a rough month for Hobbs, as he was on press box duty for all but one game during the month. The Regina, Saskatchewan native did make an impact in the lone game he played. On December 29, he earned the Bears two power plays by drawing penalties against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Late in the first period in that same game, Hobbs fired a shot from the point. The shot was tipped in by Brian Pinho to give Hershey a 3-0 lead. With the emergence of Eddie Wittchow and the return of Lucas Johansen from injury, the Bears once again have a glut of defenseman. Hobbs is going to have make a similar impact when he gets the chance to earn more playing time. Hobbs has a goal and an assist in 15 games played this season. He’s registered 20 shots for a shooting percentage of 5.0%.

Trending: Down

Philippe Maillet – C/RW – Undrafted – 27-years old.
Maillet struggled for the first two months of the season, but he came alive in December. The Montreal, Quebec native was put on a line with Matt Moulson, his linemate in Ontario last season, and he found his offense. He compiled six points in the month after having six points in the first two months combined. Maillet scored two goals in December, both game-winners. The pivot’s game in his own zone also picked up. He was a minus-7 through November, but posted a plus-3 rating in December. Maillet saw his penalty kill time increase during the month with Shane Gersich and Malenstyn sidelined with injuries.

Trending: Up

Garrett Pilon – C/RW – Drafted Third-Round, 2016 NHL Draft – 21-years old. Pilon had a strong month offensively in December. He had nine points entering the month and nearly equaled that total in December. The son of former NHL defenseman Rich Pilon scored four goals and added four assists in the month. He posted a three-point game against Utica on December 27, scoring Hershey’s first two goals. Pilon potted the game-winning goal against Lehigh Valley on December 15. He is fourth on the Bears’ scoring list with 17 points and also sits fourth on the team with 11 assists.

Trending: Up

Colby Williams – D – Drafted Sixth-Round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 24-years old.
The injury bug has bitten Williams once again. He missed the entire month with an injury.

Trending: Same

Bobby Nardella – D – Undrafted – 23-years old.
Nardella was injured on November 3 and missed the rest of November. He returned to action on December 7 and played in Hershey’s last nine games of the month. The Notre Dame product failed to score in his return game, but amassed seven points in his next eight games, potting his first professional goal on the power play against Lehigh Valley on December 15. That was his only goal of the month, but he dished out six assists. Nardella’s return has buoyed the Bears’ struggling power play. Hershey has gone from the worst power play in the AHL to the 27^th power play in the league since Nardella started quarterbacking the unit. He has four power play points.

Trending: Up

Liam O’Brien – LW – Undrafted – 25-years old.
The longest-tenured Hershey Bear enjoyed his second straight productive month. He followed up his six-point November with a five-point December. O’Brien only tallied one goal in the month, but dished out four assists. The winger made a poor decision by unnecessarily tackling a Bridgeport player with the Bears already down a man on December 14. Fortunately, Hershey killed off the penalties and he did assist on the game-winning goal and netted a late insurance goal. To O’Brien’s credit, that was the only bad penalty he took during the month and he was a major contributor on the penalty kill.

Trending: Same

Shane Gersich – LW,C – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2014 NHL Entry Draft – 23-years old.
Gersich started the month off by scoring his first even-strength goal of the season, roofing a shot over Hartford goalie Adam Huska in the second period on December 1. The North Dakota product played in the next three games, but suffered an injury against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on December 8. The injury would cause Gersich to miss the next five games. He returned on December 28 and played in the final two games of 2019 for Hershey. The injury came at a bad time for Gersich, as he was establishing himself as a solid defensive forward. He still leads the Bears with two shorthanded goals. For the season, Gersich has three goals and five assists in 25 game played. Two of his three goals were shorthanded. Gersich has shot the puck 32 times for a shooting percentage on 9.4% on the season.

Trending: Same

Joe Snively – Undrafted – 23-years old.
Coming off a strong November, Snively continued to produce offensively in December. The Herndon, Virginia native potted four goals in the month and dished out three assists. The Yale University product tallied two game-winning goals in the month, including the overtime winner against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on December 8. He now has three game-winning goals on the season, which is second on the team. Snively’s nine goals are the third-most on the Bears and he leads the team with a 17.6 shooting percentage.

Trending: Up

Riley Sutter – RW – Drafted Third-Round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old
Sutter is still getting his feet wet, having played in just eight AHL games since returning from injury in November. When he plays he typically centers the fourth-line. Sutter has an assist so far on his AHL resume. Sutter has five shots in the season.

Trending: Same

Kody Clark – RW – Drafted Second-Round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years-old
Clark is also still acclimating to the AHL game, but has already found a semi-regular slot in the Bears lineup, starting most games at right-wing on the third-line. Part of this is due to the injury to Beck Malenstyn. Clark scored his first professional goal on December 27 against the Comets in Utica, and has a goal and an assist in 12 games played so far this season. He has 11 shots on the season. It will be interesting to see how Sutter and Clark’s playing time and position will be affected by the return of Malenstyn, as both players need playing time. Clark has 11 shots on the season for a shooting percentage of 9.1%.

Trending: Same

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE (WHL)

Aliaksei Protas – C – Drafted Third-Round, 2019 NHL Entry Draft – 18-years old
Aliaksei Protas had a very productive final month to 2019. He began December back in Belarus with the National Junior Team, preparing for and participating in the 2020 IIHF World Under-20 Championship – Division 1A. This was the second consecutive year that Protas represented Belarus at the Division 1A tournament. Last year, he had five points (2G-3A) in five games as Belarus finished in second place. He also suited up for Belarus at the 2018 World Under-18 Hockey Championship. As for this year’s tournament, Protas had four goals and three assists in five games played. He was tied for second with most goals and fourth in overall points for the tournament. Belarus finished with the Bronze medal. The Alternate Captain conducted an interview with Belarus media. “I am doing my best to show the best that I am capable of, but so far I’m not very pleased with myself.” I think that in some moments the criticism is justified, and in some – not particularly. In any case, I try to watch my games, analyze, add with each match and become better.“ Protas returned to Prince Albert on December 27 for a pair of games against the Saskatoon Blades, where he picked up right where he left off, scoring two goals and three assists in the weekend set. Protas continued his scoring on Monday with a pair of assists against the Winnipeg Ice, the points extending Protas’ points streak to 12 games. In those 12 games, Protas has eight goals and 13 assists. For the season, Protas now has 20 goals and 29 assists in 30 games played, and is a plus-29. Protas has 102 shots on goal for a shooting percentage of 19.6%. He is currently fifth in points in the WHL, just eight points behind the the league leader, which is pretty good considering he was back home in Belarus for most of the month.  Protas is currently centering the “All-Belarusian” line with Ilya Usau and Daniil Stepanov, and playing in all situations (first power play unit and first penalty kill unit). Our scouting report continues to evolve for Protas this season, as he is beginning to show significant advancement in his overall game development. His on-ice play has seen quite a bit of growth for the 18-year old. In the 14 games we’ve watched this season, his passing has been the biggest improvement, demonstrating excellent vision on the ice at game speed. Protas’ teammate Spencer Moe was asked about the improvement in Protas’ play so far this season. “He’s got more confidence and a better understanding of our systems after being here with the championship team last year and I think it shows,” Moe added. “He was able to sign a contract with Washington in the summer as a result of that, which is something that all of us are proud of.” On a side note, Protas’ height of 6’-5” at the start of the season was changed to 6’-6″ on the WHL website at some point during the month of December.

Trending: Up

Eric Florchuk – C – Drafted Seventh-Round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old
At first glance it would appear that Florchuk continues to proceed through this season rather quietly, as far as offensive production goes. He had one goal and five assists in five games played in the month of December. He was the third star of the game against the Raiders at the end of the month, registering a pair of assists. But Florchuk has seemingly found a solid home centering the Blades’ second-line. For the season, the very last player selected in the 2017 draft has 11 goals and 10 assists in 29 games played, but registered just 45 shots in those 29 games, good enough for a shooting percentage of 24.4%. This will be Florchuk’s last season in junior hockey, with the goal of moving to Hershey in September. However, he will need to step up his play-making and scoring if he wants to secure a regular spot in the Bears’ lineup. The Saskatoon Blades are a pedestrian 17-16-1-2 on the season.

Trending: Same

Alex Kannok-Leipert – D – Drafted sixth-round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old
Kannok-Leipert continues to be a steadying component to the Giants’ blueline. Linemate and fourth overall pick in last year’s draft, Bowen Byram, was gone a majority of the month with the Canadian Junior team, but Kannok-Leipert did well to “hold the fort”. The right-handed, stay-at-home defenseman also tallied a goal and three assists in nine games played in December. Offensively, the Captain of Vancouver has two goals and nine assists in 34 games played this season and has registered 60 shots for the season. The four-year veteran of the WHL will be fighting for a blueline spot in Hershey in September.

Trending: Same

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE (OHL)

Connor McMichael – C – Drafted first-round, 2019 NHL Entry Draft – 18-years-old
Continuing to have a fantastic season in London, Connor McMichael took some time away from the OHL this month to represent Team Canada at the 2020 World Junior Tournament in the Czech Republic, and playing in just five games for the London Knights. Following up on the fantastic start he had during the first two months of the season, McMichael maintained his scoring prowess this month with one goal and four assists in five games with London winning in two of the games. McMichael leads London in virtually every category with 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in just 27 games, though the team has played 35 games, for a 2.19 points/game average, placing him second in the league. His 24 power play points tie him for the league lead and he’s averaged 4.5 shots on goal a game. McMichael is strong on the faceoff circle as well with a 55.4% rate (225/406), good enough for 22nd in the league (a minimum of 15 draws taken). He went 19/23 on the dot in the December 1 game against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for his best of the season. McMichael spent the week of December 9 -13 in Oakville, Ontario at the Sport Chek Team Canada Selection camp and made the final cut to join Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter and forward Liam Foudy. McMichael played on special teams and the fourth-line for the majority of camp and opened the tournament on the left wing with Edmonton Oilers draftee Raphael Lavoie and Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs (OHL). He scored a goal in Canada’s opener versus the USA and had a power play goal in the final preliminary game versus the Czech Republic and fellow Caps prospect Martin Hugo Has. During Canada’s last two games, McMichael found himself on the top-line and top power play unit with the Arizona Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Nolan Foote. McMichael finished the preliminary round with two points and a minus-2 rating in four games as Canada went 3-1, losing once to Russia, 6-0. He and his team now move on to face Slovakia in an elimination game on January 2 at 9 AM EST in the medal round quarter-final. London has gone 3-5 without McMichael, Foudy and Hunter back home.

Trending: Up

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE (ECHL)

Kristoffers Bindulis – D – Undrafted – 24-years old
The South Carolina Stingrays are playing fantastic hockey so far this season, as they amassed a 9-0-3-1 record during December, improving their overall record to 23-2-3-1 on the season. A big part of their success this season has been the play defensively, and excellent play from goaltender Parker Milner. Bindulis has also been strong on the back-end.  Offensively, the left-handed defenseman has two goals and three assists and a plus-7 rating in 19 games played with the Stingrays

Trending: Same

EUROPEAN HOCKEY LEAGUES (SHL/NLA)
Damien Riat – D – Drafted Fourth-Round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 22–years old.
Damien Riat is still out with an injury after taking a puck to the face, and is now dealing with a concussion following the impact. He has played in just one game since November 2.

Trending: Same

Sebastian Walfridsson – D – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old
Walfridsson is still a solid piece in the lineup, night-after-night on a Södertälje team which has left the relegation spots and bounced back a bit. The defenseman has a total of six points (three goals, three assists) in 33 games and averages 14:52 minutes per game. In the defensive end, Walfridsson is doing good and is adapting well to the senior level of play, all one can ask for is increased production in the points department, though Walfridsson has never been known for his offensive skills.

Trending: Same

Kristian Røykås Marthinsen  – LW – Drafted Seventh-Round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.
Røykås Marthinsen has a total of seven points (two goals, five assists) for a poorly-performing HC Dalen in the third-tier of Swedish hockey. Even though one really couldn’t expect it going in to the season, the Norwegian’s chances of earning a NHL deal is becoming very unlikely given the development this season.

Trending: Down

Martin Hugo Has  – D – Drafted Fifth-Round, 2019 NHL Entry Draft – 18-years old.
The Czech defenseman has continued his adjustment to senior hockey, putting up decent minutes each night on the Finnish second-tier team KOOVEE. Has is currently representing his country in the World Junior Championships, where he has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games at the time of writing.

Trending: Up

Tobias Geisser – D – Drafted Fourth-Round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.
After starting the season in Hershey, Tobias Geisser was loaned back to his native team ZV Zug in the Swiss league NLA. The sturdy defensive defensemen has suited up for four games since his return and has yet to put any points. The move across the Atlantic has proven to be troublesome for the former Swiss international. Hopefully Geisser can find his groove again back among the alps.

Trending: Same

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA)

Benton Maass – D – Drafted Sixth-round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old
Benton Maass and UNH played only three games in December due to final exams and semester break. The junior defenseman picked up his offensive pace tallying two assists and registering eight shots on goal. The first two video clips in the December highlight reel show Maass making a thread-the-needle, wrist shot/pass to freshman Chase Stevenson, who deflects it past the Merrimack College goalie. The last two clips come from the final game of 2019 season. Against Army, Maass had his most productive offensive game of his junior campaign. The first clip shows his slapshot blast on goal in slow motion. It was one of Maass’s four shots on goal in the game. The last clip shows Maass initiating a scoring play by hustling to beat an Army forward to the puck deep in the UNH end and advancing the puck up ice with a backhand flip off the boards. UNH sophomore Filip Engarås, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, carries the puck through the neutral zone into the Army end and beats the goalie far side. Overall, Maass has a goal and three assists over the first 17 games of the 2019-20 season, and has fired 27 shots on goal, the second-most among UNH defensemen. Maass’s plus/minus rating of plus-3 is third-best on the team – an impressive stat considering he’s on UNH’s first penalty kill unit.

Trending: Same

Mitchell Gibson – G – Drafted Fourth-Round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old
Gibson came back to earth a bit in December. After a blazing hot start in November, Gibson went 1-2-1 for the month of December. After giving up just five goals in four games in November, Mitchell yielded 12 goals in four games in December. The 20-year-old freshman made 125 saves on 137 shots in December for a .912 Save Percentage for the month of December. Gibson’s high point for the month came on December 28 against Arizona State, in which he made 43 saves in Harvard’s 4-1 win over the Sun Devils in Southern California. For the season, Gibson is 4-2-1 in eight games played with a 2.28 Goals-Against Average and a .931 Save Percentage.

Trending: Same

TOP FIVE RANKINGS

Our “Top 5 ranking” of prospects by position returns for a third straight season. The ranking is specific to the month and could change each subsequent month. The ranking may also include players that are not officially under contract with the Capitals at the date of this report.

Report by NoVa Caps Prospects Analysts Team:

Eric Lord (AHL)
Jesper Svensson (Europe)
Marcus Boutilier (CHL)
Mike Lowry (NCAA)
Jon Sorensen (WHL/AHL)
Mic Yugo (Prospects Insider)

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