Washington Capitals Prospect Report – February, 2022: Hendrix Lapierre And Mitchell Gibson Continue Strong Seasons

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Jon Sorensen


Welcome to the fifth installment of NoVa Caps’ Washington Capitals Monthly Prospects Report for the 2021-2022 season. This report summarizes activities for each of the Capitals’ prospects for the month of February, 2022. 

Format
The report is categorized by the leagues/regions in which each prospect plays in the following order:

  • AHL (Hershey Bears)
  • CHL (WHL/OHL/QMJHL)
  • NCAA/USHL/ECHL
  • EUROPE (SWEDEN/SWISS LEAGUE)
  • KHL (MHL/KHL)

Previous Monthly Prospect Reports for the 2021-22 Season
October
November
December
January

[You can access all of our prospect news and analysis on our “Prospects” page located in the top menu]

AHL/HERSHEY BEARS

February was an inconsistent month for the Hershey Bears. Beset by injuries, the chocolate and white struggled to find a consistent level of play. The Bears recorded five points and went 2-0-0-1 in their first three games of the month, but earned only six of the 18 points available to them the rest of the month and finished February with a 5-6-0-1 record. Hershey sits in fourth place in the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Atlantic Division with a .569 points percentage and a 26-19-3-3 record through 51 games.

Offensively, the Bears scored 31 goals in the month. However, Hershey found the back of the net just 10 times in the seven games they lost and were held to two goals or less in six of their defeats.

Individually, the chocolate and white were led by center Mike Vecchione. The veteran pivot compiled 10 points in February. Brian Pinho and defenseman Lucas Johansen each chipped in with nine points. Defenseman Cody Franson added eight points of his own.

On the defensive end of the ice, Hershey surrendered 35 goals in 13 games. The Bears struggled with zone exits and this led to the team being caught in their own zone for an extended period of time. Turnovers were also an issue. These factors played a role in many goals that Hershey gave up during the month.

ALEX ALEXEYEV (LD/RD) – 22 – Drafted 2018 (First Round, 31st overall)
Alexeyev dished out four assists in eight games played in February and has recorded nine of his 13 points since the calendar flipped to 2022. He has not scored a goal since December 12, but has 12 assists on the season. Alexeyev is on a three-game assist streak.

Defensively, the St. Petersburg, Russia native has seen more responsibility. He has been paired with Lucas Johansen for much of the month and the duo has been a solid pairing for the Bears.

Alexeyev’s shot blocking has been excellent, especially on the penalty kill. He had two key blocks against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 22 as Hershey killed off a high-sticking double minor in the first period. Alexeyev also got in the way of a shot when the Bears were down two men in the first period against Utica on February 27.

TRENDING: UP

KODY CLARK (RW) – 22 – Drafted 2018 (Second Round, 47th overall)
After going without a point in a dismal January, Clark saw an uptick in his offense in February. He ended his nine-game scoreless streak on February 2 when he earned the primary assist on Beck Malenstyn’s second period goal against Hartford.

In his next game in Cleveland, Clark powered towards the net and pulled the puck in front. He then fluttered a shot by Cleveland netminder Jet Greaves left pad to give Hershey a 2-1 lead in the second period.

The goal halted his 12-game goalless drought and held as the game-winner. He did not score a point in his next five games, but picked up a pair of secondary assists in Bridgeport on February 19. Clark added another helper against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 22. Unfortunately for Clark, he was injured in that game and missed the final two games of the month.

TRENDING: UP

PHEONIX COPLEY (G) – 29 – Undrafted
The Alaskan played in a single game for the Bears in February before being recalled to the Washington Capitals after Vitek Vanecek was injured. Copley was strong in that one game. He turned aside 28 of the 29 shots he faced in a 4-1 Hershey win in Cleveland on February 5. It was the netminder’s fourth straight victory and the fifth straight game where he surrendered two or fewer goals. He leads the team with 13 wins. Copley has played in two games with Washington, including one start.

TRENDING: UP

ZACH FUCALE (G) – 26 – Drafted 2013 (Second Round, 36th overall – Montreal)
February started and ended well for Fucale. In between, there were significant struggles. He began the month stopping 24 of 26 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss to Hartford. The Laval, Quebec native won his next start in Cleveland on February 4. He turned aside 29 Cleveland shots in a 4-1 Hershey win.

Then, came the potholes. Fucale was pulled after two periods in Lehigh Valley on February 11 when he gave up five goals on 13 shots. He did not play bad in his next game on February 13, but surrendered two goals on 20 shots in another loss at Lehigh Valley.

Fucale’s next two starts were in Providence against the Bruins and they did not go well. He gave up five goals on 26 shots on February 18 versus the Bruins. Fucale looked off in this game. He reacted late to shots and struggled to hold onto shots. Two days later, Providence put up a four-spot on Fucale to hand the netminder his eighth loss in nine starts. After the two Providence games, Fucale ranked 37th out of 38 qualified goalies in the AHL in save percentage and 30th in the league in goals-against-average. He was in desperate need of a quality start.

Fucale got just what he needed in Utica against the Devils on February 25. He stopped 14 first period shots and allowed the Bears to leave the first period with a 1-0 lead. He made seven more saves in the second. Fucale’s best stop came when he denied Chase De Leo with a glove save with Utica on the power play. He turned 13 shots aside in the third. Fucale made 34 saves in the game and earned his first shutout of the season (his second as a Bear). Hershey needs Fucale to stay at this level down the stretch.

TRENDING: DOWN

TOBIAS GEISSER (LD) – 22- Drafted 2017 (Fourth Round, 120th overall)
Geisser missed three games while in COVID protocol and missed another game after he came back to give him a chance to rebuild his strength. The Swiss defenseman skated in eight games in February. He was moved into a pairing with Dylan McIlrath and saw a lot of key minutes, defensively.

The Stans, Switzerland native sees a lot of time on the penalty kill. He scored one goal, in the first period against Hartford on February 2, for his only point of the month.

Geisser has made great strides in his game this season and is arguably the most improved Hershey player.

TRENDING: SAME

SHANE GERSICH (C/LW) – 25 – Drafted 2014 (Fifth Round, 134th overall)
Through the first four months of the season, Gersich had 26 penalty minutes, but accumulated 22 penalty minutes in February. The Chaska, Minnesota native is a valuable penalty killer and the Bears need him on the ice and not in the penalty box. Gersich’s offense dropped off in the month as well.

The North Dakota product failed to score a goal in February and finished with three assists for the month. Those three points came in back-to-back games He recorded the primary assist on Mason Morelli’s game-tying goal against Belleville on February 12 and also had a helper on Marcus Vela’s second period tally. With the injuries Hershey has up front, the team needs more from Gersich. He needs to stay out of the penalty box and pick up his game.

TRENDING: DOWN

LUCAS JOHANSEN (LD) – 24 – Drafted 2016 (First Round, 28th overall)
Johansen enjoyed a productive month in February. The blueliner amassed nine points for the month, tied for the second most on the Bears. He dished out a team-high eight assists in February.

Johansen registered three, two-assist games in the month. The last of these came in his final game of the month against Utica on February 25. Johansen set up Mike Vecchione’s second period goal when he hit Vecchione in stride with a perfectly placed outlet pass from near the defensive blue line.

Later in the period, he found Brian Pinho in the right circle and Pinho converted to give the Bears a 3-0 lead over Utica.

The Vancouver, British Columbia native is a plus 21 on the season. That rating is the best among Hershey defensemen and is the second-best rating on the team. Johansen missed the final game of February with an upper body injury.

TRENDING: UP

AXEL JONSSON-FJALLBY (LW) – 23 –  Drafted 2016 (Fifth Round, 147th overall)
After being on fire in January, the Swedish winger cooled down a little in February. He tallied three goals and dished out two assists in 12 games for the chocolate and white. Jonsson-Fjallby registered a two-point game in Lehigh Valley on February 11, but was held scoreless the last three games of the month.

With the injuries the Bears have up front, the Swede and his linemates have become the focal point of opposing teams. Jonsson-Fjallby is still getting his chances, but he is missing the net on more shots than he was before. The Stockholm, Sweden native leads the team with 16 goals and game-winning goals with four. He is tied for second on the Bears in scoring with 34 points.

Jonsson-Fjallby has taken just four minor penalties in 43 games this season. That means he is always available to the coaching staff. Since December 12, he has been called for one infraction. This is important considering Jonsson-Fjallby is one of Hershey’s top penalty killers and top scorers. Head coach Scott Allen knows he can trust the Swede to be available in all situations.

TRENDING: SAME

BRETT LEASON (RW) – 22 – Drafted 2019 (Second Round, 56th overall)
The Calgary, Alberta native returned to the Bears for the final game of February against the Utica Comets. Leason recorded the primary assist on the lone Hershey goal in a 4-1 loss. He threaded a pass to Jake Massie in the right circle for a power play goal. It was the first game in the AHL for the winger since December 21, 2021. Leason skated in three games for the Washington Capitals in February. He did not tally a point.

TRENDING: SAME

BECK MALENSTYN (LW/RW) – 23 – Drafted 2016 (Fifth Round, 145th overall)
Coming into the month with four points on the season, Malenstyn found a bit of his offensive stride in February. He tallied his first goal since December 27 against Hartford on February 2.

The goal ended an 11-game goalless and scoring drought. The native of Delta, British Columbia then had the primary helper on Kody Clark’s game-winning goal in Cleveland on February 4. Malenstyn followed that up by netting the game-winner in Cleveland on February 5.

Malenstyn picked up his second game-winning goal of the month in Bridgeport on February 19. He added an assist in that game as well.

Malenstyn finished the month with five points. He also blocked a lot of shots on the penalty kill and delivered some big hits.

TRENDING: UP

DYLAN MCILRATH (RD) – 29 – Drafted 2010 (First Round, 10th overall – New York Rangers) The physical blueliner is called upon to play big minutes defensively. McIlrath is Hershey’s top defensive defenseman and plays a ton on the penalty kill. The Bears rely heavily on Winnipeg, Manitoba native not only for his defensive presence, but also his veteran leadership and consistently stands up for his teammates. His plus 12 rating is the second-best rating among Hershey defensemen. McIlrath has not recorded a point since January 25, but that is not why he is the lineup. He does what is expected of him.

TRENDING: SAME

BOBBY NARDELLA (LD) – 25 – Undrafted
Nardella has not skated in a game since injuring his leg on a hit by Syracuse’s Gabriel Dumont on January 7. The Bears have missed his ability to move the puck up the ice as the team has struggled with zone exits in his absence. Late in February, Nardella returned to practice in a non-contact capacity.

TRENDING: SAME

GARRETT PILON (RW) – 23 – Drafted 2016 (Third Round, 87th overall)
The Mineola, New York native returned from injury after missing two games for the matchup in Cleveland on February 4. Pilon picked up an assist on Mike Vecchione’s first period power play goal. In the second period, he was checked into the boards near the benches. Pilon left the game and did not return to the contest.

Pilon did not play in another game during the month, but did resume skating late in February.

TRENDING: SAME

BRIAN PINHO (RW) – 26 – Drafted 2013 (Sixth Round, 174th overall)
Pinho compiled more points in February than he had in the rest of the season. He entered the month with eight points on the season, but scored nine points in February. He was tied for the second most points on the team with Lucas Johansen. The Providence College product netted a team-high six goals during the month.

Pinho tallied a shorthanded game-winner in Bridgeport on February 19. He worked a give-and-go with Lucas Johansen and wristed a shot low to the glove side of Bridgeport goalie Jakub Skarek.

The North Andover, Massachusetts native has netted a goal in three of his last four games. He stepped up offensively for a team missing several key forwards.

Pinho would also add an empty net goal at the end of the game.

Pinho suffered an upper body injury and missed the last game of the month.

TRENDING: UP

ALIAKSEI PROTAS (C) – 21 – Drafted 2019 (Third Round, 91st overall)
Protas came back to the Bears for the February 11 game in Lehigh Valley and played in Hershey’s final nine games of the month. In his second game back, the center recorded a two-point game. He set up Mike Vecchione’s first period power play goal with a diagonal pass to the left circle from along the goal line. Protas drew a penalty in the second period and then scored on the ensuing power play with a laser from the right circle.

Protas had one assist in his next five games, but then contributed another two-point game in Utica on February 25. His first period power play goal would be all the Bears would need in a 4-0 victory. It was Protas’ first game-winning goal of the season.

He also assisted on Brian Pinho’s empty net goal. Protas has 10 points in 17 games with Hershey this season.

TRENDING: SAME

MIKE SGARBOSSA (C) – 29 – Undrafted
Sgarbossa missed the entire month of February after injuring his shoulder after being checked into the boards on January 29 in a game versus the Bridgeport Islanders.

He resumed skating in a non-contact jersey late in the month.

TRENDING: SAME

HUNTER SHEPARD (G) – 26 – Undrafted
Shepard provided the Bears with strong goaltending in a month where Pheonix Copley was in Washington and Zach Fucale struggled. The Minnesota Duluth product started in three games in February and saw action in relief of Fucale in another. He went 2-1 in his starts.

The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native surrendered four goals in a 5-4 win over Belleville on February 12, but Shepard made several strong saves. The first came four minutes and one second into the game. Egor Sokolov tried to backhanded a loose puck in, but Shepard stopped the attempt with his left pad. Then with his team shorthanded at the 9:09 point of the first, the netminder came across to deny Rourke Chartier’s one-timer from the right circle.

In his next start, the Minnesotan was nothing short of stellar in Bridgeport on February 19. He made 18 first period saves, including three early stops on Chris Terry and Arnaud Durandeau. Late in the period, Shepard denied Robin Salo’s left circle shot and then stopped Jeff Kubiak on the rebound. Shortly after those saves, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby gave the Bears a 1-0 advantage. In the second period, Shepard was huge. One minute and three seconds into the middle stanza, Cole Bardreau was open in front. Shepard flashed his left pad to keep the puck out. He was back at it a minute and 35 seconds later. He made two left pad stops on Parker Wotherspoon and then kept Collin Adams’ attempt out as well. Shepard was not done. The Islanders came in on a three-on-one after a Hershey defenseman fell down. The Minnesota Duluth alum knocked down Felix Bibeau’s wrist shot with his glove and then used his shoulder to keep Bibeau’s rebound attempt out. Immediately following this sequence, the Bears came down and scored to go up 2-0. Shepard ended the game a career high 42 saves and earned a well-deserved victory.

He played well in his final start of the month against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 22, but got no offensive support. Shepard gave up a single goal, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton potted two empty net goals and Hershey fell 4-1. He stopped 22 shots in that game. For the season, Shepard is 5-2-0-1 with a 1.93 goals-against-average and a .926 save percentage

TRENDING: UP

JOE SNIVELY (LW) – 25 – Undrafted
Hershey’s leading scorer did not appear in a single game for the chocolate and white in February. Instead, Snively spent the month in the NHL with the Capitals. The Herndon, Virginia native tallied four goals and added an assist in eight games with Washington in February.

He recorded his first career two-goal game in Montreal on February 10 and also had an assist in the game. Snively was named the game’s number one star. Despite not playing a game in February, the Yale University alum continues to lead the Bears in points with 38 and assists with 28. Snively also still leads the team with three shorthanded goals and a plus 22. He is second on the team in goals with 15.

Washington head coach Peter Laviolette has stated that Snively is here to stay in the NHL and the winger has likely played in last game in Hershey.

TRENDING: UP

RILEY SUTTER (C) – 22 – Drafted 2018 (Third Round, 93rd overall)
February started out well for Sutter. He had the secondary assist on Kody Clark’s game-winning goal in Cleveland on February 4. On the next night, Sutter opened the scoring against Cleveland when he intercepted a Scott Harrington clearing attempt and lifted his shot over the glove of Jean-Francois Berube for his second goal of the season.

The native of Calgary, Alberta then set up Beck Malenstyn’s game-winning goal. He was named the game’s number one star.

Unfortunately for Sutter, that was the end of his scoring in the month. He failed to record a point in his last seven games and was a minus five during that span. Consistency continues to be an issue for Sutter. The pivot just cannot seem to put a stretch of quality performances together.

TRENDING: SAME

MIKE VECCHIONE (C) – 28 – Undrafted
The Union College product paced the Bears with 10 points in February. Vecchione potted two goals, one on the power play, and had an assist in a 4-1 win over Cleveland on February 4. The native of Saugus, Massachusetts assisted on all three of Hershey’s goals in a 6-3 loss to Lehigh Valley on February 11.

Vecchione factored in on the opening and winning goals the next night against Belleville. He started the scoring in the first when he ripped a shot off an Aliaksei Protas feed over the glove of Belleville goalie Mads Sogard for a five-on-three power play marker. Vecchione then set up Cody Franson’s game-winning, power play goal in the third period.

He recorded another multi-point game in Utica on February 25. Vecchione had the primary assist on Protas’ first period power play goal. Then, he converted a stretch pass from Lucas Johansen in the second for his 12th goal of the season.

Vecchione is tied for second on Hershey in scoring with 34 points. He is second in assists with 22 and is tied for the team lead with five power play goals.

TRENDING: UP

CHL (WHL/OHL/QMJHL)

GARIN BJORKLUND (G) – 19 – Drafted 2020 (Sixth-Round, 179th Overall) Bjorklund’s struggles in goal continued for most of the month of February. He also had a stretch where he was pulled mid-game in four of his five starts from Jan. 16 to Feb. 2.

In late February it appeared Bjorklund finally found his game, allowing just four goals on 62 shots, including a 39-save performance in the Tigers 2-0 loss to the Regina Pats on February 23. Bjorklund told Medicine Hat News he’s felt like he’s found himself over the past few games and said the team helped him get there by clearing lanes so he can better see the puck.

“… I feel like that’s when I am playing my best when I am seeing the puck,” Bjorklund said. “The past few games it’s been nice to know where I am at and have a few good games under my belt.”

The Grand Prairie product recently kept Western Hockey League superstar Connor Bedard off the scoresheet, no easy feat as Bedard is tied for fifth in the league with 32 goals. Bjorklund said it was nice to shut him down and keep him off the scoresheet.

“With Bedard, he is top notch, he’s exceptional for a reason. When he’s coming down you just have to play the puck how it is,” Bjorklund said. “He’s got some tricks up his sleeve so you have to be patient and poised with it and let the puck hit you.”

Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said the game was maybe Bjorklund’s best game of the year and said it was good to see him have a game like that.

“He’s such a good goalie, and when he plays like that, he’s one of the best goalies in the country,” Frazer said. “You know, that’s why he was invited to World Junior camp this summer, because he has elite level talent. So to see him play like that last night, it was great to see him because he’s been working hard.”

Unfortunately for Bjorklund and the Tigers in Bjorklund’s next game he gave up six goals on 27 shots faced before being pulled at the midway point of the game on February 26.

For the season Bjorklund is 6-24-0 with a 4.18 GAA and a .875% save percentage. As we’ve noted in previous monthly reports, Medicine Hat is not a very good all-around  team, so some of Bjorklund’s negative results are team oriented. For comparison, the Tiger’s number two goaltender, Beckett Langkow, is 3-12-0 with a 4.43 GAA and a .865 save percentage.

TRENDING: DOWN

HAAKON HANELT (F) – 18 – Drafted 2021 (Fifth-Round, 151st Overall)
The team announced on November 19 that Hanelt required shoulder surgery and would be out several months.

Hanelt was back on the ice at the beginning of the month, albeit in a red non-contact jersey. Sources say Haakon’s rehab has been going well and he is on track to return to games by mid-April.

TRENDING: SAME

MARTIN HAS (RHD) – 21 – Drafted 2019 (Fifth-Round, 153rd Overall)
An extremely quiet but steady month for Martin Has. He has anchored the right side of the top pair for the entire season.

While scoring has been rare (0g, 3a in 10 games in February), his defense has been solid in the four games we watched in February and solid for the entire season. He is ready fgor the next step and should compete for a spot on the right side of the Hershey Bears blueline this fall.

TRENDING: SAME

BEAR HUGHES (C) – 20 – Drafted 2020 (Fifth-Round, 148th Overall)
The Spokane Chiefs announced on January 20 that Hughes was named team captain for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. Hughes became the 35th captain in franchise history and replaced Jack Finley, who was traded to Winnipeg earlier this season.

“Bear exemplifies everything we’re looking for in a leader,” said Head Coach Adam Maglio. “He has a tremendous work ethic on and off the ice, leading by example in all aspects.”

Hughes first goal of the month came on February 2 against the Prince George Cougars.

Hughes changed numbers from #9 to #8 on February 4th when the Chiefs retired Tyler Johnson’s number. Captain Hughes would score the Chiefs only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Kelowna Rockets.

The Spokane Chiefs fired head coach Adam Maglio on February 10. As of Feb. 10, the team had a 12-26-4 record, the second-worst record in the league and were in last place in the WHL’s Western Conference. Associate Coach Ryan Smith took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

“We feel like a change is needed for our group,” Chiefs President Mark Miles said. “The season hasn’t progressed like we hoped it would. We still have a lot of games remaining and we want to put our team in a position to develop both as a unit and individually. We look forward to Ryan and Dustin leading that charge. We appreciate the time and effort Adam put into the organization.”

Hughes went dry for the most of the remainder of February. He would finally score again on February 26. He would also add an empty net goal at the end of the game and was named the first star of the game.

Hughes end-of-the-month surge continued the following night with a goal in the second period against Tri-City.

He would score his fourth goal and fifth point of the weekend later in the game. For the month of February Hughes recorded six goals and three assists in 13 games.

For the season, Hughes has 18 goals and 26 assists in 46 games played (0.96 points per game). He’s shot the puck 115 times for a 15.6% shooting percentage.

Hughes, 20, is finishing up his third season in the WHL. He will then most likely make the jump to the AHL (Hershey) this fall. It’s also conceivable (if the Chiefs postseason ends quickly) he could report for a familiarity stint with the Bears this spring, although Hughes is still unsigned by the Capitals. Expect that to happen in April or May, if not sooner.

TRENDING: SAME

VINCENT IORIO (RHD) – 19 – Drafted 2021 (Second-Round, 55th Overall)
Offensively, Iorio had a goal and six assists for the month of February. He scored his line tally and had two assists against Saskatoon on February 23.

Iorio has looked good defensively and been a steady force on the Wheat Kings backend in the three games we watched in February. As we’ve noted before he has excellent defensive zone exits, uses the boards for his passes and also does well bringing the puck into the offensive zone and joining the play.

Iorio is wrapping up his fourth season with the Wheat Kings, yet is still only 19 (Turns 20 on November 14). He has eight goals and 24 assists in 40 games played so far this season.

TRENDING: SAME

DRU KREBS (LHD) – 18 – Drafted 2021 (Sixth-Round, 176th Overall)
Krebs and the Tigers visited the first place Edmonton Oil Kings in Edmonton on February 13, where Krebs notched two impressive tallies in the contest. He kicked off the scoring just over 10 minutes into the contest with a play that began in his own zone.

Krebs maneuvered the puck between his legs to shake an opposing player. He then made a cross-ice feed to a teammate on the wing and began his rush to the goal where he was fed a pass that he deflected for the tally.

Krebs second tally of the night began with a gathered puck along the wall. He drove to the net and went short side beating the Oil Kings netminder with a backhand shot.

Krebs effort wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell to the Oil Kings 5-3, dropping their record to 9-29-3-1 on the season. Tiger’s associate coach Joe Frazer said it was good to see Krebs get rewarded with points on the score sheet.

“He’s been snake bit a bit this year but he’s one of our hardest workers on and off the ice every day,” Frazer said. “So it’s good to see him get rewarded.”

Krebs, who was named the second star of the game, said he can’t complain about getting on the score sheet as he said scoring goals is one of the best feelings in the world. Krebs said he’s he’s felt more confident over the Tigers last couple games.

“Today I was able to execute but it’s always fun, scoring puts a little extra jump in your step for sure,” Krebs said.

It was his first multi-goal game of his WHL career, said the defeat gives them a little more confidence coming against a team like Edmonton.

“Having a closer game, it makes you feel like if we play like that against more teams than we’ll win more games,” Krebs said. “I think that’s what you pull away from this game.”

Offensively, Krebs has four goals and 10 assists in 47 games played so far this season. He is a -34, but again, that’s on a sub-par Medicine Hat team. He’s looked solid in the two games we watched in February.

TRENDING: SAME

HENDRIX LAPIERRE (C) – 19 – Drafted 2020 (First-Round, 22nd overall)
Lapierre wasted little time finding the scoresheet when Acadie-Bathurst finally returned to game action on February 5. He would score in the first period against Blaineville-Boisbriand. He also had an assist and was named the second star of the game.

Lapierre would score his next goal on February 10 against the Armada.

Lapierre would find the back of the net in the next game on Friday night against Victoriaville. Lapierre had three goals and two assists in the first three games since the restart of the QMJHL season on February 5.

Lapierre would pot a pair of goals on February 21 against the Charlottetown Islanders. His first goal was the first score of the game in the first period.

Lapierre’s second goal came with 28 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. Acadie-Bathurst would win it in overtime.

Lapierre has 12 goals and 19 assists in just 19 games played so far this season. The game count is once again extremely low, but has been out of his control this season. He still needs games and hopefully that comes in the backend of the season.

TRENDING: UP

NCAA/USHL/ECHL

CHASE CLARK (G) – 19 – Drafted 2021 (Sixth-Round, 183rd Overall)
The Muskegon Lumberjacks announced February 8 that the club had acquired goaltender Chase Clark from the Tri-City Storm in exchange for draft picks. Clark appeared in seven games with the Storm this season, with a 4-2-1 record, a 2.51 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

“We’re excited to add Chase to our team and improve our goaltending competition,” said Lumberjacks President of Hockey Operations Steve Lowe. “We’re really happy with our current goaltending situation and bringing in an NHL draft pick such as Chase will allow Cameron [Korpi] and Aleksandr [Kuleshov] to grow as goaltenders.”

As compensation for Clark, the Lumberjacks will send a 2022 Phase II fifth-round draft pick and future draft pick considerations to Tri-City.

Clark made his first start for the Lumberjacks on February 18 and was shelled in his first two games. He has a 6.39 GAA and a .783 save percentage so far for the Jacks. He will report to Quinnipiac this fall.

TRENDING: SAME

MITCHELL GIBSON (G) – 22 – Drafted 2018 (Fourth-Round, 124th overall) Gibson is once again finding his groove, and has returned to pre-COVID performance levels. Gibson stopped 15 of 15 shots faced for the shutout against Yale on February 11th.

He had one of the best outings of his career on Saturday, February 19, sending aside 39 shots against No. 4 Quinnipiac to lead Harvard to a hard-fought 1-0 victory. He finished the weekend with 67 saves, boasting a 1.50 GAA and .957 save percentage.

Gibson was selected goalie of the week in the ECAC on February 21. Gibson (Jr. – Phoenixville, Penn.) was just what the Crimson needed in net over the weekend, picking up a pair of wins over Princeton and Quinnipiac to help Harvard clinch a first-round bye in the ECAC Hockey playoffs.

TRENDING: UP

BRENT JOHNSON (RHD) – 18 – Drafted 2021 (Third Round, 80th Overall)
Johnson made his first start of the month on February 4 against Omaha and also played the following night, both games at 3RD. He played in eight games in February and the freshman looked solid in the two games we watched.

Offensively he scored his first collegiate goal on February 12 against Colorado College.

For the season Johnson has a goal and an assist in 18 games played. Good progress for the Freshman so far this season.

TRENDING: SAME

JOAQUIM LEMAY (LHD) – 19 – Drafted 2021 (Fourth Round, 114th Overall)
Joaquim “Jo” Lemay played in 10 games for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL during the month of February. During that time, he scored two goals and recorded five assists.

Lemay scored the game winning goal at the last second in a 4-3 win against the Omaha Lancers. This marked his fourth game winning goal of the season. Lemay slipped a shot past Omaha goalie Thomas Heaney with one second remaining to lift the Stars to a win in Ralston in February 20.

He scored a goal in a wild 7-6 Overtime victory against the Fargo Force on February 24. Overall, for the season, he had seven goals and 24 assists for 39 games. He has played on both the first and second defensive pairing and serves as an alternate Captain.

Offensively, for the season Lemay has seven goals and 25 assists in 39 games played. He will report to Nebraska-Omaha this fall.

TRENDING: SAME

BENTON MAASS (RHD) – 23 – Drafted 2017 (Sixth-Round, 182nd Overall)
Maass and Minnesota State won the MacNaughton Cup on Saturday, February 19. The MacNaughton Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The trophy is named after James MacNaughton of Calumet, Michigan, who was an avid supporter of amateur ice hockey.

Maass has been solid on the backend for Minnesota State. He just doesn’t find enough shots. The Capitals rights to Maass will lapse this off-season unless he is signed.

TRENDING: SAME

EUROPE (SWEDEN/SWISS LEAGUE)

DAMIEN RIAT (F) – 25 – Drafted 2016 (Fourth-Round, 117th Overall)
Riat continued his season for Lausanne HC in the National League in Switzerland. He played in five games and scored one goal for the month of February.

He scored the team’s second goal in their 5-2 loss to SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. Overall, for the season, he has scored 8 goals and has recorded 9 assists in 27 games.

TRENDING: SAME

OSKAR MAGNUSSON (C/W) – 19 – 2020 Draft (Seventh Round, 211th Overall)
Magnusson continued his season with AIK in the Hockey Allsvenskan (Second Highest League in Sweden). He played in eleven games during the month of February and scored no goals but earned two assists.

He earned an assist for the team’s third goal on February 15, scored by Daniel Torgersson that tied the game at 3-3 which AIK won 4-3 in Overtime against Tingsryd. He earned an assist on the team’s first goal against IF Bjorkloven that Daniel Torgersson scored in a game they won 6-1. His overall statistics are four goals and six assists in 35 games.

TRENDING: SAME

KHL (VHL/KHL)

BOGDAN TRINEYEV (F) – 19 – DRAFTED 2020 (Fouth-Round, 117th Overall)
For the month of February, Trineyev returned to MHK Dynamo in time for a two game set against Spartak. In those two games, he scored a goal on February 25 and got an assist on February 26. Trineyev served as the team’s Captain for the game of February 26. Overall for the season, his stats with MHK Dynamo are 2 goals and 13 assists in 18 games.

For Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, his overall statistics are that he played in 11 games with no goals or assists. He practiced with Dynamo during late January and February but had not appeared in any recent games with Moscow Dynamo.

Trineyev turns 20 on March 4.

TRENDING: SAME

Connor McMichael And Martin Fehervary

Where are Connor McMichael and Martin Fehervary? – We’ve graduated them from our formal prospect pool. Should they return to Hershey we will re-introduce the players to our monthly reports.

The following graphic is an updated running prospect roster for the Washington Capitals: [Click to enlarge]

The following is a summary of monthly prospect trends through February:

By NoVa Caps Prospect Team

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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8 Responses to Washington Capitals Prospect Report – February, 2022: Hendrix Lapierre And Mitchell Gibson Continue Strong Seasons

  1. Anonymous says:
    March 1, 2022 at 12:00 pm

    This is awesome. Thanks again for these concise reports!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    March 1, 2022 at 12:41 pm

    As you noted in previous monthly prospect reports, Gibson is committed to finishing his college career (as he should). He will be pushing 25 when he graduates. Doesn’t this seem old to be entering the Capitals development system?

    Reply
    • Jon Sorensen says:
      March 1, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      I believe he will be 24 when he graduates from Harvard. Not too old to begin his work in Hershey.

      Reply
      • GR+in+430 says:
        March 1, 2022 at 3:22 pm

        Given the Caps current goaltending pool, he might just have to skip Hershey… He and Shepard are really the only hopes the Caps have for an internal solution to their goalie problem.

        Reply
        • Jon Sorensen says:
          March 1, 2022 at 4:08 pm

          Roger that. Shepard has looked really good as of late. Fucale had a bad month but his last game was a shutout. Given he became a new dad recently, I’m giving him a little more time to right the ship.

          Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    March 1, 2022 at 1:23 pm

    It’s amazing how much development Lapierre has achieved in so few games. He needs a full season, stat.

    Reply
  4. steven says:
    March 2, 2022 at 1:09 am

    Just wish that I could get this in my news feed rather than having to pullit up and not being able to espond to it without jumping through hoops!

    Reply

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