Washington Capitals Prospect Report: November, 2022 – Ivan Miroshnichenko Returns, Hunter Shepard Shines, Hendrix Lapierre Surges, Alexander Suzdalev Continues Impressive Play

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Jon Sorensen


Welcome to the second installment of NoVa Caps’ Washington Capitals Monthly Prospects Report for the 2022-2023 season. The report summarizes activities for each of the Capitals’ prospects for the month of November, 2022.  

The report is categorized by leagues/regions in which each prospect plays:

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

Each player is graded for the month. We are implementing a new monthly rating system this season that will provide a greater granularity for monthly analysis. Each player will be scored 0-5 for the month, with 2.5 being an average score.

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

AHL/HERSHEY BEARS

November proved to be a very productive month for the Hershey Bears. The chocolate and white won 11 of the 13 games they played in the month to improve their record to 14-4-2 on the season. The Bears end November atop the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Atlantic Division with 30 points.

Hershey’s road play improved in the season’s second month. The Bears were victorious five times away from the Giant Center after going winless on the road in October. This included winning their final four road contests of the month.

The defense has been stout for Hershey, as the chocolate and white have surrendered the fewest goals in the league, 42. The penalty kill ranks second in the AHL and first in the Eastern Conference with a kill percentage of 86.2. Hunter Shepard won all six of his starts in goal and the team did a good job of limiting shots on goal by the opponents.

Offensively, the Bears have a balanced attack, with eight players having amassed 10 or more points. Rookie Hendrix Lapierre led the way with 10 points in November. Mason Morelli added 11 points. Those two players share the team scoring lead with 14 points on the season and each netted four goals for the month. Ethen Frank posted eight points in eight games and Shane Gersich and Henrik Borgstrom each chipped in with seven points.

ALEX ALEXEYEV (LD) – 22 – DRAFTED 2018 (First Round, 31st overall)
The Hershey Bears announced on October 28 that Capitals’ defensive prospect Alex Alexeyev had been officially loaned to the Bears on a long-term injury conditioning assignment. Alexeyev played in four games during his conditioning stint and recorded one assist.

The Capitals announced on November 8 that they had recalled Alexeyev from Hershey. His stint concluded on November 6, requiring a move by the Capitals.

Alexeyev played in one game for the Capitals but has been a healthy scratch for the remainder of his time in Washington. Ideally, Alexeyev should be playing games in Hershey, but unfortunately he would require clearing waivers in order to return to the Bears.

Monthly Score: 2.5

GARIN BJORKLUND – (G) – 20 – DRAFTED 2020 (Sixth Round, #179 Overall)
The Calgary, Alberta native has yet to see action this season. He is listed on South Carolina’s roster, but as not played as of yet.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

HENRIK BORGSTROM (C/LW) – 25 – DRAFTED 2016 (First Round, 23rd overall – Florida)
After getting off to a bit of a slow start in October, Borgstrom found his game in mid-November. The Finnish pivot posted his first multi-point game as a Bear versus Hartford on November 19. He had the secondary assist on Mason Morelli’s opening goal in the first period.

Borgstrom then scored his first goal since October 21 when he fired a shot from between the circles by Hartford goalie Louis Domingue. The marker would be the game-winner.

The two-point game sparked a four-game point streak for Borgstrom. He netted another goal against Hartford on November 20 and then had the primary assist on Connor McMichael’s goal in Springfield on November 23.

The Helsinki, Finland native would burn Hartford on November 25 when he sniped the game-winning goal late in the first period.

Monthly Score: 3.5

GABRIEL CARLSSON (LD) – 25 – DRAFTED 2015 (1st Round, 29th overall – Columbus)
The Orebro, Sweden was a more noticeable presence on the blue line in November, and has been a shot blocking machine. Carlsson threw his body in front of a shot late in the third period in Hartford on November 25 as the Bears were holding on to a 2-1 lead. That shot block was costly for Carlsson as it forced him to miss the next three games with a lower body injury.

In eight games in the month, the Swedish defenseman was a plus eight and was a minus player only once. Offensively, Carlsson chipped in with three helpers, including a two-assist game on November 13 against Laval.

Monthly Score: 3.5

KODY CLARK – (RW) – 23 – DRAFTED 2018 (Second Round, #47 Overall)
Clark remains sidelined following October surgery on his left quad. He is out long term and is unlikely to play this season.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

ETHEN FRANK (RW) – 24 – Undrafted
Frank missed five games in November, but was very productive when in the lineup. The Western Michigan alum averaged a point per game in the month.

He tallied a goal in his first three games in November. His first goal of the month came in the power play at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 5 and was his first professional game-winning goal.

The third of these goals came on November 11 when he registered his first multi-point game as a pro. The goal came in the first period off of a Shane Gerisch feed and he followed that with a secondary assist on Gersich’s third period goal.

The goal-streak ended in the next game, but Frank had an assist to run his point-streak to six games. Frank produced another multi-point game at Lehigh Valley on November 30. He picked up an assist on Mike Sgarbossa’s game-winning marker in the third and then sealed the victory with an empty netter. Frank has six goals on the season, tied for the team lead with Mike Vecchione.

Monthly Score: 4.0

ZACH FUCALE (G) – 27 – DRAFTED 2013 (Second Round, 36th overall – Montreal)
Fucale has started to cede some starts to his partner Hunter Shepard, who has essentially become the Bears number one netminder. In November, Fucale went 5-2 in seven starts. He surrendered two or fewer goals in four of his five wins.

The Laval, Quebec native gave up three goals in both of his losses. Fucale made 13 saves in both the first and third periods in a 2-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 5. He posted a 16-save shutout in a shootout victory of Hartford on November 26. Fucale’s biggest issue has been rebound control. He leaves too many rebounds in prime scoring areas. Overall, the netminder’s number are solid. He is 8-4 on the season with a .912 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.

Monthly Score: 3.5

SHANE GERSICH (LW) – 26 – DRAFTED 2014 (Fifth Round, 134th overall)
After going without a point in October, Gersich elevated his offensive game in November. He broke his eight-game scoring drought in the second game of the month against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 6 by scoring the opening goal in the first period. The marker started a four-game point streak for the North Dakota product.

Gersich recorded a goal and an assist in his next game versus Bridgeport on November 11 for his first multi-point game of the season. He followed with an assist in each of his next two games before being held off the scoresheet in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 18.

The Chaska, Minnesota native then had an assist in games against Hartford on November 19 and 20. Gersich sustained an injury in the November 20 game and missed the final five games of the month. He ended November with two goals and five assists.

Monthly Score: 3.0

MARTIN HAS (RD) – 21 – DRAFTED 2019 (Fifth Round, 153rd overall)
Has was scoreless in eight games with South Carolina in the month. He has been seeing time on the top defensive pair with Chaz Reddekop. Has was had an even plus/minus rating for November.

Monthly Score: 3.0

BEAR HUGHES (C) – 21 – DRAFTED 2020 (Fifth Round, 148th overall)
The rookie pivot had a productive month for South Carolina. He netted seven goals and dished out five assists in 10 games with the Stingrays.

Hughes ranks third on the team in scoring with 14 points. The native of Post Falls, Idaho is averaging 1.08 points per game.

Monthly Score: 3.0

VINNY IORIO (RD) – 20 – DRAFTED 2020 (Second Round, 55th round)
The rookie blue liner found his offensive game this month. Iorio had a single assist in October, but compiled six points in November. He matched his October point total with an assist in November’s opening game in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The November 11 game with Bridgeport would bring a trio of firsts for Iorio. It started when he set up Kale Kessy’s second period goal for his first point of the night. In overtime, the Coquitlam, British Columbia native wired a shot past Jakub Skarek for the decisive tally in a 4-3 triumph. The goal was Iorio’s first professional goal. It was also his first game winner and gave him his first multi-point game as a pro.

He recorded his second multi-point game with a pair of assists against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 29. Iorio’s

defensive responsibilities increased with injuries on the back end. For the most part, he has handled these responsibilities well. Occasionally, he gets caught flatfooted (on Lehigh Valley’s second goal on November 30) or is out of position. However, that is going to happen with a young defenseman. Iorio has been solid on the penalty kill and should continue to improve as the season goes along.

Monthly Score: 3.5

LUCAS JOHANSEN (LD) – 25 – DRAFTED 2016 (First Round, 28th overall)
The injury bug hit Johansen in November. The Vancouver, British Columbia native saw action in just three games in the month.

He registered a secondary assist on first period tally versus Bridgeport on November 11. Johansen did not play being injured in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 18.

Monthly Score: 2.5

HENDRIX LAPIERRE (C) – 20 – DRAFTED 2020 (First Round, #22 Overall)
The rookie pivot has had no trouble adapting to the professional game offensively. Lapierre is tied with Mason Morelli for the team lead in points with 14. In November, he tallied four goals and dished out seven assists.

The Gatineau, Quebec native recorded his first AHL multi-point game on November 6 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He registered the primary assist on Morelli’s first period marker and also had the primary helper on Ethen Frank’s second period tally.

Lapierre also posted a multi-point game on November 13 versus Laval. He opened the scoring in the first period with a snipe from the right circle and then had the primary assist on Bobby Nardella’s power play goal.

Lapierre’s defensive games has shown signs of improvement as well. His backchecking has improved and his coverage in the defensive end has been better. He negated an icing late in the game at Lehigh Valley on November 30 by hustling back to beat the Phantom defender up ice.

Monthly Score: 4.0

BENTON MAASS (RD) – 23 – DRAFTED 2017 (Sixth Round, 182nd overall)
Maass has been in and out of the lineup for South Carolina, playing five games in November. When he suits up, he plays on the third defense pairing. Maass had zero points in the month.

Monthly Score: 2.0

BECK MALENSTYN (LW/RW) – 24 – DRAFTED 2016 (Fifth Round, 145th overall)
The Capitals recalled Malenstyn on October 19. The move came after right-wing Connor Brown sustained a lower-body injury in the team’s 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks the previous night.

Malenstyn was working well on the Capitals fourth line (in the Hagelin spot), but unfortunately, he was injured blocking a shot in the first period against the Vegas Knights on November 1.

The Capitals announced on November 4 that Malenstyn had surgery to repair a fractured finger and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. That puts him at a potential return somewhere between December 15 and January 1.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

DYLAN MCILRATH (RD) – 30 – DRAFTED 2010 (First Round, 10th overall – New York Rangers)
The Hershey captain is a stalwart on the team’s highly-ranked penalty kill. He has been able to do this because he has reduced the number of penalties he takes.

McIlrath has been a steady presence on the back end. He has been paired with Bobby Nardella and has helped the latter become more responsible, defensively. McIlrath is a defensive-minded defenseman and this allows the more offensively inclined Nardella to jump and join the rush.

Offensively, the Winnipeg native chipped in with three assists. All three of his helpers were primary assists. This included the primary on the Mike Sgarbossa’s game-winning goal against Lehigh Valley on November 30.    

Monthly Score: 3.5

CONNOR MCMICHAEL (C) – 21 – Drafted 2019 (First Round, 25th overall)
McMichael was reassigned to Hershey on November 20 and suited up for the Bears that same night. He went scoreless in that game. The Ajax, Ontario native found the back of the net in his next game in Springfield. McMichael snapped a shot from the right circle over the blocker of Joel Hofer to tie the game.

He went scoreless in his next three contests, but did convert in the shootout in a 1-0 Hershey win in Hartford on November 26.

McMichael netted his second goal of the season on November 30 in Lehigh Valley. He sniped a shot from just above the left circle over the blocker of Samuel Ersson for a power play marker in the second period.

McMichael is still finding his game after being used sparingly in Washington. The more game action he gets, the better he will be. Head coach Todd Nelson has also deployed McMichael on the penalty kill to give him another element to his game.

Monthly Score: 3.5

SONNY MILANO (LW) – 26 – DRAFTED 2014 (First Round, 16th overall – Columbus)
Milano was recalled by the Capitals in November 2 and made his debit for them on November 4. He has fit in well for the Capitals recording three goals and four assists in his first 13 games.

It is unlikely that Milano will rejoin the Capitals prospect ranks, as he would require clearing waivers to return to Hershey. Thus, this is likely the final report on him.

Monthly Score: 4.0

JULIAN NAPRAVNIK (RW) – 25 – Undrafted
The German winger played in five games in November after playing just once in October. Napravnik potted his first professional goal against Hartford on November 20. In front of the goal, he pulled the puck to his left and lifted his shot over the glove of Louis Domingue to tie the game for the Bears in the first period. It was the lone point of the month for the Minnesota State product.

Napravnik still does not get into the lineup consistently and he has found it hard to get into a groove as a pro. Once Hershey gets some of their injured players back, a trip to the ECHL would be beneficial to Napravnik.

Monthly Score: 2.5

BOBBY NARDELLA (LD) – 26 – Undrafted
The Notre Dame product ended the month, strongly. He recorded the primary assist on Mike Vecchione’s tying goal in the third period on November 29. The next night, Nardella had the secondary helper on Hendrix Lapierre’s first period marker. The native of Rosemont, Illinois then registered the primary assist on Connor McMichael’s second period tally.

Those three points matched his point total from the previous 10 games in November. His lone goal of the month came on the power play against Laval on November 13. He ripped a shot off a Laval penalty killer and into the net in first period.

Nardella’s defensive play was better during the last five games of the month. He made fewer risky passes out of his own zone. His positioning has also improved.

Monthly Score: 4.0

GARRETT PILON (RW) – 24 – DRAFTED 2016 (Third Round, 87th overall)
After going scoreless in his first three games in November, Pilon recorded three points in his next three contests. This included a two-point outing against Hartford on November 19.

In that game, he assisted on Mason Morelli’s opening goal and then netted Hershey’s third goal in the first period when he beat Wolf Pack goalie Louis Domingue from the near the goal with two seconds remaining in the frame.

Unfortunately for Pilon, he suffered a lower body injury in the game against Hartford and missed the next six games.

Monthly Score: 3.0

HENRIK RYBINSKI (C) – 21 – DRAFTED 2019 (Fifth Round, 136th overall – Florida)
After playing only three games in October due to injury, Rybinski started to hit his stride in November. He potted his first professional goal and point on November 6 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when he roofed a rebound of an Aaron Ness shot over the glove of Filip Lindberg. The goal put Hershey up 4-0 in the second period and seemed like it would be a goal in a rout.

In the end, Rybinski’s tally proved to be the game-winner as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rallied with three goals in the third.

The Vancouver, British Columbia native’s second goal was an empty netter against Laval on November 13.

He amassed three assists the rest of the month to finish with five points in the month. In November’s last game in Lehigh Valley, Rybinski set up Hendrix Lapierre for an easy goal with a nice feed after he drew Lehigh Valley goalie Samuel Ersson out of position.

The rookie has also been a responsible player, defensively and is a key component to Hershey’s strong penalty kill unit.

Monthly Score: 3.5

MIKE SGARBOSSA (C) – 30 – Undrafted
Sgarbossa fell into an interesting pattern November. He would be on the scoresheet for a game, then off for two and then back on the scoresheet again. This happened three times in the month.

The Campbellville, Ontario native commenced the month by netting Hershey’ opening goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 5. Sgarbossa did not find the back of the net again until the last game of the month. That tally was a big one as it put the Bears back in front in the third period at Lehigh Valley and would stand as the game-winning goal in a 4-2 win. In that same game, the veteran center recorded the secondary assist on both Connor McMichael’s second period marker and Ethen Frank’s empty netter. The three-point game matched his point total from the first nine games of the month.

Monthly Score: 3.0

HUNTER SHEPARD (G) – 27 – Undrafted
November was quite the month for Shepard. The Minnesota-Duluth alum went a perfect 6-0 in the month. He turned aside 147 of the 157 shots he faced. Shepard posted a 1.63 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in November. For his efforts, he was named AHL Goaltender of the Month.

The Coleraine, Minnesota native made 26 stops in a 2-1 win in Springfield on November 23, including a highlight reel stop. Five minutes and 36 seconds into the third peropd, Shepard turned the puck over while trying to play the puck behind his own net. The puck ended up with a wide-open Greg Printz. With an unmanned goal in front of him, Printz flung his shot towards the net for what looked like a certain goal. Scrambling back, Shepard dove across the crease and snagged the puck with his glove to keep the game even.

He was named the first star of the game. In his next start on November 25, the two-time collegiate national champion made 30 saves in Hartford, including 10 in the third. He was again the number one star.

For the season, Shepard ranks second in the AHL with a 1.83 goals-against average and is tied for second in the league with a .932 save percentage.

Monthly Score: 4.5

CLAY STEVENSON (G) – 23 – Undrafted
The Dartmouth College product played seven games for South Carolina in November after missing all of October with an injury.

Stevenson compiled a 3-2-1-1 record for the month. He made 38 saves in his first start against Atlanta on November 5. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native picked up his first pro win in the game.

Stevenson has a .910 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average thus far.

Monthly Score: 3.0

RILEY SUTTER (C) – 23 – Drafted 2018 (3rd Round, 93rd overall)
After scoring twice in the first three games of the season, Sutter’s offense has dried up. The Calgary, Alberta native ended November on a 10-game scoreless drought and has one assist in his last 17 games, an assist on November 11.

Still, Sutter has played an important role for the Bears. His penalty killing has been excellent. He is the first forward over the boards for head coach Todd Nelson and has played a big role in that unit’s success.

The son of former NHL center Ron Sutter is also Hershey’s best faceoff taker. He also centers the fourth line which has been a consistent source of energy for the chocolate and white. It took him a few years, but Sutter has finally carved out a role for himself.

Monthly Score: 3.0

MIKE VECCHIONE (C/LW) – 29 – Undrafted
Vecchione scored two goals in November. He now has six tallies on the season and that is tied for the most on the team with Ethen Frank. The Union College product deflected a Bobby Nardella shot past Dustin Tokarski in third period to tie the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in November 29.

The Saugus, Massachusetts native has seven helpers on the season and that is the fourth most on the team. Vecchione is a fixture on the first unit of the Hershey power play.

Monthly Score: 3.5

CHL (WHL/OHL/QMJHL)

HAAKON HANELT (C/LW) – 19 – DRAFTED 2021 (Fifth Round, #151 Overall)
Hanelt scored his second goal of the season on November 17 in Gatineau’s 4-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders. He also had two primary assists in the game and was named the player of the game for Gatineau.

Hanelt missed two games towards the end of the month for injury, and will be out indefinitely. “It’s not a certainty, but it’s possible that Marcel Marcel, Haakon Hänelt, Isaac Belliveau and Tye Austin will play at some point during the weekend,” Robitaille explained on Wednesday when he gave his players a day off in anticipation of his club’s busy schedule.

For the season, Hanelt has two goals and 11 assists in 23 games played.

Having watched several games of his in November, he is involved in the play, but not finishing. They have moved him up and down and around in the lineup in hopes of generating a spark, but so far, it hasn’t helped his goal scoring, at least to a point he began last season.

He was averaging three shots per game in the later half of the month, which is an improvement, but he still having troubles finding the back of the net.

Monthly Score: 2.0

RYAN HOFER (C) – 20 – DRAFTED 2022 (Sixth Round, 181st Overall)
Hofer got off to a good start in November, potting his first goal on November 1 against the Winnipeg Ice. It was a beauty forehand-to-backhand to the far-side post. It was the WHL’s goal of the night.

Hofer returned to the scoresheet the following night midway through the first period against Brandon Wheat Kings.

Hofer notched his second goal of the game in the second period. It was his third goal in the last five periods of play.

Hofer posted a two-goal game in a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Americans on November 11.

Hofer will get dinged for being 20, but he truly has found another gear in his game, starting prior to being drafted by the Capitals, when he was 19. We’ve seen late bloomers before and having watched seven of his games this month, he could be just that. We will need to see more as the season progresses.

Monthly Score: 3.0

JAKE KARABELA (C) – 18 – DRAFTED 2022 (Fifth Round, 149th Overall)
Karabela has cooled off in November, recording just two goals and an assist in 11 games played for the Month.

Watching six of his games this month, Karabela is partly a victim of playing for the underperforming Guelph Storm. Still, his game has noticeably slowed as the month progressed in the games watched.

Monthly Score: 2.0

DRU KREBS (LHD) – 19 – DRAFTED 2021 (Sixth Round, 176th Overall)
Krebs played in his 150th career WHL game on November 16. It was also the night he recorded his first goal of the season.

Medicine Hat has improved as a team to start the 2022-23 season, but still struggle, amassing an 8-12-4 record to start the season. Regardless, Krebs’ game has improved in the three games watched in the month of November, and his basic statistics reflect that. He has a goal and 11 assists in the 24 games, and anchored the second pair (defensive pairing for the Tigers). He is a +1, which is also an improvement over last season.

Krebs will turn 20 in February and look to move to Hershey next fall.

Monthly Score: 2.5

ALEXANDER SUZDALEV (LW) – 18 – DRAFTED 2022 (Second Round, 70th Overall)
Suzdalev was a joy to watch in the month of November, admittedly in part due to the creativeness and talent of his younger teammates in Connor Bedard and Tanner Howe. Suzdalev was streaky for the month, having watched all his games.

He would score a pair of two-goal games in a week then be quiet for a game or two. In the end, he had a great month, with nine goals and 11 assists, although a majority of his goals have come on the power play.

Moments later Suzdalev made a nice move along the boards to setup an attempt at The Michigan.

“I think Alex is making really good strides. I think Washington is pleased with him also,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock after the game. “There’s lots of strides to keep making, but he brings an element to the game that you have to have and he’s doing a good job.”

Suzdalev notched his 8th marker of the season on November 9 against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Suzdalev added two more goals to his season total on November 30. The second goal was an overtime game-winner, giving the Regina Pats a 6-5 win over the Kelowna Rockets.

Suzdalev’s first tally of the night came on the power play at 6:05 of the final frame, tying the game, 4-4. He would drive from the left circle, towards the slot, and fire a quick wrister, beating Kelowna netminder Talyn Boyko, glove side.

Suzdalev’s second tally of the night would be the overtime gsme-winner.

Suzdalev is expected to depart Regina in the coming days in order to join Team Sweden in their preparations for the upcoming 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning in late December. The 47th edition of the Championship is scheduled to be held from December 26, 2022 through January 5, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Monthly Score: 3.5

NCAA/USHL/ECHL

RYAN CHESLEY (RHD) – 19 – DRAFTED 2022 (Second Round, 37th Overall)
Chesley played in eight games during the month of November and has played in 16 games for the season. Offensively, he has not scored any goals, recorded two assists and is +5 for the season.

Chesley has made 19 shots on goal, 13 during November alone. He has blocked 19 shots on goal, blocking 13 during November. He took one minor penalty for November, having taken a total of two for the season.

Chesley spent the early portion of November on the third defensive pairing but has spent the last three games on the top defensive pairing.  

Monthly Score: 2.5

CHASE CLARK (G) – 19 – DRAFTED 2021 (Sixth-Round, 183rd Overall)
Clark and Quinnipiac traveled to Belfast, Ireland for the Friendship Four at the end of the third week of November.

Photo: Quinnipiac

Clark, a Freshman, saw no game action for November. The only games he has played so far this season were two relief appearances in October.

Again, he is a backup to Yaniv Perets, who has appeared as the starting goaltender in every game thus far for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats.

Monthly Score: 2.5

MITCHELL GIBSON (G) – 21 – DRAFTED 2018 (Fourth-Round, 124th overall)
Going into November, Gibson had a record of 1-0. Gibson was in goal against Yale University on November 5, a 4-0 victory, where he made 10 saves. He made six of those saves during third period while the team was on penalty kill.

On November 11, Gibson was in goal and made 18 saves out of 20 shots faced as Harvard beat Rensselaer, 3-2 in Overtime.

Harvard ran their winning streak to seven consecutive games as they beat New Hampshire 3-1 while on the road. Gibson made 27 saves, improving his record to 4-0.

It was a rougher weekend against the University of Michigan on the weekend of November 25-26. The first game was a 4-4 tie where he made 31 saves out of 35 shots. The second one was a 4-1 loss. Gibson made 40 saves out of 43 shots.

For the month of November, Gibson ended up 3-1-1. His record for the season is now 4-1-1 with a Goals Against Average of 1.97 (11th in NCAA) and a Save Percentage of .927 (12th in NCAA). Gibson remains the number one netminder for Harvard, although he is getting relief in the back to back games.

“Gibby” has picked up where he left off last season, and has been solid for Harvard in the early going. He’s second in the NCAA in GAA and 20th in overall save percentage in the NCAA so far this season. Gibson is considered a senior, but his sophomore season (2020-21) was a complete wash-out due to the pandemic, therefore it’s believed college eligibility remains for Gibson. The question remains, will he use it or move on to the pros?

Monthly Score: 4.0

DAVID GUCCIARDI (LHD) – 18 – DRAFTED 2022 (Seventh Round, 213th Overall)
Gucciardi played in eight games in November. Offensively, he scored no goals and recorded two assists. For the season, he’s played in 14 games, scored two goals, recorded three assists and is +5 for the season. He has taken 32 shots on goal and had blocked 18 shots, blocking seven of those shots in November.

Gucciardi usually plays on the second defensive pairing.

He earned his first assist of the season for the team’s second goal in a 5-1 victory against the University of Wisconsin Badgers onNovember 5. Jagger Joshua knocked down a blast from David Gucciardi in the high slot and beat goalie Kyle McClellan at 4:40 during the first period which staked the team to a 2-0 lead and held up as the game-winner.

He had two primary assists in a 4-0 win against Miami of Ohio on November 26. His first assist occurred at 0:57 in the second period. Daniel Russell had flung the puck up to Gucciardi at the top of the zone. He then fed Karsen Dorwart on the right wing for a one-timer to put MSU up 2-0.

He earned his second assist at 10:55 into the third period when intercepting a pass at center ice to set up a quick-developing 2-on-1. He fed Russell on his left for the finish to make it 4-0.

Monthly Score: 3.0

BRENT JOHNSON (RHD) – 18 – DRAFTED 2021 (Third Round, 80th Overall)
Johnson played in six games in November. He scored one goal and recorded two assists. For the season, he played in 12 games, scored one goal, and recorded five assists. He is +5 for the season. He has taken 13 shots on goal and had blocked 8 shots, blocking 6 of those shots in November. He has taken three minor penalties for the season.

He played on the third defensive pairing for the games during the first two weeks of November and moved up to the second defensive pairing for the weekend of November 18 and 19.

On November 12, North Dakota played Denver and lost 6-3. Johnson scored the team’s third goal at 13:41 in the third periodwhich made the score 5-3. This was his first goal of the season.

He earned two assists during a 7-1 victory against Miami of Ohio on November 18. He earned an assist after sending a pass to Griffin Ness who took a shot that bounced off a Miami defender in front and trickled into the back of the net. This goal occurred on the power play at 6:41 in the second period and put North Dakota on top 4-0.

He then had a secondary assist on the team’s seventh goal which took place at 4:43 in the third period. Blake finished off a third-period 2-on-1 with a tap-in at the far post on a pass from Jake Schmaltz. Brent Johnson added an assist for the home team.

Johnson missed the both of the team’s games on the weekend of November 25 and 26 with an illness.

Monthly Score: 3.0

JOAQUIM LEMAY (LHD) – 19 – DRAFTED 2021 (Fourth Round, 114th Overall)
Lemay played in eight games during November. He did not score any goals during November but recorded one assist. He has played in 14 games for the season, scored one goal, and recorded four assists for the season. He is also -2 for the season. He has made 17 shots on goal and has blocked six shots for the season.

Lemay had an assist on a goal by Ty Mueller on PP in third period at 1:13 in third period. This particular goal tied the gamein a game they went onto win 3-2.

Monthly Score: 2.5

EUROPE (SWEDEN/SWISS LEAGUE)

TOBIAS GEISSER – (LHD) – 23 – DRAFTED 2017 (Fourth Round, 120th Overall)
Geisser, along with fellow Capitals forward prospect Damien Riat, represented Switzerland at the 2022 Karjala Cup which took place from November 10 through November 13 in Turku, Finland. Geisser recorded no points for the tournament, but was strong on the backend in the one game we were able to watch.

For the season, he has played in 25 games for EV Zug in the Swiss National League. He has scored 1 goal and recorded 11 assists

Note: Geisser signed a three-year deal with EV-Zug last summer. Our general rule is to cover all prospects where the Capitals retain the rights, so we will continue cover Geisser and similar players. Additionally, Geisser told NoVa Caps over the summer he is fully intending to return “when the rebuild” begins.

Monthly Score: 3.0

OSKAR MAGNUSSON (C/W) – 19 – DRAFTED 2020 (Seventh Round, 211th Overall)
During November, Magnusson played in nine games, scored two goals, and recorded one assist. He scored the game-tying goal on November 2 against Djurgardedn at 16:26 during the third period, which tied the game at 4-4 in a game they ultimately lost 5-4 in overtime.

Magnusson scored a goal on November 30 at 12:35 during the second period of the game against Vita Hasten. The goal put the team ahead 2-1 which proved to be the game-winner in a 4-1 victory.

Magnusson will look to make the jump to Hershey in September.

Monthly Score: 2.5

LUDWIG PERSSON – (C/LW) – 19 – DRAFTED 2022 (Third Round, 85th Overall)
During November, Persson played in seven games for BIK Karlskoga in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Second Tier Swedish League).  He did not score but had two assists.

On November 28, he had the secondary assist on a power play goal by David Lindquist at 6:32 in the first period. It put the team ahead 1-0 in a game they ultimately lost 4-3.

On November 30, he had the primary assist on a David Lindquist goal at 14:13 during third period. Lindquist’s goal was the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Björklöven.

For the season, he has three goals and four assists in 16 games. He has generally played on the third line.

Persson was part of the Swedish junior team in a five-team tournament in Czechia that took place in Poruba, Czechia from November 9 through November 13. He was in the lineup for three out of the four games in which Sweden played. He scored a goal during a 5-1 victory over the Czech Under 19 team on November 9.

Persson is expected to depart BIK in the coming days in order to join Team Sweden in their preparations for the upcoming 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning in late December. The 47th edition of the Championship is scheduled to be held from December 26, 2022 through January 5, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Monthly Score: 3.0

DAMIEN RIAT (F) – 25 – Drafted 2016 (Fourth-Round, 117th Overall)
Riat, along with fellow Caps prospect Tobias Geisser, represented Switzerland at the 2022 Karjala Cup which took place from November 10 through November 13 in Turku, Finland.

Switzerland won 3-2 in a shootout on November 10 against Finland, with Riat scoring in the shootout. Riat scored the first goal against Sweden on November 11 at 14:34 in the second period on the power play. At the time, this goal had tied the game at 1-1. They ultimately lost 3-2 in Overtime.

For his season with Lausanne in the Swiss National League, he has played in 27 games with six goals and six assists for Lausanne team that has struggled this season. We were able to watch two games in November, and while Riat shows flashes of next-level talent, the team struggles rule the scene.

Monthly Score: 2.5

KHL (VHL/KHL)

IVAN MIROSHNICHENKO (F) – 19 – DRAFTED 2022 (First Round, 20th Overall)
Miroshnichenko conducted an interview with MatchTV in the middle of the month. He commented on the draft and being drafted by the Capitals.

“During the draft, there was a moment when I thought that I would get selected earlier. I already gave the phone to a neighbor, I was ready to get out of my chair and go on stage … As a result, I was chosen later. And I am very pleased that Washington believed in me. I will prove that the club did not make a mistake with the choice.” More here.

Miroshnichenko was finally cleared for game action on November 6 and played with Omskie Yastreb, the MHL (Russian Junior Hockey) affiliate of Omsk Avangard, that same day against Momonte Ugry.

While that particular game was unremarkable, after that, Miroshnichenko shook the rust off pretty quickly. The next day, he scored a goal and assist and potted the shootout winner.

After that, he would score at least one goal in every game for Omskie Yastreb, with the goal-scoring streak lasting seven games. On November 16, he scored two goals against Irbis.

His MHL statistics for this year (and for November) are: eight games played, eight goals, and three assists for 11 points. He even has shown a physical game during this stretch to include some hits and one fight.

His action was not just limited to the MHL. He also appeared in two games with Omsk Kryliya, the VHL affiliate of Omsk Avangard. He did not score in either of those games but had at least one assist in each. Thus, he has three assists.

Overall, he has a seven game goal scoring streak in the MHL and a two game point streak in the VHL.

Preliminary reports out of Russian on Thursday mentioned that Miroshnichenko “could” make his KHL debut on Sunday, but the coach said it’s a possibility he is called up, and that there were other factors at play.

Monthly Score: 4.0

BOGDAN TRINEYEV (F) – 20 – DRAFTED 2020 (Fourth Round, 117th Overall)
For the month of November, Trineyev played in seven games for Moscow Dynamo. He scored no goals but recorded an assist in the game of November 28. His ice time in recent games has been between 9-10 minutes and in one game, and was as high as 16 minutes. That was an improvement from the beginning of the month when his ice time was between 6-8 minutes.

However, he did not play in Moscow Dynamo’s game on November 30. Oddly enough, despite not playing, he was the face of Moscow Dynamo’s marketing message on Instagram.

On November 1, he had just returned to the KHL after a short conditioning stint with Moscow Dynamo’s VHL affiliate.

On November 28, he had the only assist on a goal by Vladislav Mikhailov. He started the game on the fourth line. Moscow Dynamo got off to a 2-0 lead but ultimately lost 6-2.

His overall statistics for this season in the KHL are 17 games played, no goals, three assists, and is -7. He has taken one minor penalty for the season.

Trineyev centered the top line against Dynamo Minsk on 11/24.

Monthly Score: 2.5

By NoVa Caps Prospect Team(Eric Lord, Jon Sorensen, Diane Doyle and Joakim Ostman)

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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21 Responses to Washington Capitals Prospect Report: November, 2022 – Ivan Miroshnichenko Returns, Hunter Shepard Shines, Hendrix Lapierre Surges, Alexander Suzdalev Continues Impressive Play

  1. Anonymous says:
    December 2, 2022 at 12:15 pm

    Agree with you, Regina is a fun watch. Tanner Howe (16) is probably the least known of the big 3, but he is impressive. Suzdalev’s shot is NHL caliber.

    Reply
    • Jon Sorensen says:
      December 2, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      Yes indeed. I never planned to watch every game this month, but it turned out that way, partly because I looked forward to the games. Suzdalev’s creativity may be the best among all Capitals prospects at this point. It gets him into trouble at times, but you don’t want to limit his inventiveness.

      Tanner Howe is mind-boggling at his age. And a Bedard…I’ve been reduced to giggling at what he does. He is the real deal.

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    December 2, 2022 at 12:16 pm

    Thank you again! Look forward to these every month. You can tell you guys put in a lot of sweat equity.

    Reply
    • Jon Sorensen says:
      December 2, 2022 at 12:23 pm

      🙏 while the final reports (7,000-10,000 words) takes time to compile each month, the real time (and financial 🙄) commitment is in watching the games. (For example, we have two people who watch each and every Bears game, then combine for discussion/evaluation.)

      Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    December 2, 2022 at 12:31 pm

    Can you guys lay out a projected timeline for each prospect?

    Reply
  4. Lance says:
    December 2, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    Great info! Thank you. I’ll guess around 8 of these prospects make it to the Caps. McMichael, Lapierre, Miro, Iorio, Alexeev, Suds maybe, Persson maybe, Chesley maybe, at least one goalie and a wildcard is likely hiding in there somewhere.

    Reply
  5. Brianna says:
    December 2, 2022 at 1:16 pm

    Haakon is injured again
    GATINEAU – The Gatineau Olympiques announced Thursday that forward Haakon Hänelt will be held out of the game indefinitely.Hänelt suffered an upper-body injury during the Wednesday, November 23 game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

    His condition will be re-evaluated on a daily basis.

    Check there website

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says:
    December 2, 2022 at 6:24 pm

    Thanks again for your monthly updates throughout the season over the years. You guys are the gold standard

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says:
    December 2, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    It’s good too see Sutter finally merge with a defined role. He takes just about every face off for the team as well, so it’s good to get a plan together for the rest of his game. His potential is the 4C spot.

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says:
    December 3, 2022 at 10:33 am

    I get to see Hofer on a regular basis as well and feel his game has undergone a recent positive spike.

    Reply
  9. redLitYogi says:
    December 3, 2022 at 2:51 pm

    great piece as usual for these reports. Now instead of “trending up or down or same” you have a points system. What is the maximum points you can get?

    Reply
    • Jon Sorensen says:
      December 3, 2022 at 4:11 pm

      Thanks Yogi, 🙏 good to hear from you again. (We we’re worried about you 😁)

      Each prospect is scored 0 to 5 with 2.5 being “average” development for the month.

      We found it helps with discerning between a player who had a good month (3.5) and a player who had a really good month like Hunter Shepard (4.5).

      The prior rating system penalized some prospects with just trending “Up” or “down” It will also help us score season in the spring by summing the values.

      Reply
      • Anonymous says:
        December 3, 2022 at 4:53 pm

        I like the new scoring system. You guys watch a ton of prospect games each month – it’s a better or more precise way to convey what you saw.

        Reply
      • Novafyre says:
        December 3, 2022 at 7:33 pm

        That answers one of the questions I had, that it isn’t a cumulative score, just a score for that month. Can I assume that hunter and clay could both score a4.5 even though Clay is in the echl? Or Bear Hughes? Could MCM get a 4.5 in Hershey?.

        Reply
        • Jon Sorensen says:
          December 3, 2022 at 9:43 pm

          Yea, it’s all based on individual development.

          Reply
          • novafyre says:
            December 6, 2022 at 2:12 pm

            OK, so you have Has and Hughes both at 3.0 for the month. Can you briefly go over your thoughts, reasoning, pro and con? To me, Hughes should have been higher and I was surprised that you considered both the same. So obviously I’m missing something. Don’t want to take up a lot of your time, but can you enlighten me?

            Reply

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