The 2015-16 edition of the Washington Capitals featured 14 players that the Capitals originally drafted and another two that the Capitals scooped up as free agents out of college with no NHL experience.
Each of those players at one point was tabbed by the Capitals organization as a player that could make an impact on the club, and all were discovered and snagged by the organization under the age of 25.
This ongoing feature will list out Washington’s top 25 players under the age of 25. Members of the Japers’ Rink team voted on the list of players based on their past production and the likelihood of NHL success (and we did so without any bickering whatsoever).
For the next few installments, you will see high end draft picks, mid round and late round draft picks. You will even see some players who weren’t even drafted at all. You will see some players who have a bit more seasoning to do, players who are on the cusp of making it to the NHL and players who are already established NHL players.
But one thing every player shares in common is the fact that they are under the age of 25 and they represent the best chance at a successful hockey future within the Capitals organization.
So, without further ado, here is Part I of the Top 25 Under 25 installment, featuring players 25 through 16.
Graduated: Nate Schmidt, Dmitry Orlov
No Longer With the Organization: Connor Carrick, drafted with the Capitals’ fifth-round pick in 2012 and was the 10th prospect on our list last year, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Brooks Laich and a second-round pick in exchange for Daniel WInnik and a fifth-round pick. Caleb Herbert, drafted with the Capitals’ fifth-round pick in 2010 and was the 20th prospect on our list last year, signed with the Texas Stars in the AHL this offseason. Thomas Di Pauli, who ranked 22nd on our list last year, signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a UFA. Michael Latta and Chris Brown, who are both no longer with the organization but were featured with as our 17th and 19th-ranked prospects last year, respectively, would have graduated from the list.
Honorable Mentions: Adam Carlson, G (22.7 years old as of Oct. 13, 2016, undrafted free agent signee, previously unranked); Colby Williams, D (21.7 years old as of Oct. 13, 2016, drafted 173rd-overall in 2015, previously unranked); Steve Spinner, F (20.8 years old as of Oct. 13, 2016, drafted 159th-overall in 2014, previously unranked); Damien Riat, F (19.6 years old as of Oct. 13, 2016, drafted 117th-overall in 2016 draft, not applicable in 2015-16 rankings).
25. Kevin Elgestål, L/RW (20.4, drafted 194th-overall in 2014 draft, previously unranked in Top 25 list)
Two years in a row now Kevin Elgestål was supposed to make his AHL debut with the Hershey Bears, but injuries and a deep Bears forward group have kept him off the ice.
Now, Elgestål will head back to Sweden, where he will likely join HC Vita Hästen on a full-time basis. This past season, Elgestål was loaned to the team in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest rated hockey league, for 27 games, recording three goals and two assists. Elgestål also played in 16 games this season for the Frölunda HC under-20 team, scoring six goals and six assists.
No longer eligible for the under-20 team, Elgestål will begin to play against men in this upcoming season. At 6-foot-1, 194 lbs., Elgestål relies more on a grinding-type, two-way game. Expect Elgestāl to continue to put up a little amount of offensive numbers during his time in Sweden.
24. Garrett Pilon, C (18.5, drafted 87th-overall in 2016 draft, not applicable to 2015-16 list)
Garrett Pilon may be a bit undersized at just 5-foot-10 and 174 pounds, but when it comes to NHL pedigree, Pilon has an encouraging, rich bloodline.
Marissa Baecker / Getty Images Sport Pilon’s father, Rich Pilon, played in 631 games as a defenseman between the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Rich was a bit more physical in nature, but that’s not exactly the same style as his son. Garrett is generally one of the smaller guys on the ice, and he has found a way to use his shorter stature to his advantage. Garrett relies more on a skillful style of play, potting 15 goals and 32 assists in 71 games with the Kamloops Blazers in his first season in the WHL. Garrett explained the positives in his stature to The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.
Additionally, Pilon has a cousin, Ryan Pilon, who is a defenseman within the Islanders organization. That means that Garrett has been exposed to a more defensive side of the game within his own family, especially within his own father, and that has influenced him to develop a respect for the defensive side of the game. More from Khurshudyan.
That respect is going to prove to be valuable to Pilon, who already has a natural nose for the net. Prior to his first season within the WHL, Pilon recorded 30 goals and 57 assists in 44 games for the Saskatoon Contacts in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. Those totals led the entire league in assists and points, and Pilon was named as the MVP of the league. And Pilon continued that production right into the WHL. His 47 points were the 10th-most among all WHL rookies.
Pilon most likely won’t make the Capitals out of camp, in which case he will rejoin the Blazers for his second season in the WHL.
23. Connor Hobbs, D (19.8, drafted 143rd-overall in 2015 draft, previously unranked in Top 25 list)
What does a sense of stability and an understanding of a system do for a defenseman? Well, if you’re Connor Hobbs, it puts you on the radar as a possible top defenseman in the WHL.
Hobbs’ introduction to the WHL didn’t initially go as planned. As a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers, Hobbs only saw a handful of games, and it became evident he wasn’t exactly fitting in with the team. Hobbs requested a trade and sat out for two full months in his 2014-15 season. Medicine Hat honored his trade request, sending him to the Regina Pats, where Hobbs is originally from.
Now, Hobbs has blossomed into a top defenseman on the Pats, and some people are beginning to believe Hobbs is capable of much bigger things.
Not only was Hobbs signed to a three-year entry-level deal with the Capitals during Development Camp, but the 19-year-old defenseman was invited to Team Canada’s Development Camp for the 2017 World Junior Championship team. Hobbs joined an elite class of defensemen at a camp, including first-round picks Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators), Noah Juulsen (Montreal Canadiens), Jakob Chychrun (Arizona Coyotes), Jake Bean (Carolina Hurricanes) and Dante Fabbro (Nashville Predators).
And that’s because Hobbs brings an incredibly unique style of play to his team. Not only did Hobbs bring an offensive game from the blue line, tallying 41 points in 58 games, the fourth-most among the Pats and 22nd-most among WHL defensemen (despite playing 14 fewer games than the majority of WHL defensemen), but he brought an incredibly physical game as well. Hobbs’ 106 penalty minutes were the 13th-most among all WHL players.
Hobbs will return to Regina for one last season of junior hockey before he gets to exercise his entry-level deal. But expectations for the former fifth-round pick are beginning to grow.
22. Tyler Lewington, D (21.9, drafted 204th-overall in 2013, previously unranked in Top 25 list)
Hobbs’ physicality saw a bit of a jump in his most recent season, but Tyler Lewington has been known as a physical defenseman for almost the entirety of his hockey career.
After a successful run of junior hockey, ending with a 45-point season in which Lewington captained the Medicine Hat Tigers, Lewington took part in his first season of professional hockey this year. Originally joining the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL, injuries within the Bears blueline (and some recalls to the Capitals) caused Lewington to join the Bears for a good chunk of games. And, once again, Lewington’s physicality bled onto the score sheets, recording 89 penalty minutes in 32 games. That was something head coach Troy Mann wanted Lewington to bring to the table when he joined his blue line, telling Dave Scottile of Lewington’s importance.
But that physical presence can cost Lewington. Lewington missed a possible 2014-15 Bears debut due to labrum damage in his right shoulder. The injury, which required surgery, forced Lewington to miss the 2015 Development Camp, which may be the root cause as to why Lewington started this season in the ECHL.
But after a successful Hershey season, Lewington will have a full-time spot on the roster. In fact, Mann stated after the Bears’ season that Lewington stood out the most among his fellow blue liners, even saying at times Lewington was the best defenseman on the team.
21. Tim McGauley, C (21.1, undrafted free agent signee, previously unranked in Top 25 list)
Every single team is looking for their Tyler Johnson, their Johnny Gaudreau or their Mats Zuccarello, their undersized scorer that can take the league by storm.
The Capitals are taking a gamble on their guy being Tim McGauley.
McGauley, signed last October to an entry-level deal after a standout year with the Brandon Wheat Kings,has been enjoying a great deal of success in his junior career in the WHL. In the 2014-15 season, McGauley recorded 105 points, good for the third-most in the entire WHL. That productive season earned him a spot on the WHL East First-Team All Star team.
But, from a personal perspective, McGauley took a step back in his final WHL season. In 51 games, McGauley managed just 49 points, a far cry from his 105 point season and just the eighth-highest on the Wheat Kings. However, McGauley turned it on for the Wheat Kings WHL Championship run, powering his team with 26 points in 21 games.
Now, McGauley will graduate to the professional ranks, where he will either join the Bears or the Stingrays for his first professional season. McGauley actually joined the Bears for their playoff run, but didn’t appear in any games. Whether or not there is room for McGauley on the Bears’ roster is yet to be seen, but if McGauley’s offensive game translates to the AHL level, there will surely be a spot for him somewhere on the team.
20. Shane Gersich, C/LW (20.3, drafted 134th-overall in 2014, previously ranked 24th in Top 25)
Richard Gagnon / Getty Images Sport A national championship in your first year of college hockey? Definitely not a bad way to start out your collegiate career, and that’s exactly what Shane Gersich did with the University of North Dakota.
Gersich finished off his season with nine goals and two assists in 37 games. And in the championship game, Gersich scored the first goal of the game, planting himself right in front of the crease before cashing in on a rebound opportunity.
With several key departures, including Drake Caggiula (Edmonton Oilers) and Nick Schmaltz (Chicago Blackhawks), Gersich could see an increased role with North Dakota. And if he lines up alongside Brock Boeser, a likely Hobey Baker award candidate, or even Tyson Jost, the 2016 10th-overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche, Gersich may see a large jump in offensive production.
Japers’ Rink actually spoke with Gersich at the Washington Capitals’ 2016 Development Camp to discuss Gersich’s previous season and upcoming expectations. You can find that article here.
19. Brian Pinho, C/RW (21.4, drafted 174th-overall in 2013, previously ranked 23rd in Top 25)
Gersich may be the most recent Capitals prospect to win a national championship in his freshman year, but Brian Pinho managed to accomplish the feat the year prior to Gersich.
Pinho, a critical member of Providence College, scored six goals and 12 assists in his freshman year in route to a surprising championship over Jack Eichel’s heavily favored Boston University.
This year, Pinho and his fellow Friars didn’t cash in on a championship run, but Pinho continued to round out his game, becoming a critical part of his team, which was upset this year in their first-round matchup against Minnesota-Duluth.
Pinho finished the year with nine goals and 16 assists in 38 games. For the better part of the year, Pinho was lined up as the team’s second-line center, and he started the year off hot. In his first 12 games of the year, Pinho managed to record seven points.
Part of the reason Pinho may have found a new level of success was because of the move back to center, where Pinho had played as a member of St. John’s Prep in high school and the Indiana Ice in the USHL. In his freshman year, Pinho was utilized more as a wing. But Providence head coach Nate Leaman moved him back to center this year, and Pinho’s comfort level was quickly apparent. Leaman explained how the move seemed to help Pinho to Mac Cerullo of the Eagle Tribune.
Pinho, who was drafted the same year as Zach Sanford, the former Boston College forward that passed up on his junior year of college to sign a professional deal with the Capitals this summer, will return for his junior year of college. Pinho projects as a player with good speed and good vision, with a pass-first mentality.
18. Liam O’Brien, C/LW (22.2, undrafted free agent signee, previously ranked 21st in Top 25)
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Sport When the Capitals signed Liam O’Brien to an entry-level deal following a strong training camp, and O’Brien promptly made the opening night roster of the 2014-15 Capitals, there was an awful lot to be excited about with the rugged forward.
That excitement may have tempered a bit, as O’Brien played the entirety of the last season in the AHL with the Bears, and several players are beginning to jump ahead of O’Brien in the depth chart.
O’Brien still projects as a physical bottom-six player within the NHL, but is there ever going to be a spot for him within Washington?
What is quite evident with O’Brien is his compete level, and there is absolutely no denying that. O’Brien made headlines when he got into a Twitter war with Tom Sestito of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His 120 penalty minutes led the Bears this year. He’s a feisty player that will do anything to help his teammates.
But that’s what O’Brien has become, a fighter that dangerously toes the line between clean physicality and illegal play. Over a three-day stretch in December, O’Brien was suspended twice. He was suspended for one game following a match penalty after hitting Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Mark Alt in the head. The next game, O’Brien hit Syracuse Crunch forward Henri Ikonen from behind into the boards. O’Brien was promptly suspended for three games. Months later in May, O’Brien was suspended for Game 2 of the Atlantic Final following an aggressively high hit on Wikles-Barre/Scranton forward Dominik Simon.
That reckless play in no way, shape or form helps O’Brien. And with just seven goals and nine assists in 59 games, is an NHL spot within the Capitals organization a realistic possibility?
For what it’s worth, Mann believes in O’Brien’s leadership skills, but he just has to be a bit smarter. Don’t expect to see O’Brien in a Capitals sweater this year, but if O’Brien can add another element to his game outside of his physicality, an NHL spot is in his future.
17. Christian Djoos, D (22.2, drafted 195th-overall in 2012, previously ranked 15th in Top 25)
What’s the most exciting part about Christian Djoos’ first full AHL season? Perhaps it’s the fact that Djoos, not normally known for his offensive style of play, recorded 22 points in 62 games for the Bears this season. That was the fourth-most points for a Bears defenseman this year.
That’s encouraging because Djoos has never been known for being an offensively-adept player. In fact, that 22 single season total was more than Djoos managed in his last three seasons in Sweden.
Djoos is a difficult player to judge, simply because he doesn’t have a clear strong point to his game. He’s not overly physical. He doesn’t have goal scoring prowess. He’s not a puck mover like his father, former NHLer Pär Djoos. He’s just average in just about every aspect of his game. Just read his talent description on Hockey’s Future.
But now with Connor Carrick out of the picture, Djoos’ opportunities should begin to grow. And with so few veteran players among the Bears’ defensive unit, Djoos can realistically expect full time top-four minutes in Hershey.
Christian Djoos power play goal makes it 2-0 Bears. pic.twitter.com/TOHjyfksTG
— Jason Iacona (@nafsnep) March 6, 2016
Djoos may not be particularly flashy, but outside of maybe Madison Bowey, he’s next in line for a young defensive prospect to make an NHL debut. His ceiling may only be a sixth or seventh NHL defenseman, but Djoos has a golden opportunity to continue to grow within the AHL for a few more seasons.
16. Travis Boyd, C/RW (23.1, drafted 177th-overall in 2011 draft, previously ranked 25th in Top 25)
Sometimes making the transition from junior level, or, in Travis Boyd’s case, collegiate level to the AHL can be difficult, but Boyd’s transition was nothing short of seamless.
In his first AHL season, Boyd enjoyed a 21 goal and 32 assist season in 76 games, making Boyd the third-leading scorer among the Bears. That’s more points than Boyd managed to record in a single season with the University of Minnesota.
Boyd’s production came as a bit of a shock to Mann. Mann envisioned Boyd to fill out a bottom six role with the Bears, if he was even going to make the Bears’ roster. After all, it was his first professional season. But soon, Boyd was centering Hershey’s top line, and he was excelling. Mann spoke very highly of Boyd to The Washington Post’s Amie Just.
“We maybe expected him down in the bottom of the lineup or even starting in South Carolina,” Mann said. “We really had no idea going into September what we had and all of a sudden, you’ve got a guy who was playing most of the season with Chris Bourque and scoring game-winners in the playoffs. We believe he’s got a chance…He’s another one that’s got a chance, and I’m hoping if there’s an injury of the course of the next season that he gets his chance.”
And Boyd’s season certainly didn’t go unnoticed in Washington. In a recent Capitals Red Line episode, Barry Trotz told Boyd that he had “done a tremendous job” this season and that Boyd would “get a good opportunity at camp.” This took place at the Capitals Development Camp, the sixth time Boyd has taken part in the camp. Boyd, who played in 97 games this season, more than any other Bear this season, had the option to forego the camp. But Boyd cited the camp as the best opportunity to improve his game, even though he would have enjoyed a longer break, telling this to Just.
That’s the work ethic that Trotz and the rest of the Capitals organization will grow to admire.
Three forward spots opened up this offseason when the Capitals parted with Jason Chimera, Mike Richards and Michael Latta. Two of those spots have been filled by Lars Eller and Brett Connolly, but one spot clearly remains open.
If Boyd has a strong training camp and preseason, don’t be surprised if that open spot belongs to him.
Stats obtained by Eliteprospects.com