Last week, we kicked off our look at the top 25 Capitals under the age of 25 with a look at 25 through 16.
Ready for the next group? Cool. Let’s go ahead and continue on with the list, and this current installment will take a look at players 15 through 11.
15. Nathan Walker, LW/C (22.5, drafted 89th-overall in 2014 draft, previously unranked in last year’s Top 25 list)
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nathan Walker during an internship for a profile piece on how exactly an Australian ended up getting drafted by an NHL team.
What struck me the most about the conversation was not only the fact that he was incredibly excited for his brand new opportunity with an NHL club, but there was almost a sense of relief knowing that he finally had a sense of stability within a club.
For the better part of his entire junior career, Walker bounced all over the world, playing for multiple teams within the Czech Republic, constantly being loaned between certain age groups within his Vitkovice Hockey Club. He even occasionally returned to Australia for a couple of games here and there.
But when a brief–but strong–stint in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms earned Walker a spot on the Hershey Bears (and an eventual NHL Draft nod), the young forward was a bit overwhelmed. Young for the AHL, Walker played sparingly, and he even received a demotion to the ECHL.
This last year was different, though. Walker didn’t just maintain a full-time spot with the Bears; he thrived in Hershey, setting new career highs in both goals (17) and assists (24) and finished the season as the fourth-highest scorer on the team.
It also bumped Walker up a bit on the Capitals’ prospect totem poll. Capitals’ General Manager Brian MacLellan praised his performance, noting that that Walker played with “a little more energy” and “a little more maturity” this past season.
According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, Walker set some goals for himself last year. And he didn’t just smash some of his own expectations, he accomplished some he couldn’t even anticipate:
Not only was Walker taking strides offensively, but he was also adding new factors to his game. When Chandler Stephenson was called up to the Capitals, it was Walker who shifted from wing to center, a career move that, even if brief, can be nothing but beneficial. And that willingness to learn and improve didn’t go unnoticed. Hershey Bears Head Coach Troy Mann was tremendously pleased with Walker. More from Khurshudyan:
That speed bodes well for Walker. Not particularly blessed with size at just 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds and not generally known for his offensive flair, Walker’s ceiling is essentially fitting in somewhere within an NHL team’s bottom-six.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup run showed that speed within a team’s bottom six should be a hot commodity. Walker likely isn’t ready to step in with the Capitals full-time this upcoming year, but he may get a game or two if a body is needed. But Walker’s NHL time, whether it’s with the Capitals or not, is just on the horizon.
14. Stanislav Galiev, RW (24.8, drafted 86th-overall in 2010 draft, previously ranked 14th in Top 25 list)
Leading up to his *technically* first full-time season in the NHL, why was Stanislav Galiev always kind of hyped up as a potential NHL playmaker?
Because the guy flat-out performed, no matter the level of play, in virtually every season leading up to this year. And it directly led to team results.
In 2008-09, Galiev won a Clark Cup in his first and only year in the USHL, and appeared in the USHL All Star Game. The following season Galiev led all QMJHL rookies in assists, made the All-Rookie team and participated in the CHL Top Prospects game. His Saint Johns Seadogs won a QMJHL Championship and the CHL Memorial Cup in 2010-11, and then defended their QMJHL title in 2011-12, a playoff run in which Galiev led the Q in goals (16) and points (34). After completing his junior hockey career, Galiev made his professional debut in 2012-13 with the Stingrays and was part of their ECHL Kelly Cup team. The guy was simply a winner.
But something is just not clicking for Galiev in the NHL. After a nice 25-goal and 45-point campaign with Hershey in the 2014-15 season, it appeared Galiev was ready for a full stint in the NHL – but in 24 games, Galiev recorded just three assists and didn’t score a single goal.
Bruce Bennett/ Getty Images Sport Sure, Galiev, whose skill set works best among more offensive-minded players, was generally utilized on the fourth line among players who focused more on the defensive side of the game. So Galiev is already essentially primed for underwhelming play.
But there were moments when Galiev did have a chance to perform alongside more offensive firepower. In (admittedly rare) power-play situations, Galiev was given the “Ovi spot” of the power play, a position he enjoyed during his time in with the Bears in the previous season. But he just never capitalized on his opportunities. And, even if he is given fourth-line minutes, there is no excuse for a player believed to be a playmaker to record just three assists in 24 games.
To Galiev’s credit, the 24-year-old forward with 26 total NHL games isn’t giving up on himself just yet, more from Khurshudyan:
That’s all fine and great. Galiev should have full confidence in himself. But if we take a step back and assess the Capitals situation, does Galiev have a realistic shot at that third line position anytime in the near future? After all, the team went out and signed Brett Connolly, have publicly stated they’d like to see Tom Wilson’s role increase and have openly spoken optimistically about Jakub Vrana appearances in the upcoming season.
Galiev may be capable of playing a full time forward position on an NHL team. Optimists will tell you just that. Pessimists will tell you he’s not an NHL player. Reality is, Galiev’s trajectory (as noted in his 2015-16 Rink Wrap) is likely as a tweener between the NHL and AHL… at least with the Capitals.
13. Vitek Vanecek, G (20.8, drafted 39th-overall in 2014 draft, previously ranked 13th in Top 25 list)
Like every goaltender, some days you are just really on your game, and some days you just may be a bit off.
At first glance, that may be pretty apparent in Vitek Vanecek’s stat lines, especially at the World Junior Championship this year. But there were times when Vanecek, in his second stint at the WJC, was downright incredible. His .881 save percentage and a 2.78 goals against average in five games was a bit underwhelming, and he did at times give up soft goals, but there were also several occasions where the Czech Republic were completely outplayed by their opposition, and Vanecek faced a flurry of shots and he stood strong.
But in the Czech Republic’s elimination game against the United States, Vanecek was pulled after allowing two goals on the first 10 shots he faced after just one period. The United States would go on to win the game 7-0, eliminating the Czech Republic.
That wasn’t a pretty moment for Vanecek, and he certainly had plenty more of those in his rookie season of the ECHL. In November of last season, Vanecek was named ECHL Rookie of the Month after recording a 4-2-1 record, a single shutout, a .946 save percentage and a 1.26 goals-against average.
Vanecek cooled off a bit as the season wore on, but he still managed to put up respectable numbers. His 2.03 goals-against average led all ECHL rookies and was the second-lowest total in the league. His four total shutouts were tied for the second-most in the league as well, and his .917 save percentage was fourth among all ECHL rookie goaltenders.
What’s next for Vanecek? A likely spot in the AHL, as both Bears 2015-16 goaltenders (Dan Ellis and Justin Peters) have moved on and the Caps only brought in one replacement in offseason signing Joe Cannata. He’ll likely be eased into the team as a backup, but the sense is that the starter’s role is his to lose. He made a pretty good impression in his brief audition last year, when he was brought in to spell Ellis and Peters for the final game of the season and he turned aside 25 of the 26 shots (and both shootout attempts) to earn his first AHL win.
Vanecek’s future in Washington is a bit less clear. With Braden Holtby in the midst of a deal that will carry him through the 2019-20 season and no clear sign of him slowing down anytime soon, it’s hard to imagine a starting role for Vanecek in Washington. Current backup Philipp Grubauer will likely move elsewhere within the next few seasons, if not after next season, but there will be competition for the crease by the time Holtby’s contract and/or time with Washington begins to come to a close (whichever comes first), with Ilya Samsonov (a player the Capitals are far more invested in and who has a much higher ceiling than Vanecek) waiting in the wings. Is Vanecek’s future with Washington as a backup and eventual trade bait?
It’s possible. But what Vanecek brings to the table is quick reflexes, with plenty of versatility. He doesn’t have the size that is typically associated with today’s NHL goaltenders, but he makes up for it with speed and lateral movements. Vanecek projects as an NHL goaltender. Where that will be remains to be seen.
12. Jonas Siegenthaler, D (19.5, drafted 57th-overall in 2015 draft, previously ranked 12th in Top 25 list)
Siegenthaler doesn’t really represent the prototypical mold of a Capitals-drafted defenseman. Since 2008, the Capitals have selected John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, Madison Bowey, Siegenthaler and Lucas Johansen as their defensive selections within the first two rounds. Four of those defensemen are generally known for their offensive flair, or, at the very least, their two-way play.
Siegenthaler is not one of those four defensemen, as he has virtually zero offense to his game and has just 19 points in his last three seasons (121 games).
Instead, Siegenthaler focuses more on the defensive side of the game in his home country of Switzerland, where he played for the ZSC Lions (Auston Matthews‘ team). Because, again, not much is expected from him offensively, as International Scouting Service’s European Scout Rafik Soliman pointed out:
And Siegenthaler understands that that is a clear weakness in his game, and, coming into the Capitals most recent installment of Development Camp, he wanted to focus on that aspect of his game, telling this to the Washington Post’s Amie Just:
And while it may be a bit odd to have high hopes on a more defensive-minded defenseman in today’s version of the NHL, Siegenthaler’s hype is warranted. Siegenthaler, who is expected to play a starting role with the Bears this upcoming season, has not only been playing against full-grown men for the last couple of seasons, but has also been playing on international-dimensions ice in Switzerland, 15 feet wider than NHL ice. On the smaller North American ice surfaces, Siegenthaler, solid at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, should be able to rough up his opponents with a bit more ease, closing in on space and suffocating his opponents in the corners.
It won’t be a super-easy adjustment to make, but when he does become more comfortable, Siegenthaler projects as a top-four defensive defenseman.
11. Philipp Grubauer, G (24.9, drafted 112th-overall in 2010 draft, previously ranked 7th in Top 25 list)
This season, Grubauer earned full-time backup duty to Holtby, and, depending on when exactly you saw him, he performed quite well in the position.
At face value, Grubauer’s .918 save percentage and 2.32 goals against average looks relatively average, but, as Muneeb pointed out in Grubauer’s Rink Wrap, there were specific situations Grubauer really excelled in.
Over the course of December, January and February, Grubauer recorded an astounding .938 save percentage. And in arguably the most difficult time for a backup goaltender to work his craft, in coming into relief for a pulled Holtby, Grubauer recorded a .952 save percentage and a 1.17 goals against average, giving the Capitals every chance possible to come back in games in which they were behind.
There were some smudges on Grubauer’s report card, of course, and some areas of his game that made it blatantly obvious he was a rookie goaltender. At times, Grubauer’s rebound control was completely off, bouncing the puck directly into the dangerous areas as opposed to gracefully knocking them out of harms way, as we’ve grown accustomed to with Holtby. Grubauer also struggled with battling through screens and seemed to give up goals due to poor positioning off of defensive zone face offs.
None of that is too concerning, as they’re all signs of a young backup goaltender, and it was a good year overall for Grubauer. The man in front of him on the depth chart spoke very highly of Grubauer’s importance and bright future, telling this to Khurshudyan:
Grubauer will likely step right in and improve off of his sophomore season. And as Holtby stated, Grubauer really does have a good NHL outlook. But with the Capitals already committing to Holtby as their franchise goaltender, Grubauer simply will not have the opportunity to be much more than a backup in the Caps’ organization. He’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason, and will likely showcase his starter potential for one or two more seasons before the Capitals push him out on the trade market.
That’s a harsh reality of the business side of hockey, but one that could be very beneficial to Grubauer as he’ll have the time to prove that he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL. And if a team takes a gamble and snags Grubauer, they’ll likely get just that, a starting goaltender in the NHL.