After about 100 hours the second day of the NHL 2020 draft came to end. The Capitals made four selections going from the fourth to seventh round. It was disappointing to be honest. After the Capitals made a good swing for the fences in the first round with Hendrix Lapierre they played it very safe with their picks (until the seventh round). There was some high end potential picks that they passed on that could have really paid off.
Note: These reports are based off of others’ scouting reports and video.
Let’s get to it.
Bogdan Trineyev, W
6’2” – 190lbs
MHL
Drafted 4th Round (117th)
Bogdan continues that trend for the Capitals as drafting size and speed. You can read up on it here, but the Capitals look like they have been identifying the trend of the league getting smaller and faster so the Capitals are going bigger and faster in order to smother those smaller players.
Bogdan also has skill to his game with some soft hands. He uses his size wisely to get to the front of the net and win puck battles along the wall. He isn’t a speedster but for 6’3” he certainly moves very well. Some improvement to his east-west skating would do wonders. And though he does have skill he needs to improve all aspects of it; he needs to improve his shot, hand-eye, and passing. Again, they’re good but could be better.
As of now, Bogdan has good middle six potential as a power winger and will certainly fit in with Capitals style of pay. It would be nice if he can improve so he’s considered more top nine talent. If he can move up in the lineup he could be a good linemate to any of the Capitals centers.
Bear Hughes, C
6’1 – 165lbs
WHL
Drafted 5th Round (#148)
Hughes reminds me a lot of Eric Florchuk who the Capitals drafted with their last pick in 2018 (and who they have since not qualified). Hughes seems like a jack of all trades type player that you can play through out the lineup and rely on him. Some think he has some good potential but for now looks like it’s just a bottom six player. He’ll need to have a good upcoming season (if there is one) to prove he’s more.
Garin Bjorklund, G
6’2” – 170lbs
WHL
Drafted 6th Round (#179)
Not much to say about Garin outside that he’s a goaltender who stops pucks. But it’s hard to hate on the Capitals as they draft goalies really well so we’ll see what this kid can do going forward.
Oskar Magnusson
5’10 – 165lbs
J20 Nationall / SHL
Drafted 7th Round (#211)
Somehow the Capitals did a great job swinging for the fences with their very first pick and their very last pick, but not in between. Oskar is an undersized forward that can play either winger or center. He has a strong offensive skill set that loves to drive to the net and doesn’t give up plays in his own zone. He has legitimate top six upside. He was supposed to go in the second or third round but fell to the seventh so good on Capitals for stepping up and grabbing in. Now only if he had that mind set with their fourth, fifth, and sixth round picks.
Overall, I’ll give the Capitals a B-. Lapierre was a fantastic grab in the 1st round, while Magnusson was a good potential bet in the seventh round. Trineyev looks like he will be a good power forward but there were other players they could have gambled on. Hughes looks decent at best and who knows about Bjorklund. But it’s early, maybe those middle three players I’m sour on end up being great. We’ll see.