Off Season Doldrums

In the words of an assistant coach, "Development camp is... development camp". It is no more or less of what you make of it. For the Capital brass, it is more about inventory. What do they have and what can they use down the line. Rosters are not set because of last week, and no eyebrows were really raised. Take from it what you want, but it is simply a gauge that some players will be measured at when fall camp takes place.

17 year old Garrett Haar turned heads with his play (what a fantastic first name too). It even compelled a general manager to call in a favor with Boston College to get the prospect a chance to continue his development at the NCAA level. Not bad. "Just have to have the right school come through for him here," George McPhee stated about Haar's development and the "I can neither confirm nor deny" way of telling the media he wants to see him improve in the NCAA.

Cody Eakin, the new dark horse to make the roster since pint sized Chris Bourque (who also returned to the organization this off season), had a pretty flat camp. That was to be expected since he played some pretty spectacular hockey just 5 weeks ago. "I think he will be ready in September," scoffed GMGM. Take that critics.

Caps new play thing from Sweden, Mattias Sjogren, looked out of sorts at times. It was to be expected from a European player faced with North American hockey up close and personal for the first time. Good thing he is taking this experience as a learning tool to prepare him for camp. "It is just about orientation," McPhee said of his summer signing Swede. "He has probably not been in too many games where they are hitting and scrapping like this."

The slew of other players did okay, or did alright. No one knocked the socks off the coaching staff. When the big boys come to town, one will see the difference between professional athletes and prospects that might never see the light of Hershey (Josh Godfrey ring a bell?).

What took most people by surprise was the gigantic red wall that was once white behind the stands at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It took awhile to get used to it along with the team secondary eagle logo and "Home of the Washington Capitals" sprawled along the side. Just in case you did not know where you were.

It is more important for the fans in way than it is for the players or coaches. Fans will not see the red, white and blue for another month, month and a half as we have reached the dead zone for hockey in Washington DC. The long period where replays of the recent playoff stretch dominates the NHL Network and news travels the speed of print journalism.

Getting through this period of time takes a bit of patience and a little luck that the Washington Nationals are actually flirting with the idea of staying above the .500 mark for the rest of the season. The other is to talk hockey with friends and family or any one who will listen. I have had the same conversation 5 times with another hockey fan at work about Tomas Vokoun, and I am sure we will discuss it again this morning.

It sucks, but hold out hope. The season is not as far away as you might think and you have the bloggers who will speculate, the writers who will fact find, and Bruce Boudreau's ketchup smeared face on DVR recordings of 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic (oh, you didn't save those, bad fan!).

Finley Arrested, Nice Mug Shot

Joe Finley was arrested and cited for disorderly conduct. According to the Grand Forks Herald:

Joe Finley, 22, and Matt Frattin, 21, are both charged with disorderly conduct. In addition, Frattin faces a fleeing charge and Finley faces a charge of giving false information to officers. All the charges are misdemeanors.

Finley and a UND team mate were throwing objects out of a Grand Forks home. It was their home, but the broken glass and items were thrown into the street as a result of their aggression. Both started to run when police arrived but Finley stopped, Frattin did not.

Finley offered a credit card with a different name on it as identification but finally told the officers his real name when he was taken to the station.

Finley was a first round draft pick of the Capitals in the '05 NHL Entry Draft.

The news was broken in the DC area by the Times blog, In The Room.

Garrett Mitchell

Garrett Mitchell (image left) was the youngest player at the Capitals' Development Camp this past week. At only 17 years of age, he was drafted 175th overall (sixth round) in this year's NHL Entry Draft by GM George McPhee.

What the Caps saw in him was a energy player. A tough sparkplug with good wheels and a knack for mixing it up. He even got into a scrap last season with this summer's teammate Joel Broda. At 5'11 and 180lbs., it's clear the kid from Regina, Saskatchewan has some growing up to do. But the potential is there.

"He's a character kid, a good leader who works hard, plays physical and goes to the net," Ross Mahoney, the Capitals' director of amateur scouting, said. "He's a lot like Stefan Della Rovere in those ways."

Mitchell wasn't one of the stand out players of camp, but he wasn't bad either (one could say he was a stand out due to his age and inexperience). He figured in on some assists and just like every other new player to camp he may have been overwhelmed by the whole experience. I caught up with him right after the third scrimmage on Saturday and asked a few questions about his experience at development camp.

Puckhead's Thoughts: What were your impressions of your first camp?

Garrett Mitchell: The first couple of days everyone just got their feet wet. We didn’t play a game until the third day. I think for us, you know, those first couple of days are tough, but I think for everyone, we bounced back. I thought the pace was really good, even in this last game. It’s a long week and a long grind but I thought everyone just gave their all today.

PHT: How well did you pick up the Caps’ system of play?

GM: Every team you go to there is a little bit of a difference in the system or how the coaches want you to play. But, for the most part, most places you go it’s … a change here and there. But I thought I was quick to pick up on (the way they wanted me to play). I just can’t wait until main camp now.

PHT: What do the coaches want you to improve on?

GM: I am only 17. I think strength is an issue. Strength, speed, everything. You know you can always get better. There are not too many hockey players that can say they are at their best or they can’t get better. For that, you always want to get stronger, always want to get better in the corners or finishing pucks. You got to work to get better.

PHT: What did you think of DC as a city?

GM: We went on our tour. I know for us Canadian guys, we were going “What’s this building? What’s that building?” and the guys from the states are going, “Are you kidding me right now?!” For us it was unbelievable, to see the White House and the Capitol building and all that stuff. It was pretty cool for us.

PHT: I saw on the video you almost missed the bus there at the White House, did you get away from the group?

GM: (Chuckles) Well, there’s four of us kids and we are all from Saskatchewan so I don’t know what’s up with that. Us kids have never seen that before. It was fun for us to go see the White House and you see it on TV all the time. We got a little carried away and looked at it a little too long I guess.

PHT: What’s the one thing you will take home from camp?

GM: You look at the guys that have played here. You go in the dressing room and the weight room, every guy that has ever played since 1974 (for the Capitals) has their number there. You look around at the names and it’s pretty unbelievable whose played here. You got to take back that this is the next step, it’s that close, you just have to keep working for it. Show the guys back home if they try they can make it there too.

Mitchell scored only 10 goals, 15 points for his hometown team Regina Pats. A team he will probably return to in the fall. He also racked up 140 PIMs, that included 14 fighting majors (here is a video of him in action). Definitely a tough kid. Mitchell will turn 18 in September.

White Team Sweeps As Camp Closes

The Washington Capitals' Development Camp ended today with the third and final scrimmage. And team white swept all three games although they didn't dominate like they had in previous scrimmages. For the prospects it was a last ditch effort to impress management and coaches.

Michael Dubuc scored another two goals for seven goals total in three games. He had a tremendous camp. His contract is actually through Hershey, but that could change in a heartbeat. He scored 35 goals in 49 goals with South Carolina last season.

Others that impressed were Trevor Bruess, John Carlson, Dmitri Orlov and goaltender Braden Holtby.

Carlson felt he didn't have the best camp, but he has improved since last summer. He looked a bit human today with two bad turnovers. His overall performance was very good through camp. He looks like he can make a smooth transition into training camp by the end of August.

A player that made the switch from the white team to the blue one, Trevor Bruess also had an impressive camp. He is a hard working player, and it was apparent through out the scrimmages. Bruess had a couple of assists and worked well with the white team on a line with Andrew Glass and invitee Backman.

Another good defenseman was Dmitri Orlov who had some dynamite hits and handled himself well with the puck. He was usually partnered with Carlson and the duo played very well together. Orlov was considered a steal in the second round of the draft this year. He has the potential to go further and it would be interesting to see him with bigger faster players.

Braden Holtby had a good camp too. He had a great opening in the scrimmages when he posted a shut out in the 30 minutes he played. He came up with some good saves for his team and looked pretty good in net. He has filled out his pads from last summer, and looked much more confident in net.

A surprise to this years camp might be Garrett Zemlak, who played well in the final two scrimmages. He nearly posted a shut out in today's scrimmage, and he kept his blue team in it in the second scrimmage by stopping everything that came his way. Impressive considering the white team dominated the second game and eventually won the game on seven straight third period goals.

Those that might have come up on the disappointing side were some old hats. Like Francois Bouchard who didn't play bad, but didn't stand out either. Today he was a bit in and out of the play and only seemed to push his intensity button late in the third when he had a scoring chance that rang off the post.

Jake Hauswirth also had a so-so camp. After lighting the lamp five times in last summer's camp, he hardly made much noise this year. In the third scrimmage he was lined up with invitee Meyer and Joe Finley. The line was a big one and had their moments, but they couldn't get the puck in the net.

Finley played up as a forward in this game, and he did okay. There were moments where he was a little lost and his passes didn't connect, but he didn't do that badly. He admitted to reporters after the game that he was a bit uncomfortable at the position at first but if they wanted him to strap up as a goaltender he would do it.

All in all this was a good camp for the prospects. Injuries sidelined Stefan Della Rovere and Anton Gustafsson. It would have been nice to see them continue on but why chance hurting them any more. Della Rovere had a sprained shoulder that kept him from playing. Gustafsson sustained a concussion when he crashed into the post and cut his head. Both players were a bit disappointed in the way their camp ended, but both promised to come back healthy and ready in August.

Next up for the Capitals, training camp in August. Plus there might be a signing here or there to watch out for as GM George McPhee tinkers with his team.

I did a quick interview with Caps' prospect Garrett Mitchell as well and I will post that a little later tonight.

Caps Notes:

• The Caps traded Keith Seabrook, a prospect drafted in the '06 draft, was traded to the Calgary Flames for future considerations. Who knows what those considerations are, maybe it's more hot dogs in the visiting GM's box. Actually this might be a player thing as Seabrook is from the Calgary area and plays for the Hitmen.
  
• For more info on Development Camp, the Capitals have a page with videos and more at WashingtonCaps.com.
  

Group A Dominates

Sorry for the late post, I had engagements this evening.

Group A didn't just win the game by dominating almost the entire game, but also by scoring seven straight goals in the third period. Dustin Carlson's nightmare as the blue team's goaltender. It capped a great scrimmage for the boys in the white Capitals' practice jerseys in the second of three scrimmages schedule for the week as they win it 8 - 3.

Group A had three dominating lines, the Backman/Glass/Bruess line (or the BBG line), the Perreault/Mitchell/Sheen line, and the Dubuc/DiSimone/Broda line. Each one of the lines scored at least two goals. Michael Dubuc now has 5 goals in this summer's camp, while Mathieu Perreault scored a pair today. The BBG line was a great grinding line that kept the blue side frustrated and making bad mistakes.

The overall play was a bit sloppy, a sign that the week is wearing long with some of the prospects. Bad passes, misplays with the puck were the norm. If it were not for Garrett Zemlak putting forth a tremendous effort for the Blue team in the first half of the game, the white score could have easily reached 10 or 12 goals. But Zemlak kept his team in it, as he posted a shut out in the 30 minutes he played.

Dmitri Orlov has been having a great development camp. In his scouting report they call him an "opportunistic hitter" and he did find a couple of opportunities to pull out his hip check. He has the speed to make up for mistakes, he knows when to pinch in and when to back off. Very rarely was he ever out of position. Toward the end though, the Group B just couldn't over come the skill and speed of Group A and Orlov was not completely immune from being taken advantage of. Perreault pick-pocketed Orlov for his second goal of the day and that was the dagger in the heart of any comeback for the blue team.

Speaking of blue team players that impressed, Cody Eakin also did well. His speed factored in two goals for the blue team. One an assist, the other a goal. John Carlson also helped the blue team's cause with a couple of good clears and some great passes. He has yet to have a chance to open up and use that cannon of his.

There was a scary moment in the scrimmage when Jake Hauswirth crashed the net with Anton Gustafsson. The pair of them went into the net hard and Lil' Gus got the worst of the goal post. He cut his forehead really bad and he was stunned and on the ice bleeding as trainers came to the rescue. Hauswirth and Zach Miskovic (who also was in the collision) looked to be a bit shaken but okay. Braden Holtby, the white team's goaltender, was hardly hit at all as the players dove to miss him. Gustafsson did not return.

Injuries weren't uncommon on the fourth day of Development Camp. Patrick Wey caught a puck in the mouth, required stitches. Stefan Della Rovere had to sit out due to a sprained shoulder (he also had stitches on his upper lip). Joe Finley took a stick up high and got cut on his lower lip. It is a sign that every player is playing as hard as they can to impress the Caps' management.

Finley has been slowly improving through the course of the camp. On day one, he seemed to want to hit everything in sight, often slipping out of position to do it. In scrimmage two, he played a better positional game, letting the hits come to him. He also tightened up his discipline after getting whistled for two penalties in scrimmage one.

I would not be surprised if the coaches decide to mix up some of the players between Groups A and B. Group A just was too much for in the second scrimmage. The only answer the blue team seemed to have was being more physical and pray their goaltender can help them out.

Saturday's scrimmage should be a good one in either case.

Caps Notes:

• Jeff Schultz did sign his qualifying offer, but faxed the one year, signed contract not to the Caps office. Instead he faxed it to NHL headquarters. It doesn't void the contract, usually the Caps will alert the league's office of the contract signing. But the confusion made for some he said, they said comments last night. In either case, Schultz will be back as a Capital for next season.
• Japers Rink figure a way to see everyone tweets from development camp. It was very sweet of him to include mine, as choppy and mis-spelled as it was.
• The Caps' prospects got a guided tour of the DC and WashingtonCaps.com was there to film it. At one point Jake Hauswirth is wired for sound, it is both funny and educational! Also if you watch within the opening song sequence you will see Garrett Mitchell almost miss the bus after the White House stop.
  

Group A Takes The 1st Scrimmage

Group A, dressed in the white Capitals' practice jerseys, defeated Group B, dressed in the blue, 5 - 2. Michael Dubuc scored the hattrick for the white team, while Braden Holtby was the only goaltender to post a shutout in 30 minutes of play.

The day included some big hits and some great action. For a first scrimmage, the boys didn't disappoint. One thing was for sure, just about every player gave it their all. Not one player came off the ice dry, everyone broke a sweat.

Stefan Della Rovere had the best performance of the day before he hurt his shoulder. He was physical on the puck and created opportunities deep in the white teams zone. All was missing was a goal for the tough forward, but there were no shortage of hitting. At one point Della Rovere hit Joe Finley behind the net. Finley took the worst of the hit, he fell like a heap against the boards to the ice surprised to be hit that hard by a little guy. Unfortunately, DR missed a check early in the second half and went into the boards hard. He will have his shoulder examined, he won't know until tomorrow whether he can continue.

Dmitri Orlov also played well, the best defenseman on the ice by far, in my opinion. He had two massive hits, one on an invitee Sorkin. He cut into him with a good hip check and it sent Sorkin flying head over heels. The other hit was a good shoulder check on Zack Miskovic. Orlov was solid on defense, a good skater he was never really beat.

Also on the blue team side John Carlson played well, getting a goal off of a rebound from a Orlov slapper on Dan Dunn. Josh Godfrey did well, but he would at times carry the puck into the offensive zone and tend to stay there a bit longer than he should. Often a forward was left behind to play defense and that led to white team chances.

On the white team, Mathieu Perreault was a tremendous puck mover that worked hard. He actually broke his skate when he side stepped a hit from Della Rovere. He missed a few shifts as they fixed his skate. Michael Dubuc also had a good game. He scored the last three goals for the white team, a hattrick. It included an empty netter goal for his second goal, and then he scored after that one with mere seconds left on the clock.

Braden Holtby was very good in net for the white team. He was the only goaltender to post a shutout, and he had to kill off a penalty in the first minute when Finley took a tripping call just :16 seconds in. He was solid, calm and collected in net.

Those that seemed to disappoint to me were Anton Gustafsson and Joe Finley. Gustafsson just seemed lost in the shuffle. He did nothing really to stand out offensively. He had a few back checks that were impressive, a couple of good defensive plays. But he did not produce much on the offensive end. Lil' Gus might be feeling the pressure of the Capitals and his father's legacy.

Finley did what he could, but he wasn't the fastest or the hardest hitting player on the ice. He took two penalties, one a trip and the other was a high stick to a player in front of the net away from the puck. Finley is a big guy, no doubt, but he was hit off his feet by some smaller players. Not a good game for him.

Tomorrow will be the second scrimmage, at the same time 3:30 pm, with the third one on Saturday.

Caps Notes:

• The Caps get some key players back into the fold. Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn forwards Kyle Wilson, Eric Fehr and Chris Bourque signed their qualifing offers (all one year deals). Steve Pinizotto signed a two way, two year contract with the Capitals as well. There is some confusion over if Jeff Schultz signed his contract but I am sure that will be sorted by tomorrow.
• The Capitals schedule has been released. The open at Boston on October first. Then they return home to play Toronto for their home opener on the 3rd of October. Then the schedule just gets harder as their next four opponents will be Philly, NY Rangers, Detroit and New Jersey. Tough start.
• GM George McPhee said it is 50/50 whether or not the Capitals will play at Olympic Stadium against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs reported having a game at the gigantic stadium on November 28th, and the Caps are scheduled to play Montreal on that date. But nothing has been finalized. "You always look at what benefits the team," Bruce Boudreau said when asked about playing at the stadium, "For the coaching staff you have to look at all the positives and all the negatives in doing it. Right now I don't know enough of either."
  

A Good Day For Scrimmage

The Capitals' prospects will do some time trials and agility stuff this morning. This afternoon will be the intrasquad scrimmage. It's the first of three such contests through out camp pinning Group A against Group B.

Both Groups have had a chance to get a taste of the Caps' system in practices on Monday and Tuesday. Practice can tell the coaches a lot about a player; his work ethic, what he is capable of and more. But there is something about putting these players in a game-like atmosphere. It brings out the competitive side.

Several players that sort of just got by in the practices, but impressed in the scrimmages. One of which was Jake Hauswirth in last summer's camp. He was an unknown when he came to camp. But when the scrimmages started, Hauswirth used his size and good hands to impress both management and fans alike. It eventually led to a contract for him.

Stefan Della Rovere had a similar story. The youngest player on the ice last summer excelled in the scrimmages and now, this summer, he could find a job in Hershey.

The scrimmage is at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, and the puck drops at 3:30pm. I will be doing live tweeting from the scrimmage as soon as I get there this afternoon. Expect a big crowd.

Caps Notes:

• The NHL came out with the preseason schedule yesterday and the following is the Caps preseason line up:
  

  TBA	@ Buffalo	TBA
  Sat. 9/19	@ Chicago	8:30p
  Mon. 9/21	vs. Buffalo	7p
  Wed. 9/23	vs. Chicago	7p
  Thur. 9/24	@ NY Rangers	7p
  Sun. 9/27	vs. NY Rangers	Noon

  
  Do you see something interesting? No Southeast Division teams. Hmmm. The regular season schedule is do out today (7/15) around 3 pm.
• The first Capitals Convention tickets are on sale and nearly 1,000 tickets were sold in the first hour (according to Caps' PR). More info on how to buy tickets and more about the convention can be found on the Capitals' website.

A Look At Day Two

This morning was my chance to check out the skaters in Group B in the morning sessions for the Capitals' Development Camp at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The second group consisted of Anton Gustafsson, John Carlson and Francois Bouchard to name a few.

There were a few standouts this morning for me. John Carlson is a lot faster than he was last summer. Along with his improved speed is his overall look. He played well. Besides a few flubs here or there, Carlson's play was heads above shoulders better than his piers. He also looked to be a good leader as he had to fill in the details to his line mate Dmitri Orlov (who also did well today I thought) on what they were doing. Defenseman Josh Godfrey returns to camp coming from the championship winning ECHL South Carolina Stingrays. He did well this morning and is playing with some confidence.

The line of Jake Hauswirth, Stefan Della Rovere and an invitee named Meyer were the best line I have seen in camp thus far. In a 3 on 3 drill, the three moved the puck effectively along the wall and keeping their feet moving. The result was a pretty top shelf goal and the only time I said "great play" all day. Della Rovere looks as if he gained some weight and his confidence is over brewing on the ice. He looks stronger and smarter than last summer.

Dean Evason, assistant coach, was in charge of the practice. The coaches ran the players through a series of complicated drills to test the players ability to think quickly. Hershey's new coach, Mark French, was also on the ice often stopping drills for better instruction. The practice was a physical and mental workout for the players, with emphasis on speed and accuracy.

One player that impressed me with his speed was Cody Eakin. The kid's got wheels with his size his biggest down fall. At one point he chased down a line mate in a drill the length of the ice with at least two strides behind him.

Anton Gustafsson seemed a little lost in the crowd today. He was neither outstanding nor bad. It could be that it is day two, but I was expecting a bit more.

Tomorrow afternoon there will be the intrasquad scrimmage, the first of three. Many players will be looking to make an impression on the Caps' management so expect each one to be a competitive and enjoyable event to watch.

Caps Notes:

• It was brought to my attention this morning that the Detroit Red Wings had the player rights to prospect Nils Backstrom. It's true that Backstrom was drafted by the Red Wings, but they never signed the player making him a free agent.
  
• The Capitals re-signed Boyd Gordon. He accepted the one year, $761,250 contract to stay with the Caps.
  
• The Dave Fay Memorial Hockey Game is set. It's an event with celebrities playing for a good cause. The game will be on July 25th at Kettler.
  

Another Day, Another Group

The Capitals' Development Camp rolls along and this morning I will get the chance to take in Group B, the afternoon skate that I didn't see yesterday. From all reports, this group seems a bit more polished and professional with Anton Gustafsson and John Carlson both impressing management and fans alike.

Also in Group B are a couple of goaltenders that are new to the Caps system. Both invitees, Dustin Carlson and Garrett Zemlak (another Garrett, what the heck!). Zemlak played with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL and posted a 16-12-1 record and a .896 save percentage in 33 games played. Carlson played 39 games with Ohio State and posted a 21-12-3 record and a .917 save percentage.

An interesting note to this year's camp, at least 10 of the camp invitees wore either the Captain's C or an Assistant Captain's A on their sweaters last season. That is a lot of leadership in the locker room at this summer's camp.

If you see Andrew Glass today at camp, wish him a happy birthday. He turns 20 today. He skates in Group A.

You can follow my observations of the morning skate at Kettler on my Twitter account: twitter.com/pckhdsthghts.

Just A Morning Skate

Group A took the ice this morning at Kettler and I had a chance to check out the kids. It turned out to be a grueling two hour practice where the coaching staff threw just about everything they had at the prospects attending the summer development camp. Some struggled, some excelled and others impressed.

Of those that stood out, for me, were Mathieu Perrault, big guy Joe Finley, Joel Broda and Trevor Bruess. As well as goaltender Braden Holtby. For Perrault, this is old hat (his third camp to date if I am not mistaken). Not much phased him through the whole practice. He stayed consistent and played tough.

Finley seemed to welcome the challenge in defending Perrault during a one on one drill. Finley is all about size, at 6'7" and 240 you can hardly miss him on the defensive line. But Finley doesn't have Perrault's speed so Finley had to cheat a little around cones and make more direct cuts to keep up with the speedy forward. At one point Finley caught up with Perrault only to deflect his shot right up into his face below the visor (jaw or chin). Finley shook it off and didn't even miss the next round.

When they got to the 5 on 3 and 5 on 5 drills, Finley wanted to show case his physicality. He missed two hits at center ice and the one good hit he got in took him out of position, leaving his linemates high and dry. I'll chalk it up as rusty-ness for now.

Joel Broda also impressed. He has a nose for the net and doesn't shy away from being physical in front of it. His linemate, Trevor Bruess, was the agitator of the day in the 5 on 5 drills. He was also involved in most of the hitting (both giving and receiving). Bruess loves to cut off wingers, get in the grill of the defenders and create havoc in the neutral zone. And all of it for practice. I can't wait to see what he does for the scrimmages.

Those having a tough time were players that were none too familiar with Bruce Boudreau's deep need for perfection and their first time to a NHL development camp. You can say it was nerves and complex drills thrown at them on the first day.

"That was real competitive. Coach Boudreau is a really good coach. You better have your thinking cap on and make sure you listen." Trevor Bruess tweeted after the practice had ended.

Zach Miskovic had a tough run of practice. Often falling behind or asking others what was going on. Garrett Mitchell also seemed lost in the crowd. I was watching for him to step in, be more aggressive and physical, he choose the "wait and see" strategy a few times. As did many of the first timers who were trying to get it all down. Nils Backstrom, an invitee, looked out of shape at the end of practice as he was getting out skated by the Holtby the goaltender during the last skating drill.

Speaking of Holtby, this has been a different goaltender from the year before. Last summer, the then 19 year old looked a bit out wide eyed and tentative. You could see the potential he had. This summer, it's plain to see how much he has grown. Not only has he filled out his pads, but he is making smarter decisions with the puck. He is calm and collected and he came up with some very solid saves through out the two hour session. He did have some trouble going side to side and challenging a bit, but it's easy to see that Holtby could be in chocolate brown next season.

Dan Dunn was the other goaltender and he looked much as he did last summer. Good size, solid fundamentals. Besides that, nothing to fancy. He is has a solid butterfly that is hard to beat (because of his size 6'5", 200 lbs.). Dunn and Holtby still have some growing to do, mainly in the rebound department, Holtby more than Dunn. But camp is still young.

"I was rusty out there," Holtby tweeted after the workout. "It's a feeling-out process for most of us on the first day. And the first bag skate always hurts."

I was only able to take in the morning skate, I will be back out to Kettler tomorrow morning to take a look at Group B. You can always follow me and my observations on my Twitter account: twitter.com/pckhdsthghts.

Caps notes:

• George McPhee announced today the hiring of Mark French as head coach of the Capitals' farm team, the Hershey Bears. French was in town for the development camp. The Capitals have put up a few of the coach's comments up on their video page.

Hockey's Back In DC

Not like it ever left, but the Capitals bring their prospects to town. A roster of 24 were released before hand of draft picks and college free agent signings. But there will be more players that will be invited as is the normal. Kettler will be alive again with Capitals' hockey, even if those players take a few years to don the Caps' sweater.

The prospects will be split into two groups; Group A and Group B. Some of those in Group A will consist of Joe Finley, Braden Holtby, Zach Miskovic and Mathieu Perreault. Some in Group B will be John Carlson, Francois Bouchard, Stefan Della Rovere and Anton Gustafsson. Although players may be switched from groups A and B at any time.

The first group will take the ice at 10 am, while the second group will be able to be seen at 2:30 with both sessions lasting at least an hour or so. The prospects will also be doing off ice activities that include agility tests, classroom work and video critiques.

Three intrasquad scrimmages are scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Then the big scrimmage on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. wraps up camp.

Last But Not Least

We are within 24 hours of the Capitals start of development camp at Kettler Iceplex and there are just seven players left to take a quick look at this weekend. While we are still months away from training camp for the Caps' players, the development camp gives the Caps management and fans a chance to take in some of the future Capital stars. And one of those prospect players could be the most anticipated to be seen by both.

Anton Gustafsson has a familiar surname in these parts. The son of Cap legend Bengt Gustafsson, Anton did not make it to last year's camp due to a back injury. This year will be a chance for the Capitals to see what this first round pick can do. Once rated second on the list of Capital's top prospects (compiled by Hockeysfuture.com) he comes into camp with the most to prove. Anton only played 25 games last season for Bofors IK in Sweden (in his hometown) but scored six goals and four assists in that time. A good two-way centerman, Gustafsson will have to work for a spot in the Capitals' organization. He was chosen 21st overall (1st round) in the '08 Entry Draft.

Dmitry Kugryshev was another Capitals' prospect that attended last summer's camp and raised a few eyebrows. He is a talented forward that played in the QMJHL for the Quebec Ramparts. He had an immediate impact becoming the top scoring rookie in the league with 74 points (34 goals and 40 assists). He was also on the Russian junior national team that placed third in last years World Junior Championship. What you may not know about Kugryshev is that he has his own blog: http://www.icedaily.com/action/blogsByPlayer?id=34. Although he updates it rather sporadically. He was selected 58th overall (2nd round) in the '08 draft.

Andrew Glass had a rather unique way of getting drafted by the Capitals. According to the Caps PR:

He was taking a water break in his truck from his self-owned Nobel and Greenlawn Landscaping company when the Caps called him two years ago to let him know he was drafted.

Glass will be returning as a sophomore to Boston University in the fall. He was a member of the BU Terrier team that won the national title at the Frozen Four and the Verizon Center. This will be his third development camp for the Capitals. Glass was drafted by Washington 199th overall (7th round) in the '07 Entry Draft.

Another returning prospect to this year's camp is Joel Broda who split his time between Moose Jaw and Calagary in the WHL this past season. Broda has a nose for scoring and he led the league with 53 goals in 67 games with his two teams. He also comes from an impressive hockey family line as his distant relative was a goaltending legend with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Walter "Turk" Broda. "Turk" was awarded two Vezina Trophies and helped the Leafs to 5 Stanley Cups in the '40s and '50s. Joel Broda was taken 144th overall (5th round) in the '08 Entry Draft.

Eric Mestery will also grace our presence at Kettler. A tall, lanky stay-at-home defenseman, Mestery is ranked 16th on the list of top prospects for the Capitals according to Hockeysfuture.com. He was traded early last season from Tri-City to play with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. With the slew of puck moving defensemen, Mestery's talents as a dependable blue liner will make him an important part of the Caps future. Mestery was the Capitals' 57th overall pick (second round) in the '08 draft.

The final two players on the Caps roster of development camp attendees are two players that will soon be teammates.

Greg Burke is slated to play college hockey at the University of New Hampshire in the fall. Last year he played in the USHL for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders. He didn't get much ice time (only started in 8 games) due to injury. Before his misfortune, Burke was apart of the World Junior A Challenge as a representative for Team USA. It was USA's first championship win. Burke was picked 174th overall (6th round) in the '08 Entry Draft.

Joining Burke at UNH is Phil DeSimone who was one of only 27 players to be named USHL's Player of the Year in '06-'07. That year when he played for Sioux City he tallied 73 points in 60 games. This fall he will be a junior when he rejoins his college team. DeSimone was selected 84th overall (3rd round) in '07.

That is the entire list that was released by the Caps as players that will be attending this year's Capitals Development Camp. You may see a few more players than just the 24 on the list on the ice. Those will be invitees (Jake Hauswirth was one such invitee last summer). Some of those players could be future free agent signings or just players to make a robust roster for practices and scrimmages. We will know more about them tomorrow.

Players will be split into two groups (Group A and Group B) and will hit the ice at different times. Players may switch back and forth between Groups. Group A will take the ice in the morning at 10 a.m. The first scrimmage is not slated until Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. There will be another scrimmage on Thursday and the final scrimmage on Saturday.

A full schedule and list of players can be found on the Capitals' website. It's like Christmas in July, hockey back in DC! See you at Kettler.

Not All Prospects Are Drafted

This weekend we are taking a closer look at who will be attended the Capitals' development camp. This year's Development Camp starts on Monday, July 13. Included on the list of 24 players released are three players that were never drafted. One made a huge splash last summer and he is first on our list today of players to watch at Kettler Iceplex next week.

Jake Hauswirth impressed the Caps management and fans alike in his brief stint in last year's camp. He was slated to go to his father's college, Michigan Tech to play. But instead he stayed on with Omaha Lancers in the USHL and tallied 28 goals (52 pts) in 58 games played. It was not long before the Caps followed up their interest with a contract. While he was a virtual unknown last year, he will return to Washington better known with fans and media and with a chance to play for the Caps farm club in Hershey.

Zach Miskovic played in every game through his four years in college. Last year he led all defensemen in goals with 16. Miskovic was not drafted by the Capitals, but was signed as a free agent to the club. He was a first team All-American player for his efforts at St. Lawrence.

Trevor Bruess (pronounced BRISS) is another college star that did not go through the draft and was signed by the Capitals as a free agent. He played the last three seasons at Minnesota State and led the team in penalty minutes.

It is not out of the normal for the Caps to sign college free agents as five of those players have made an impact for the club. In fact, five former college free agents have played in a Capitals sweater last season: Jay Beagle, Sean Collins, Graham Mink, Brian Pothier and David Steckel.

Joining the non-drafted at development camp are this year's drafted prospects. While the first rounder, Marcus Johansson, decided to stay in Sweden to train with his Swedish elite team for a preseason exhibition game against the Detroit Red Wings. The rest will be seen at Kettler next week. The rest of these players are all of the Capitals picks after the first round in the '09 NHL Entry Draft. They are listed in the order or round they were selected.

Dmitri Orlov was slated to be taken in the first round in a lot of mock drafts. Instead, he was taken late in the second round by the Capitals. He is a defenseman that played in the KHL last season. He was named as one of the top three Russian performers for the under-18 World Championships. Orlov is a fast puck moving defenseman who has great offensive skill.

Cody Eakin was taken in the third round, but he was an unknown until his play at the CHL-NHL top prospects game. He played right next to the number one overall pick John Tavares and impressed many scoring a pair of goals and finished a +2 and he would be named the team's most outstanding player. Eakin is a fast skater and is an Alex Ovechkin fan following the Caps through the playoffs. “They're amazing guys to watch," Eakin told reports after he was drafted. "I watch the Capitals all the time, especially in the playoffs. They had a great run. You can't say anything more about that team that hasn't already been said. They have an unbelievable organization and I'm super-excited for it.”

Patrick Wey was taken in the fourth round and hails from Pittsburgh PA. We will be sure, if he is a fan, that he burns any Penguins paraphernalia he might have. Wey is the second defenseman the Caps have taken from the USHL (John Carlson also played in the USHL). Wey played for Waterloo and was the seventh leading scorer among defensemen in the league with seven goals and 27 assists.

In the fifth round the Caps picked Brett Flemming. Another defenseman that is known for being a hard worker. He played for Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the OHL and had three goals and 25 assists in 64 games played. Flemming and Stephan Della Rovere are coming into camp with a bit of history as Flemming's team ousted Della Rovere's team in the OHL playoffs.

Garrett Mitchell (besides having a great first name) was the seventh round pick in this year's draft for the Capitals. He comes to camp as a 17 year old and a chip on his shoulder. Mitchell registered 140 PIMs with the Regina Pats in the WHL (his hometown as well). He had 14 fighting majors included a scrap with fellow camp attendee Joel Broda.

Last but not least, the Capitals took Benjamin Casavant in the seventh and final round of the draft. He averaged over a point a game with Prince Edward Island in the QMJHL. A high scoring left wing, he tallied 39 goals and 41 assists in 68 games played last year. But don't think he is a player that scores on the pretty play, a large amount of his goals happen in front of the net on rebounds and crashing the net.

Tomorrow we clean up the list with the rest of the field that includes a prospect that has some fine Capital lineage and another prospect that has his own blog.

Who To Keep An Eye On

Over the next three days, PHT will be taking a closer look at the kids coming into town over the weekend for the Capitals' development camp. Some players we will be seeing for the very first time while others may look at next week's development camp as old hat. Either way, the Capitals have invested heavily in their draft picks and their scouting. Camps like these give the Capitals' organization and the fans a chance to see the fruits of that labor.

First let's take a look at some of the returning crowd to Kettler.

John Carlson is rated number 3 on the list of top prospects in the Capitals' system according to Hockeysfuture.com. This will be his second stint in development camp. The first time around the coaching staff have the defenseman some critiques and when training camp started a month or so later, he didn't let those constructive comments go to waste. He spent last season with the OHL's London Knights (former Cap Dale Hunter's team) then was sent to Hershey when the Knights were eliminated from the playoffs. Not only a top prospect for the Capitals, he will also attend the U.S. national junior evaluation camp in August. He was a first round pick, drafted 27th overall in the '08 NHL Entry Draft by the Caps.

Mathieu Perreault played his first full season with the Hershey Bears last year. He also was featured in 21 playoff games in the Bears' march to a Calder Cup Championship. He tallied two goals and six assists in that playoff run. If you can remember, Perreault was the scoring champ in the QMJHL with a 114 points, he led all Hershey rookies in points and was 10th overall in the AHL. He was chosen 177th overall (6th round) in the '06 Entry Draft.

Also returning is Francois Bouchard (pictured right), who was Perreault's line mate for a majority of the season along with another Cap prospect Oskar Osala. Bouchard is a creative forward who dazzled Caps fans last summer with a spin-o-rama move to score. According to the Capitals PR release:

The move looked familiar, as it is the same one his brother (Minnesota Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard) has used successfully against Chicago and San Jose in NHL shootouts. You may think that Francois picked up the move from his older brother, but it is the other way around. After Pierre-Marc debuted the move in 2006 he was quick to credit Francois for coming up with the idea and showing it to him first.

Bouchard registered with 15 goals and 20 assist in 64 games with the Bears last season. He was the Capitals 35th overall (2nd round) pick in the '06 Entry Draft.

If there was ever an up and coming pest in the NHL, it could be Stefan Della Rovere. The 5'11", 196 lbs. forward is a pure agitator that other teams love to hate. He makes his second appearance at the Capitals' development camp. He spent last season with the OHL's Barrie Colts and was apart of the World Junior Championship gold medal winning team Canada. He racked up 149 PIMs in Barrie, but also nearly had a point a game with 51 points in 57 games. Della Rovere was picked 204th overall (7th round) in the '08 Entry Draft.

Braden Holtby (pictured left), a prospect goaltender, surprised many in last year's camp. But his good play at camp didn't end with training camp last summer. Holtby started in 61 games for the Saskatoon Blades and was one of two goaltenders to hit the 40 win mark by season's end. Holtby practiced with the Bears during their playoff run and may play a bigger role in Hershey's goaltending depth next season. He was picked 93rd overall (4th round) in the '08 Entry Draft.

If Josh Godfrey's name sounds familiar, it's mostly because of his defensive partner Karl Alzner as both were on the '08 gold medal team for Canada (they were also partners on the Calgary Hitmen squad). The pair worked together for their country, but Godfrey was hampered with an injury last year. He spent a majority of it not with Hershey, but with the South Carolina Stingrays (who were also champions last year, defeating the Alaska Aces for the ECHL's Kelly Cup). Godfrey shows how talented and deep the defensive core is for the Capitals. He was the Capitals' 34th pick overall (2nd round) in the '07 Entry Draft.

The Capitals' biggest prospect (literally) would be Joe Finley. The 6'7", 240 lbs. defenseman has been to a Caps development camp before, but he has missed the previous two due to his college obligations (college players can attend a NHL camp, but NCAA rules stipulate they must pay their own way to the city and for their own accommodations). He suffered through an injury last season, but Finley has been a rock on the blue line for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Most will remember Finley as a tough guy who once punched a guy in the line to shake hands and he also went after a visiting team's mascot. He was an '05 draft pick.

Also returning is Dan Dunn (pictured right), a big goaltender who spent last year with St. Cloud State. But he may be looking for work this year as he played second chair to junior Jase Weslosky, who was drafted by the Islanders. Dunn only started 5 times last season and played in nine games. It will be an important camp for him. He was selected 154th overall (6th round) in the '07 Draft.

Tomorrow we will look at a few more prospects that will grace our presence at the Capitals development camp, included a pair that were not even drafted.

Development Camp Roster Set

The Capitals start their development camp on Monday (July 13th), with a slew of players making the trip to Washington over the weekend. Today the Caps have released the roster of players that will be attending. There are a few familiar faces and a couple '09 draft picks that will make their first appearance in Arlington.

Among those we will be seeing for the first time up close is Anton Gustaffson. The 6'2", 194 lbs. centerman is the offspring of one Bengt Gustaffson, a former Capital great. Whether that adds to the pressure of of Anton making the team and doing will remains to be seen. He missed last year's camp with a back injury.

Also of those we will be seeing for the first time will be '09 draft picks Brett Flemming, Cody Eakin, Benjamin Casavant, Garrett Mitchell, Patrick Wey, and Dmitri Orlov. Orlov was a surprise pick for the Capitals, as he was slated to be taken in the first round, but was passed over. The Caps snatched him up in the second round. The only '09 draft pick whose name is off the list is first round pick Marcus Johansson. This was probably expected since Johansson is still under contract for another year with his Swedish elite team.

Of the returning players, we will get another look at Jake Hauswirth, John Carlson, Francois Bouchard, Stefan Della Rovere, Dmitry Kugreyshev, and goaltender prospect Braden Holtby. A complete list is available on the Capitals' website as well as the schedule of on-ice activities for the youngsters.

Also yesterday, the Capitals took a page from the Chicago Blackhawks notebook and have scheduled a Capitals Convention at the National Harbor. This gives fans an opportunity to meet players, ask questions of the coaches and management and so much more. This is an amazing opportunity for fans to get a up close and personal view of their favorite team. The convention will be held on Saturday Sept. 26.

Happy 4th

The one thing about taking time off, you never seem to have enough time for what you really want to do. I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July.

I will be back just in time for development camp which starts up on the 13th. Let's hope the kids bring some fireworks of their own to Arlington.

"Giddy As A School Girl"

I ran into my big money season ticket holder friend at the rookie game. Dressed in his Caps' Ovechkin sweater, his friend in a rock the red t-shirt, I had a chance to check in with him to see how his summer had gone. For him, this prospects game was something he had spent a month waiting to see.

"It's been a rough summer," he told me between periods as we warmed up in the sunshine to escape from Kettler's cold. "I am sick of watching the Nats implode and Redskins fans who want to crucify the QB then turn around and love him to death the next week." Yea, I can't deal with the weekly drama of being a 'Skins fan either.

So we were happy to talk hockey, even if it was just about the rookie game. I asked him if he was going to be out at training camp this weekend and his eyes lit up. "I am giddy as a school girl," he said, "to see those boys back in town and see what they can do. There was a buzz about this team last year that I have never seen before. I can't wait for this season to get under way."

Not only are the fans excited, but the fact that many of the players (both North American and European) showed up a full week early for camp shows their enthusiasim for the new season. The Caps have even embodied what they are all about this year in the workout shirts given to the players for camp. On the front it says "Our future is now." On the back "Good is not good enough." It is a return on how important it is for the Capitals to start early and remain focused all season long.

At the rookie game, the fans were loud and into the game. It was a pretty intimatading place to play if you were just some prospects from Philly. It was quite a site to see just a small concentrate of fans to come out and totally support this team. They jumped to cheer for every goal, a few "Flyers suck" chants were thrown in. And just about every one were "giddy as schoolgirls" to see the season start.

Rookie Game: Flyers RIP

In an almost packed house (there were a few open seats) at Kettler, the Capitals' prospects routed the Philadelphia Flyers' prospects 7 to nothing. If the game sounded one sided by the score, it was. The Caps kept the Flyers to their own end for a majority of the game. Since this is a late post, thanks in part due to a cold, I am going to leave the story line to others like the Post, Times and OFB boys.

Here is what stood out for me in this game.

If I had the size Oskar Osala had, I would have used it much like he did today at Kettler against the Flyers. While there were bigger defensemen on the Philly side, he purely out worked them and out manuvered them time and time again. While the Flyers were using their size to plain out just hit everything in site, Osala reserved his hitting for the right moment. He got his defender off kilter and then used his speed and strength to open holes.

Mathieu Perreault is magic with the puck. He picked up a couple of assists (mostly on the power play) but his vision made him a great set up guy. He was lined up with Francois Bouchard and Steve Pinizzotto and the three were hard to stop all afternoon long. That line gave the Flyers the fits, and also accounted for drawing the most penalties from their opponents just by using their speed and quickness. Pinizzotto often found himself being the enforcer for most of the game as the Flyers got more and more chippy.

While the Caps didn't have the size, they sure had the heart. Stefan Della Rovere, who stands at 5'11" on a good day, may have been the smallest Capital out there besides Perreault. But he was the fiestiest. You could tell each time he took the ice he did his best to be a pest and make the Flyers look twice before fighting for a puck in the corner with him. In fact all the Caps seemed to have no problems fighting pucks off the boards and winning the little battles for possession. Jay Beagle (who missed on a penalty shot) even killed at least a minute of a Flyer power play by his board work.

On defense, Karl Alzner is a smooth defender. Nothing rattled this guy. Even when an errant pass was picked off, he was right there in position to deal with it. John Carlson is a stand up guy too. More than once did he come to the rescue of his goaltender. In fact when any Flyer crashed the net and so much touched the goaltenders, the Caps defense sent a message. They did a nice job standing up for one another as well.

Goaltenders, Simeon Varlamov didn't see much action in the first half of the first period, maybe a shot or two. But by the end of the period the Flyers mounted their best attack. It turned out to be the only sustained pressure the Flyers were able to put on all game. Varlamov made two outstanding saves late in the first to complete a third of the shut out. Micheal Nuevirth and Braden Holtby also had to be sharp to complete the shut out.

All and all, the Caps prospects look pretty good. George McPhee has got some talent in the pipeline for years to come. Although, personally I am not sure if he will be able to hold on to all of them as they make their way up the ranks. But for now be content in knowing the Caps' talent runs deep.

Ready For The Flyers

It just maybe a scrimmage. There is nothing at stake. Teams won't get points, or find out who will decide their division status or conference superiority. The game won't be held at the Verizon Center or the Wachovia Center. It is just one team's prospects versus another team's prospects. But if you think there will be no emotion behind this game, you would be mistaken.

Both teams' players have seen the heated playoff series between the Caps and Flyers last season. And as far as the prospects are concerned, this might as well be an extension of the playoff bad blood since the summer. And while there will be no Daniel Briere or Alex Ovechkin, there will be some passion in this game.

Sure players will want to make an impression on coaches and managers on a individual basis, but I would imagine that winning will be much more important for both teams and that means a lot of "team first" play. While fighting is rare, I wouldn't be surprised to see the mits drop once or twice during this game.

What to watch for:

This will be Simeon Varlamov's first real look at NHL style of play. The smaller rink and faster pace should humble the goaltender, but I expect him to shine. He needs to make a good impression early to solidify a number 3 position on the roster and his future as a Capital.

I will be watching for Oskar Osala's big frame and how he uses it against the Flyers rookies. If he can make space for himself, he will be an invaluable aspect in this game for the Caps. Also it will be interesting to see Stefan Della Rovere, the 18 year old, play in this caliber game.

I am not sure if Anton Gustafsson will be on the ice, but it would be nice to see him just once with other prospect players before he reaches the Training Camp stage. Although, his injury may keep him from the line up.

Finally Getting A Look

While I am still under the weather, I took in the morning skate at Kettler. Seeing the Rookie practice in a cold rink isn't the best for a cold, but some how I soldiered on.

The practice centered around a lot of passing and break out work. Obviously, the coaches are trying to emphasize puck possession for their last practice before the Flyers rookie game. The drills consisted mostly of quick on the fly passes, breakouts and drop passes. Overall the practice was pretty light considering. The players may have been saving most of their energy for the scrimmage that followed.

The scrimmage was more of a pick up game with referees. Most of the guys looked tired after getting in a practice first. The action in the scrimmage was more about finding that chemistry with line mates and working on the system the coaches wanted them to play in. The scrimmage consisted of two periods, fifteen minutes each. It ended in a one-one tie and went to a shoot out. I didn't get a chance to see the winning goal, but white team won. Then Bruce Boudreau gave a quick pep speech on the bench before concluding the work out.

Just some things that jumped out at me. Karl Alzner is never afraid to slow down the action, more than once he would take that extra second behind the net or on the break to get the pass right. Oskar Osala is using his size much more than at development camp last July, I thought. It might have be just the fact that he was giving a 100% in practice but in the scrimmage Osala seemed a bit behind or lazy.

John Carlson has a wicked shot but it has to be a quicker release. His goal for the blue team was off a fast release at the top of the slot, but his all of his other shots from the point were predictable and easily rebounded to the side by goaltenders. Speaking of the goaltenders, they looked pretty sharp, especailly Braden Holtby. I thought he looked much more comfortable in the crease then he had in July. While Simeon Varlamov looks much more refined, I thought both Micheal Nuevirth and Hotlby held their own.

It was a disappointment not to get a look at Anton Gustafsson. He missed the development camp in July and may have reaggrevated his injury at rookie camp. I don't think it's likely to see him on the ice again for the rest of camp, although the Caps insist he will stay through rest of training camp and will be on the ice again.

Tomorrow the veterans have an optional skate in the morning, then it is the Caps/Flyers rookie game. It will be interesting to see what the lines will end up being and how the kids fair. Then Friday is the big day. First day of training camp. Although many players have been in town and working out for a couple of weeks, it will be the first time the coaches will be able to get their mits on them.

See you at the rookie game!