The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Development Camp Roundup

A special thanks to John Keeley of On Frozen Blog, Eric McErlain of Off Wing Opinion, and Dmitry Chesnokov of Sovetsky Sport for joining me on the show today for an in depth analysis of the development camp and the state of the Washington Capitals. You can listen to the show two ways, either by the media player on the right side of the homepage or by clicking the link below. Be sure to tune in next Sunday at noon for another live edition of the show.

Development Camp Concludes

The only lineup change for today was a switch of goaltenders as Simeon Varlamov moved to the Blue Team and Michal Neuvirth moved to the White Team. Also, defenseman Patrick McNeill was noticeably absent today.

Today's scrimmage consisted of three twenty minute quarters along with penalties being called for the first time in the camp.

Goal of the Game
Nicklas Backstrom and Francois Bouchard combined on this, in what could be a nice look at a future top line duo in the coming years. From the boards Backstrom found Bouchard all alone in front of the net as he beat goaltender Justin Mrazek to give the Blue Team a 3-2 advantage 11:03 into the 2nd period.

Physical Presence of the Game
This was provided by defenseman Viktor Dovgan who had a number of big hits during the scrimmage. Maxime Lacroix, Luke Lynes, and Justine Taylor were just a few of his victims on the night. His hit on Taylor led to a little bit of a scrum after the whistle.

Goaltender of the Game
Simeon Varlamov, who overcame some shaky outings earlier in the camp to finish it up with a strong performance. He had an outstanding sprawling save on Andrew Joudrey toward the end of the 1st period that drew oohs and awes from the crowd.

Save of the Game
That would go to Daren Machesney who robbed Crowder in front as he had a wide open net. While diving Machesney threw out his stick and blocked the shot in mid air.

Recap of the Goals on the Evening
Blue Team -Yeo, Kronick (PP), Francois Bouchard, Jamie Hunt (2), Andrew Glass
White Team - Andrew Gordon, Josh Godfrey, Jay Beagle

Don't forget to tune into The Capital Fanatic.com Show Sunday at noon for an in depth analysis of the development camp. I'll be joined by John from On Frozen Blog and Eric from Off Wing Opinion.

Scrimmage Time Changed for Today

From Paul Rovnak, Manager of Media Relations:

Today’s scrimmage at Kettler Capitals Iceplex will now begin at 4 p.m. as opposed to the original 4:30 p.m. start time. Today’s scrimmage will also feature three full periods.

Double OT Thriller Today at Kettler

Blue Team
Forwards - Nicklas Backstrom, Francois Bouchard (Pictured), Steve Werner, Andrew Glass, Travis Morin, Pasi Salonen, Brett Bruneteau, Brett Leffler, Mathieu Perrault, Lovecchio
Defenseman - Jamie Hunt, Theo Ruth, Sami Lepisto, Viktor Dovgan, Joe Finley
Goaltenders - Michal Neuvirth, Daren Machesney

White Team
Forwards - Oskar Osala, Kyle Wilson (Pictured), Maxime Lacroix, Andrew Joudrey, Andrew Gordon, Justin Taylor, Phil DeSimone, Luke Lynes, Backman, Lerg
Defenseman - Patrick McNeill, Karl Alzner, Oscar Hedman, Sean Collins, Josh Godfrey
Goaltenders - Simeon Varlamov, Justin Mrazek, Dan Dunn

Today's scrimmage continued with the structure of two 30 minute continuously running periods. Special teams were the main focus of the day as the final 15-20 minutes of both periods were spent alternating five on fours. Despite the numerous odd man advantages though, the scrimmage was a defensive battle led by Karl Alzner of the White Team and Jeff Finley of the Blue Team. Each defender dominated in their own particular style of play.

Alzner shut down his side of the ice by always being in the right place at the right time. He doesn't stand out with big hits or a booming shot from the point. In fact the average fan probably would not even notice him on the ice because he silences his opponents so quietly. But the fact is the guy flat out does not get beat. It will be great to see how he fairs against NHL competition this fall.

Finley on the other hand makes his presence known on the ice. He punishes his opponents by lining them up and throwing his 6'7" 233 pound body at them. He had the hit of the night with two minutes left in the second session, knocking the much smaller Lerg on his backside as he tried to maneuver around him on the attack. One thing Finley needs to learn is when to be aggressive and when to lay back, as he put himself out of position one time while trying to line up a huge hit.

After 60 minutes of play the teams were stuck in a 2-2 tie. The first overtime period followed traditional NHL rules as both teams played four aside. Michal Neuvirth had the save of the night, and the camp, as he made a sprawling save on a breakaway chance by Bryan Lerg. Lerg deeked and tried to beat him on the backhand, but while lying on his chest Neuvirth snapped his glove up and snared the puck out of mid air. Truly an amazing save that makes me excited about Neuvirth's Hasek like abilities.

Still with no winner after 65 minutes, Tarik (who I had the pleasure of talking hockey with for a good long while) and I were hoping for a shootout. But instead Coach Hanlon decided to go to a second overtime period with three men aside. One minute into the session Francois Bouchard streaked up the right wing in an odd man rush and found Backstrom in front for the game winning goal and a 3-2 Blue Team victory.

Your other goals on the night were scored by:
Blue Team - Lovecchio, Travis Morin
White Team - Backman (who has shown great quickness), and Josh Godfrey (Pictured)

A couple of inside tidbits to note. Tarik confirmed to me that Francois Bouchard will definitely be signed and brought to training camp this year. He described Bouchard as the MVP of the camp so far and that he has a very good chance of making the club. Sasha Pokulok is at the camp but is not participating due to an undisclosed injury. No word on what exactly that injury is, but he did miss most of the last season with two separate concussions.

And yes Ted was in the house again today checking out the action.

Also, a shameless plug here as well. This Sunday at noon I'll have John from OFB as well as possibly some more Capitals experts on The Capital Fanatic.com Show. We'll be discussing the rookie camp and the team's off-season moves in great detail, so don't miss it.

Rookie Development Camp Begins at Kettler

Capitals Also Sign Their Top Goaltending Prospect to an Entry-Level Contract

White Team

Forwards - Oskar Osala, Kyle Wilson, Maxime Lacroix, Andrew Joudrey, Andrew Gordon, Justin Taylor, Phil DeSimone(Pictured Left), Luke Lynes

Defensemen - Patrick McNeill, Karl Alzner, Oscar Hedman, Sean Collins, Josh Godfrey(Pictured Right)

Goalies - Michal Neuvirth, Simeon Varlamov, Justin Mrazek

Blue Team

Forwards - Nicklas Backstrom, Francois Bouchard, Steve Werner, Andrew Glass, Travis Morin, Pasi Salonen, Brett Bruneteau, Brett Leffler, Mathieu Perrault

Defensemen - Jaime Hunt, Theo Ruth, Sami Lepisto, Viktor Dovgan, Joe Finley

Goalies - Daren Machesney, Dan Dunn

Goals on the Night
White - Beagle (2), Lerg, Patrick McNeill, Justin Taylor
Blue - Radja, Mathieu Perrault (2),

The scrimmage consisted of two 30 minute periods with constantly running clock. A notable absence tonight was 2005 1st round pick, Sasha Pokulok. He missed a lot of time this past season with concussion problems so hopefully they are just holding him out as a precaution.

As you can tell by the goal scorers there are players taking part in the camp that are not on the official roster. I asked a Capitals spokesman if there was an updated roster, but unfortunately there isn't so I can't tell you much about them.

I can tell you that Nicklas Backstrom centered a line with Pasi Salonen on the left and Francois Bouchard on the right. Bouchard had some of the nicest moves of the night, continuously displaying his stickhandling skills that resulted in his leading the QMJHL in points last season with 125 (45 g, 80a).

Goal of the Night - Patrick McNeill pinching in, taking a nice pass from behind the net, and beating goaltender Daren Machesney. Hopefully we will see a lot more of that in the near future.

Hit of the Night - The 6'0" 180 pound Maxime Lacroix knocked the 6'7" 233 pound Joe Finlay (Pictured) directly on his backside on the forecheck. Honorable Mention goes to Oskar Osala who provided a physical presence throughout the scrimmage with big hits on Jamie Hunt and Viktor Dovgan.

Goaltender of the Night - Michal Neuvirth. He came up with some exceptional saves during the second half of the final period, helping to secure the win for the white team.

And lastly the big news of the day was the announcement that the Capitals have signed their second pick of the 2006 draft, goaltender Simeon Varlamov. He signed a three year entry-level contract after playing the past season with Yaroslavl of the Russian Super League where he posted a 15-7-6 record with a 2.12 goals against average. Varlamov's contract includes a clause during the first year where if he doesn't make the NHL team, he can be reassigned to his Russian Super League team. So unless he has an unbelievable training camp he will most likely spend one more season with Varlamov before coming to the NHL full time for the '08-'09 season.

Crosby Signs Extension, Is Ovechkin Next?

Caps Announce Development Camp Schedule and Add a Stanley Cup Champion to Their Roster
The Pittsburgh Penguins made sure that this year's MVP would not hit the restricted free agent market after next season, locking up Sidney Crosby for the next six years at a total of $43.5 million. That just happens to average out to $8.7 million a season for number 87 beginning in '08-'09.

So what does this mean for Alex Ovechkin? Russian reporters caught up with Ovy and asked him what he thought about the signing. Courtesy of AOL Fanhouse:

"What can I say? Good for Crosby! It is easier for any player to come out and play when he knows that his future is secure. I think Pittsburgh wasted no time offering Crosby the deal because of what Edmonton did trying to sign a restricted free agent. Any Canadian team (and not only Canadian) could have offered great terms to Crosby in the future. And who knows if the Penguins could have matched it. But now Sindey is staying in Pittsburgh, and will stay there beyond 2013, in my opinion."

When asked about his contract, Ovechkin said:

"I will negotiate with the Capitals myself. To be precise, I will wait for their offer. If I like it, I will sign the contract. If I don't, then I will get myself an agent (I don't have one right now) to represent me in talks with the Capitals."

There is no question that this needs to get done soon, preferably before the season starts. Now that Crosby has signed the parameters are in place and should make the deal with Ovechkin easier. The quicker this gets done, the better off all parties will be.

The Caps also announced today the roster for their developmental camp this week. From their press release:

2007 Washington Capitals
Summer Development Camp July 11-14, 2007
Arlington, Va. Kettler Capitals Iceplex

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate 2006-07 Team Acquired
19 Nicklas Backstrom C 6’0” 183 11/23/87 Brynas U-18 (Sweden) Draft (1st, 2006)
29 Jamie Hunt D 6’2” 200 4/20/84 Hershey (AHL) Free Agent
30 Michal Neuvirth G 6’1” 197 3/23/88 Plymouth (OHL) Draft (2nd, 2006)
31 Daren Machesney G 6’0” 182 4/17/87 S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL) Draft (5th, 2005)
34 Sasha Pokulok D 6’5” 220 5/25/86 S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL) Draft (1st, 2005)
36 Francois Bouchard RW 6’1” 187 4/26/88 Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) Draft (2nd, 2006)
40 Simeon Varlamov G 6’1” 183 4/27/88 Yaroslavl (Russia) Draft (1st, 2006)
41 Theo Ruth D 6’1” 199 2/14/89 USA U-18 (USNTDP) Draft (2nd, 2007)
42 Sami Lepisto D 5’11” 176 10/17/84 Jokerit Helsinki (Finland) Draft (3rd, 2004)
45 Steve Werner RW 6’1” 200 8/8/84 S.Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL) Draft (3rd, 2003)
46 Patrick McNeill D 6’1” 198 3/17/87 Saginaw (OHL) Draft (4th, 2005)
47 Karl Alzner D 6’2” 206 9/24/88 Calgary (WHL) Draft (1st, 2007)
48 Oskar Osala LW 6’4” 222 12/26/87 Mississauga (OHL) Draft (4th, 2006)
49 Viktor Dovgan D 6’1” 205 2/27/87 S. Carolina (ECHL)/Hershey (AHL)
54 Oscar Hedman D 6’0” 209 4/21/86 Modo (Sweden) Draft (5th, 2004)
57 Kyle Wilson C 6’0” 200 12/5/84 Hershey (AHL)/S. Carolina (ECHL)
58 Maxime Lacroix LW 6’0” 180 6/5/87 Quebec (QMJHL) Draft (5th, 2006)
59 Joe Finley D 6’7” 233 6/29/87 North Dakota (WCHA) Draft (1st, 2005)
61 Andrew Joudrey C 5’11” 191 7/15/84 Wisconsin (WCHA)/Hershey (AHL)
62 Sean Collins D 6’1” 215 10/30/83 Ohio State (CCHA)/Hershey (AHL)
63 Andrew Gordon RW 5’11” 180 12/13/85 St. Cloud State (WCHA) Draft (7th, 2004)
65 Andrew Glass LW 5’11” 180 7/14/89 Nobles (High-Mass.) Draft (7th, 2007)
67 Justin Taylor C 5’11” 180 2/8/89 London (OHL) Draft (6th, 2007)
70 Justin Mrazek G 6’3” 185 7/21/85 Union College (ECACHL) Draft (8th, 2004)
71 Travis Morin C 6’2” 175 1/9/84 Minn. St. (WCHA)/S. Car. (ECHL)
72 Pasi Salonen LW 5’11” 187 12/18/85 HIFK Helsinki (Finland) Draft (5th, 2004)
73 Josh Godfrey D 6’0” 197 1/15/88 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Draft (2nd, 2007)
75 Phil DeSimone C 5’11” 193 3/19/87 Sioux City (USHL) Draft (3rd, 2007)
76 Brett Bruneteau C 5’11” 183 1/5/89 Omaha (USHL) Draft (4th, 2007)
78 Brett Leffler RW 6’0” 198 5/19/89 Regina (WHL) Draft (5th, 2007)
80 Dan Dunn G 6’4” 200 6/20/88 Wellington (OPJHL) Draft (6th, 2007)
85 Mathieu Perrault C 5’8” 151 1/5/88 Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) Draft (6th, 2006)
86 Luke Lynes C 6’0” 195 11/28/87 Brampton (OHL) Draft (4th, 2006)

Don't miss your opportunity to see some of the future Capitals in action this week at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Visit WashingtonCaps.com for the complete schedule of all the action.

And finally, General Manager George McPhee was busy again today signing right winger Joe Motzko to a two year contract. Motzko finished up this past season with the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks after being acquired in a trade from Columbus in January. He was fortunate enough to appear in three playoff games including game 4 of the finals against Ottawa where he totaled 2 minutes and 46 seconds of ice time. There has been no official word but Motzko most likely signed a two-way deal, meaning he could be sent to the Hershey Bears without clearing having to clear waivers. While the Minnesota native has yet to make much of an impact at the NHL level, Motzko has excelled at the AHL level tallying 100 goals, 133 assists, for 233 points in 277 games over the past 4 seasons.

Joe Motzko's scouting report from sportsnet.ca:

Assets - Has been an accomplished point producer at the AHL level. Displays enough feistiness and grit to play a bottom-six forward role in the NHL.

Flaws - Is somewhat undersized for the big league and doesn't own the hands of a natural sniper. Lacks a particular niche for the NHL game.

Another depth signing, Motzko should provide competition in training camp while helping the Bears remain an elite team in the American Hockey League.

Monday Activity Already At Kettler

Thanks to On Frozen Blog for this report today:

"From a source at Kettler Capitals: already on the ice with Coach Hanlon today are Nicklas Backstrom, Sami Lepisto, Viktor Dovgan, and Stephen Werner."


It's always good when players voluntarily show up early for things like this. Capitals hockey in the middle of summer, does it get any better than this?