Welcome to the sixth and final installment of NoVa Caps’ monthly prospect reports for the 2018-2019 Washington Capitals. The report summarizes activities for each of the Capitals’ prospects for the month of March, 2019, and provides an overall monthly “Trending” rating for each player. The report also provides a “Top 5 Prospects” ranking for each primary position.

PREVIOUS REPORTS

You can always check out all of our prospect analysis and previous monthly progress reports under the “Prospects” tab in the main menu (above). You can also follow the #CapsProspects hashtag stream on Twitter for the latest Capitals prospect news.

REPORT ORGANIZATION

The report organizes the Capitals’ prospects by the six primary leagues of play. They include:

American Hockey League (AHL)

Western Hockey League (WHL)

Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

European Hockey Leagues (SHL/NLA)

All news, stats and data were aggregated and compiled throughout the month of March and finalized on, or just prior to March 31, 2018.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE (HERSHEY BEARS)

The old adage is that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, March was the opposite for the Hershey Bears. They started slowly, going winless in their first four games (they did pick up points in three of those games). The Bears then finished the month strong, going 6-2-1 in their last nine games.

As March came to a close, Hershey sat in third place in the Atlantic Division with 83 points. The team has a seven-point lead over fifth-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with seven games remaining in the season. The Bears are in good position to return to the Calder Cup playoffs after missing the postseason last year.

Riley Barber and Mike Sgarbossa continue to lead the way offensively, but Hershey also got big months out of Devante Smith-Pelly, Jayson Megna, Nathan Walker and Garrett Pilon. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov continued their strong play, both chipping in with three victories.

Ilya Samsonov – G – Drafted first-round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 21-years old

Ilya Samsonov played in six games during the month of March. He posted a 3-2-1 record for the month. He made 149 saves on 165 shots in that time frame, including two games (3/16 and 3/30) in which he posted save percentages of over .940, giving up just one goal in each of them. He had one game (3/2) with a save percentage of .824, in which he did not face a huge number of shots. In the other three games, his save percentage fell between .880 and .900, which included one game in which he was beleaguered with 37 shots. March was a month in which, based on save percentage alone, he was very good or relatively mediocre. Overall, he was good enough to keep the team in games. Samsonov is now 18-13-2-2 on the season, with a Goals-Against Average of 2.76 and Save Percentage of .896, creeping closer to breaking the .900 barrier.

Trending: Up

Vitek Vanecek – G – Drafted second-round, 2014 NHL Entry Draft – 23-years old.

The Czech goalie rotated starts in each of the 13 games in March with Samsonov. In his seven starts during the month, Vanecek went 3-1-2-1. He recorded his second shutout of the season (making 17 saves) in a 1-0 overtime win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 19. In his last start of the month on March 11, Vanecek made 21 saves in regulation and overtime and then added two more in the shootout as the Bears defeated Bridgeport 2-1. His biggest save came in overtime when he robbed former Bears teammate Chris Bourque to save the game. The win over Bridgeport was Vanecek’s 18th of the season, matching his career-high.

Trending: Same

Tyler Lewington – D – Drafted seventh-round, 2013 NHL Entry Draft – 24-years old.

Lewington is one of the anchors of the Hershey defense. He teams with Aaron Ness to form the top defensive-pairing for the Bears, serving as a physical presence on the blueline who always sticks up for his teammates. The Edmonton, Alberta native sees a lot of time on the penalty kill, often being among the first penalty killers to take the ice. After posting a plus-5 in the month, Lewington is plus-6 for the season, second on the team behind Ness. Offensively, he dished out three assists in March to bring his season total to 11, two more than his total last year. He has also surpassed his goal output from last season with three goals and his point total with 14.

Trending: Up

Kris Bindulis – D – Undrafted – 23–years old

Bindulis remains sidelined (inactive) with an injury for all of March. He has not played since November 28. His return is still a ways off. Bindulis, who is making $792,500 this season, will become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020-2021 season.

Trending: Same

Lucas Johansen – D – Drafted first-round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 21-years old.

Johansen went through the month of February without being a minus player in the 10 games in which he played after returning from injury and was a plus-4 on the month. March was completely different for the second-year blueliner. The sophomore former first-round pick was a minus-5 on the month and struggled in his own end. He turned the puck over too many times trying to force passes into traffic. Offensively, Johansen netted a goal at Providence on March 8 for his only point of the month. His play needs to improve for him to see an increase in playing time.

Trending: Down

Connor Hobbs – D – Drafted fifth-round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 22-years old.

Hobbs was a healthy scratch five times in March, and his offense has all but disappeared. He was scoreless in March and has not recorded a point since February 17. The second-year defenseman has not scored a goal since January 23. Defensively, Hobbs has made more mistakes than he did earlier in the season especially with his positioning, but looked better in his own zone in his last two games. He needs to find the confidence he had earlier in the season.

Trending: Down

Colby Williams – D – Drafted sixth-round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 24-years old.

The promise Williams showed as a rookie has disappeared. He consistently finds himself on press box duty as a healthy scratch. When he does get in the lineup, Williams struggles to make an impact. He has played just nine games since the start of 2019 and has one point in those games. He has zero confidence and it shows in his decision-making. He chases the puck too much and tries to force passes instead of making the simple play.

Trending: Down

Aaron Ness – D – Drafted second-round, 2008 NHL Entry Draft (New York Islanders) – 28-years old.

The veteran blueliner continues to be Hershey’s best defenseman. Ness plays in all situations and pairs with Tyler Lewington to form the team’s top defense-pairing; in addition he plays on the penalty kill and the power play. The Roseau, Minnesota native is a plus-19, which is the best on the team by a wide margin. He scored one goal and chipped in with seven assists in March. He leads the AHL in assists by a defenseman with 43 and is third in blueliner scoring with 47 points. His 43 assists leads the Bears, as does his 22 power play assists. He is third on the team in scoring. Ness has already set career-highs in assists and points.

Trending: Up

Tobias Geisser – D – Drafted fourth-round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old

Geisser has not seen a lot of ice time. He was a healthy scratch for eight of Hershey’s 13 games in March and was a minus-2 in those five games, recording no points. He has one assist on the season, which came in December. Geisser would benefit from seeing more ice time, but he is not going to get that in Hershey. Perhaps the Bears would have been better served sending him to South Carolina when Jonas Siegenthaler was with the team, where he would have had the chance to improve his game with increased responsibility. There is potential there, but it will not be realized until he plays more.

Trending: Same

Jonas Siegenthaler – D – Drafted second round, 2015 NHL Entry Draft – 21-years old.

After a poor February, Siegenthaler was steadier in March. He was a plus player in all but his last two games of the month. The Swiss defenseman also stayed out of the penalty box the entire month, an improvement over the eight penalties he took in nine games in February. There were still times where he looked disinterested and got caught flatfooted. Siegenthaler had two assists offensively before getting called back to Washington late in the month.

Trending: Up

Shane Gersich – LW – Drafted fifth round, 2014 NHL Entry Draft – 22-years old.

Offensively, Gersich is still trying to find his touch. He put up three assists in March and has not scored a goal in 23 games. Still, he is a threat every time he steps on the ice due to his game-changing speed. Sooner or later that speed is going to translate into some offense. Like Beck Malenstyn, Gersich has found ways to contribute even though he is not scoring. He was not a minus player in any of his 13 games in March and ended the month with a plus-5 rating. In addition to the above, he also contributes on the penalty kill.

Trending: Same

Beck Malenstyn – LW/RW – Drafted fifth-round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 21-years old.

Malenstyn is in the midst of a 13-game point drought and went scoreless in March, but the rookie winger does not need to score to contribute to the team. He is one of Head Coach Spencer Carbery’s most trusted penalty killers and is arguably the top penalty killing forward on the team. Malenstyn also brings a physical presence to the team and knows when to deliver a big hit. He is not afraid to go into the corners and battle for loose pucks, carving out a role as a mucker and a grinder, something every team needs.

Trending: Same

Riley Barber – RW – Drafted sixth-round, 2012 NHL Entry Draft – 25-years old.

Barber’s career year continued in March. He netted five goals and added six assists during the month. His 31 goals lead Hershey and is a career-high and third in the American Hockey League (AHL), trailing the league leader by one goal. Barber also leads the Bears with 60 points, which is also a career-high, and is tied for eighth in the AHL in scoring. Barber also ranks sixth in the league in power-play goals with 15. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native tops Hershey with 33 power play points and is third on the team with 29 assists. One more assist will set a new career-high in that category.

Trending: Up

Liam O’Brien – RW – Undrafted – 24-years old.

As Hershey’s play has turned around in 2019, O’Brien has gone in the opposite direction, as he continues to struggle offensively. He had 12 goals at the end of December, and with one goal in March (which came on March 1), his season total is now 15 (three goals in three months). He is in the midst of a 12-game goalless drought and has one goal in his last 22 games; overall, O’Brien had a total of three points in March. O’Brien has gone from one of the few players scoring goals to a non-factor offensively. He still brings a physical element and contributes on the penalty kill. However, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native could find himself falling down the depth chart if he does not find his offensive game.

Trending: Down

Nathan Walker – LW/RW – Drafted third-round, 2014 NHL Entry Draft – 25-years old

The feisty Aussie had a good month offensively in March, netting one goal and dishing out nine assists, including three assists in a 5-3 Hershey win at Hartford on March 10. On March 30, he assisted on both goals as the Bears beat Providence 2-1. One day later, he assisted on Steven Whitney’s game-tying goal. He has 14 goals and 20 assists in 53 games for Hershey this season. Despite his size, Walker goes to the front of the net and he always mixes it up with bigger players. If there is a scrum on the ice, it is a good bet that Walker is involved.

Trending: Up

Hampus Gustafsson – C/LW – Undrafted – 25-years old

Gustafsson played in one game for the Bears in March without any points. Gustafsson has just three assists in 41 games played so far this season with the Bears. Gustafsson will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and is making $883,750 this season.

Trending: Same

Garrett Pilon – C – Drafted third round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old.

Heading into March, Pilon had five goals. He scored five goals in the month to run his total to 10 for the season, also adding three assists to finish the month with eight points. The biggest goal he scored in March was an overtime game-winner over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 19. Pilon has found his game the last few months. He struggled early in the season, but now looks confident. He has improved in his own zone and that has led to his ice time rising. Pilon has the most goals (10), assists (21), and points (31) of any Hershey rookie.

Trending: Up

Max Kammerer – LW – Undrafted – 22–years old

Kammerer played in just three games in March, but did manage to score in Cleveland on March 24th, his first goal since December 8th. Kammerer has two goals and eight assists in 28 games played so far this season. Kammerer signed a three-year, entry-level contract last May for $870,000 AAV.

Trending: Same

Mathias Bau – LW/RW – Undrafted – 25-years old

As we reported last month, the season looks to be a complete loss for the 6′-7″ Dane. Bau showed promise last season for the Bears, scoring 13 goals and registering 10 assists in 58 games played for Hershey. Bau is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. At 25, Bau’s North American hockey future may be in doubt at this point, but don’t count the “Giant Panda” out on a return this fall.

Trending: Same

Mason Mitchell – LW – Undrafted – 24–years old

Mitchell was re-assigned to the Carolina Sting Rays on March 11th. While with the Bears, Mitchell had one assist in 11 games played. Since joining the Rays, Mitchell has five goals and two assists in seven games played. Mitchell, making $883,750 this year, will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Trending: Same

Brian Pinho – C/RW – Drafted sixth-round, 2013 NHL Entry Draft – 23-years old.

Pinho tallied only a single assist in the month of March, but his play in his own end has continued to improve. He has showed why he was named the top defensive forward in Hockey East and in all of New England during his senior year at Providence College. In his last 33 games, Pinho has only been a minus player three times. He makes smart decisions in his own end and is a good back-checker. The North Andover, Massachusetts native has also seen his time on the penalty kill increase.

Trending: Up

Juuso Ikonen – RW/LW – Undrafted – 24-years old.

Ikonen was not a consistent presence in the lineup in March. He was a healthy scratch for six of the 13 games during the month, but did have two assists in the seven games he played. The Finn is a responsible player with speed, but has found it difficult to be a consistent offensive player. He is another player that has suffered from a lack of ice time, but with the team in a playoff push, that is unlikely to change. When he does get into the lineup, Ikonen needs to take advantage of it to force the coaching staff to give him more playing time.

Trending: Down

Mike Sgarbossa – C – Undrafted – 26-years old

Just like his linemate Riley Barber, Sgarbossa is having a career season and he continued it in March, potting five goals and dishing out eight assists during the month. The pivot sits second on the team in scoring with 59 points and in assists with 31. His 28 goals trail only Barber and he is also second behind Barber with 12 power play goals. Sgarbossa has already set career-highs in goals, power play goals, assists and points. He is tied for eighth in the AHL in goals and 16th in scoring. Sgarbossa is also Hershey’s most accurate shooter, leading the team in shooting percentage at 18.2.

Trending: Up

Jayson Megna – C – Undrafted – 29-years old

Megna posted another strong month offensively, potting four goals and adding seven assists. The veteran pivot tallied the game-winning goal at Hartford on March 10 and followed that up with the game-winner at Springfield on March 13. He had a four-game goal scoring streak during a four-game stretch from March 9 to March 15. Megna is fourth on the Bears’ scoring list with 38 points and is third on the team with 17 goals. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native also sees a lot of time on the penalty kill, often being paired with Beck Malenstyn.

Trending: Up

Joe Snively – LW – Undrafted – 23-years old

Snively had quite a month of March. He wrapped up his collegiate career at Yale were he registered 15 goals and 21 assists in his senior campaign. He subsequently signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Capitals on March 18th for $925,000 AAV, with the contract starting next season. The NoVa native then signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Hershey Bears on March 20th. Snively would play his first pro game on March 30th where he scored the game winning goal. in a 2-1 win over the Providence Bruins. He played in two games with the Bears, scoring the one goal. Look for Snively to make a push this fall for a full-time stint with the Bears this coming fall.

Trending: Up

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE (WHL)

Alexander Alexeyev – D – Drafted first-round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 18-years old

The 2018-19 season was really up and down for Alexeyev. He started it with a bang, but after going through two injuries already in the season, he suffered a huge knee injury at the beginning of March (here) and hasn’t played since. He recorded no points in three games in March. For the season, Alexeyev had 10 goals and 33 assists in 49 games played, with most of his scoring coming before the World Junior Championship. To add insult to injury, his team was swept in the first round while he healed on the sidelines. That will bring his WHL career to an end most likely, as he’ll probably turn pro next season and join the Hershey Bears.

Trending: Same

Eric Florchuk – C – Drafted seventh–round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 19–years old

After being thrown all over the lineup throughout the season, Florchuk settled into the third-line center position for the last part of the regular season. In seven games played in the regular season in March, he posted one goal and four assists. He followed that with two assists and no goals in four playoff games, bringing his March total to one goal and six assists in 11 games. His team won their first round matchup of the playoffs and await the next round opponent.

Trending: Same

Riley Sutter – C – Drafted third-round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 18-years old

Sutter missed all of March. Sutter has been sidelined since sustaining a “lower-body injury” in the second period against Prince George on December 29. He was seen walking with crutches after the injury with a boot on his left foot. He has been listed as “week-to-week”. The latest update from local sources (last week) was that Sutter is still on crutches and “it will be a while, still”. Prior to his injury, Sutter had 14 goals and 27 assists in 38 games played and 125 shots for a 11.2% shooting percentage. Sutter signed a three-year, entry-level contract for an average annual value of $817,500 back on September 29, 2018.

Trending: Same

Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen – LW – Drafted seventh-round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old

Marthinsen was having a promising start to his North American career but his performance waned in the last couple months of the season. He finished March with one goal and one assist in seven games. He’s added just one goal in four playoff games as well, an overtime winner. The lack of production to end the season shouldn’t be too worrisome, it’s difficult for young players to go from playing 20-something games a season in Europe to 60+ or even 70+ games in North America.

Trending: Same

Alex Kannock–Leipert – D – Drafted sixth–round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 18–years old

Leipert has probably been one of the quietest but best prospects the Caps have had this season. He’s purely defensive but has been on the top-pairing on the second-best team in the league all season because his coach trusts him to shut down the other teams top players. Although he’s not very offensive, he finished the regular season in March with three goals and one assist in nine games, adding one goal and two assists in six games in the first round of the playoffs, which his team won bringing his total for March to four goals and three assists in 15 games. Pretty impressive for a defensive defensemen.

Trending: Up

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE (OHL)

Kody Clark, RW, Drafted in the Second Round (#47) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft

For the month of March, Kody Clark played in six regular season games, recording two goals and three assists for five points overall during March. Incidentally, all three of his assists came in the same game, against the Oshawa Generals on March 10, in which he also had a goal. He ended up missing the last game of the regular season. He finished the season with 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points overall in 57 games. He ranked sixth in goals, seventh in assists, and sixth in overall points for players on the team who had been with the team for the entire season. They had two late-season acquisitions, Lucas Chiodo and Kyle Maksimovich who had more goals, assists, and points overall. Clark also contributed two goals and one assist in four playoff games as the Ottawa 67’s swept the Hamilton Bulldogs in the first round, scoring goals in Game 1 and Game 4, playing on the team’s first-line for all four of those games. The 67’s will not start the second round until April 5, with their opponent to be the Sudbury Wolves, with the game to be played in TD Arena in Ottawa.

Trending: Up

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE (ECHL)

Parker Milner – G – Undrafted – 28-years old

Milner signed a contract with the Washington Capitals on February 24, for the league minimum of $650,000, good through the end of the season. He was previously under contract with the Hershey Bears. Milner continues to be the primary starter for the Stingrays, since returning from injury in January. On the season, he is 11-13-2, with a 2.97 Goals-Against Average and a .910 save percentage, both up a tick since February.

Trending: Same

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA)

Chase Priskie – D – Drafted Sixth-round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 22-years old

Priskie’s collegiate career came to a close on March 31 when Quinnipiac was eliminated from the postseason tournament in a 3-1 loss to Minnesota-Duluth. Priskie finished the season with 17 goals and 22 assists in 36 games played. Priskie led all defenseman with 17 goals and was fifth with 39 points. He finished his career first in program history for goals by a defenseman with 39, and is second with 77 assists and 116 points in his career. Priskie was named a Top 10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award on March 20, with the winner to be announced in the next few days. Priskie was named to the All-College Hockey News Second Team, as announced by the organization on Tuesday, April 2. Priskie is Quinnipiac’s first player to be named to an All-CHN team since Sam Anas was named to the Second Team in 2016, and just the third player all-time as Eric Hartzell earned First Team honors in 2013. As per Section 8.6(c)(i) of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Capitals will hold Priskie’s contract rights until August 15 of this summer. At that point, if unsigned, Priskie can become an unrestricted free agent, and free to sign with any team. However, if the Capitals intend to sign Priskie, look for it to happen in a similar time frame as Shane Gersich signed last spring (March 23), immediately following the conclusion of Quinnipiac’s season.

Update: 4/3/2019 – TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that Priskie has notified the Capitals he will not be signing with them, and will become an unrestricted free agent.

Trending: Down

Benton Maass – D – Drafted Sixth-round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old

In early October, Ryan Kennedy, NHL prospects writer for The Hockey News, identified UNH defenseman Benton Maass as #15 on his list of “The Top 75 Players to Watch in NCAA Hockey”. He wrote: “The sophomore offensive defenseman got off to a hot start as a frosh; can the Washington Capitals pick hit another level this year? As a “true freshman” last season, Maass played in all 36 games for UNH, scoring four goals, including three power play goals, and contributed 13 assists. Among all Hockey East defensemen, Maass tied for sixth in goals, third in power play goals, and eighth in assists. On the offensive side of the ledger, it’s fair to say Maass did not “hit another level” this season. In late November, Maass injured his shoulder in an uncontrolled crash into the end boards during an overtime game against Miami University and missed the subsequent six games. Prior to the injury, Maass had tallied one goal in 11 games – an even-strength, overtime goal against Vermont. After his return to the lineup, he added five assists in 19 games. Overall scoring output in his sophomore season noticeably decreased to one goal and five assists in 30 games. On the plus side, Maass did increase his shots on goal from one per game as a freshman to 1.5 per game as a sophomore. Defensively, Maass demonstrated improvement and resilience this season. He was the starting right defenseman for half of UNH’s games and on the first penalty kill unit throughout the season. Maass blocked 56 shots for an average of 1.87 per game, the second-highest rate in Hockey East and remained constant before and after the shoulder injury. In addition, it represented an increase over the 1.22 blocks per game he logged as a freshman. Even though Maass was on the ice more than most of his teammates, he was rarely penalized. He was called for only three minor penalties all season, the second-fewest penalty minutes of anyone in Hockey East who played in at least 30 games. Maass’s plus/minus rating for the season was minus-10. That wasn’t bad considering he was on the ice for only six of UNH’s goals and he logged many more minutes on the penalty kill than most of his teammates. As a freshman, Maass had a minus-9 rating.

Trending: Up

EUROPEAN HOCKEY LEAGUES (SHL/NLA)

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby – LW – Drafted fifth-round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 20-years old

In the month of March, Jonsson-Fjällby had some good nights with points. Against Mora on March 9, the winger managed to score his first goal of the season along with an assist. Other then that game, Jonsson-Fjällby only managed to record an assist in those games. This left him with a total of 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in the regular season, which must be looked at as a bit under decent for him, with the expectations in mind. But as we have been over before, this proves that the Swede may be more of a grinder. He has been part of a good team, who currently is in the playoffs. Where Jonsson-Fjällby has played fourth-line minutes in the first two games, but after that some light shone on him. On March 29, Jonsson-Fjällby scored two goals and lead Djurgården to a win, after a stunning performance from him. Jonsson-Fjallby showed what he can do when everything is clicking for him and the Capitals likely hope he finds it more often moving on.

Trending: Up

Martin Fehervary – D – Drafted second-round, 2018 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old

Fehervary has had a good month, gaining a lot more of playing time during the last few weeks. Points-wise, the big defenseman has put up three assists in eleven games. At the moment HV71 are in the playoffs, where Fehervary has been playing a lot more, especially after an injury to teammate Alexander Ytterell. During one game in March, the Slovak played a season-high 24:51 against Färjestad. Fehervary has looked very good, and seems to adapt well to the much more physical playoff hockey. If nothing happens it’s likely that he will keep his spot on the first defensive-pairing, where he has been playing for the last few games. He plays with confidence and isn’t afraid to join the attack. On March 30, Fehervary played a total of 43:13 minutes, when HV71 lost in the third overtime period against Färjestad in the playoffs. He was praised for his performance by the media and one could argue that this was his real coming out party in the SHL. He isn’t the most vocal guy off the ice, but when he plays like he did then it’s hard not get noticed. He looks like a veteran in the way he handles the puck even under pressure. After the season it would be very surprising if he isn’t selected to Team Slovakia in the World Championships, which he was last year. Lastly, to quote Swedish hockey writer Mattias Ek, “Martin Fehervary would likely play in the NHL already next season”. I really believe we are in for a treat with this guy in the future, if not already next season.

Trending: Up

Sebastian Walfridsson – D – Drafted fifth-round, 2017 NHL Entry Draft – 19-years old

Walfridsson has finished the 2018-19 season, playing in a total of 22 games for Modo’s seniore team, putting up two assists. For the J20 team, the production was better for him, as he scored four goals and seven assists, in 24 games. All and all, this wasn’t what both Walfridsson and the team hoped for. He is still young though, and could bounce back next season. But one thing is certain, more playing team is crucial for his development.

Trending: Down

Damien Riat – W/C – Drafted fourth–round, 2016 NHL Entry Draft – 22–years old

Damien Riat ended the regular season in NLA, with a total of 25 points in 48 games for EHC Biel. This has been a good year for him, getting a lot more playing team after the team swap from last season. At the moment Biel are in the playoffs, where Riat has scored four points (3+1) in six games. Proving that he can provide when it matters the most. After the season it’s likely that Riat will be in the conversation for a spot in the Swiss World Championships squad, where he has played three games during the season.

Trending: Same

TOP FIVE RANKINGS

A new feature to our monthly prospect reports attempts to pull all of the monthly information together and provide a “Top 5 ranking” of prospects for forwards, defensemen and goalies. It’s important to keep in mind that the rankings reflect current “readiness” for an NHL call-up, and does not reflect future potential, etc. The ranking may also include players that are not officially under contract with the Capitals at the date of this report.

Prospect Report by:

Jon Sorensen (NCAA/WHL/AHL)

Eric Lord (AHL)

Jesper Svensson (Europe)

Mike Lowry (NCAA)

Diane Doyle (OHL)

Luke Adomanis (WHL)

Michael Fleetwood (Editor)

Mic Yugo (Prospects Insider)

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