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After the first day of the Washington Capitals‘ annual development camp for prospects, Zach Sanford was asked how he would gauge his preparedness for professional hockey. A rising junior at Boston College and a second-round pick by the Capitals in the 2013 NHL draft, Sanford smiled and gave a savvy answer.

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“I really haven’t thought about it that much,” Sanford said. “I’m just kind of looking forward to going back next year and being an upperclassman and leading there.”

That seemed to address Sanford’s immediate plans, that he would return to college for at least his junior season. But since Washington’s development camp, the 21-year-old has reportedly had to reconsider the question of how ready he is for professional hockey, as the Capitals are trying to sway the forward to sign, according to college hockey writer Brad Elliot Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

Sanford’s 6-foot-4, 191-pound frame stood out at the Capitals’ development camp, and with that kind of size, his future in the organization would likely be as a bottom-six center. If he were to sign with Washington this summer, he would likely spend next season with the Hershey Bears.

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In 2013, the Capitals traded three picks to move up to draft Sanford at 61st overall. He was one of six skaters to play in all 41 games last season at Boston College, a key contributor to an Eagles team that advanced to the Frozen Four. He scored 13 goals and added 26 assists, significantly improving his production from a freshman season with seven goals and 17 assists.

“It was a good season,” Sanford said at development camp. “I think I made a lot of strides forward personally, and our team ended up having a great season, winning the regular-season Hockey East and going to the Frozen Four, which were a couple of our goals. It was great for us to do that and to be able to help and be a part of that was great for me.”

Signing Sanford would be a good addition to Washington’s organizational center depth, especially as the Capitals have yet to sign Thomas DiPauli, a 2012 fourth-round pick whose college career at Notre Dame is over. In his senior season, DiPauli posted 14 goals and 18 assists for the Fighting Irish. Washington owns the negotiating rights to DiPauli until Aug. 15. If he’s still unsigned at that point he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

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DiPauli wasn’t at the Capitals’ development camp, though he was invited. General Manager Brian MacLellan said Washington remains interested in him and is still working to sign him.

For Sanford, when watching NHL games with his friends and teammates, the Capitals were his team, even if a career with them seemed years away. In the dressing room of Washington’s practice facility on the last day of development camp, Sanford felt reassuringly comfortable.

“You definitely have that feeling in your head,” Sanford said. “I’ve been here for four years now, so I think, you know, maybe if I hadn’t been here it wouldn’t be the same way, but the feeling of knowing everyone that works here and everyone that has been coming back here, I think it really makes it feel like home. You feel like you kind of belong here.”