Caps Prospect

Tom Wilson Scores Playoff Hat Trick Against Dale Hunter’s London Knights

On April 21, 2013, In Caps Prospect, Video, By Fedor Fedin

Photo credit: Plymouth Whalers

Washington Capitals first-round pick Tom Wilson put up another impressive playoff performance. In game two against regular-season champions the London Knights, Wilson scored three goals and added an assist (unofficially as of right now) as his team won 4-3 in double overtime.

Potential 2013 first-rounder Bo Horvat opened the scoring after winning a puck battle in the corner, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead that they preserved until the end of the first period. Wilson tied the game in the second, holding his stick behind his back to score a wild deflection goal.

Tom Wilson Returns From Injury, Scores A Goal

On April 13, 2013, In Caps Prospect, Injury, Video, By Fedor Fedin

Tom Wilson knocks down Chris Bigras. (Photo credit: Plymouth Whalers)

Washington Capitals first round pick Tom Wilson recently missed three games with what OHL announcers described as a “minor ailment.” Wilson returned Friday night and had a huge impact in Game Five of the Plymouth Whalers’ playoff series against the Owen Sound Attack. In a 5-0 win that gave Wilson’s Whalers a 3-2 series lead, the Ten Train scored a power play goal and picked up six minutes of penalties — two coincidental roughing minors with Gemel Smith and Kurtis Gabriel and an unsportsmanlike conduct minor.

Tagged with: Connor Carrick • Tom Wilson

Evgeny Kuznetsov Hits Post on Brilliant Breakaway Move (Video)

On April 12, 2013, In Caps Prospect, KHL, Video, By Fedor Fedin

Fifteen years ago, former Capital Esa Tikkanen had a breakaway in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals. It could have iced the game for Washington and led them to the franchise’s first Cup. Instead, his shot completely missed the wide-open net and the Capitals were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov had his own painful playoff moment Friday. With Traktor Chelyabinsk trailing Dynamo Moscow in the KHL Finals 2-1, Kuzya had a chance to put Traktor in total control of game three, when he was sprung on a breakaway mid-way during the second period. At approximately 95 MPH, Kuznetsov performed his patented breakaway move where he fakes a forehand shot and then puts the puck waaaaaay on his backhand, trying to slip the biscuit past the goalie. It almost worked.

Tagged with: Dynamo Moscow • Esa Tikkanen • Evgeny Kuznetsov • Traktor Chelyabinsk

Evgeny Kuznetsov Scores Two Points, but Traktor Loses First Two Games of KHL Finals

On April 9, 2013, In Caps Prospect, KHL, By Fedor Fedin

Photo credit: Vitaly Gubin / HC Traktor

Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his team’s first-ever KHL finals goal and the fifth of his postseason, but his team couldn’t add to it. Dynamo took game one of the KHL finals, 2-1. In game two, Kuzynetsov picked up an assist, but Traktor lost again after allowing a late goal.

Tagged with: Dynamo Moscow • Evgeny Kuznetsov • Traktor Chelyabinsk

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Traktor Chelyabisnk To Play In Gagarin Cup Finals

On April 4, 2013, In Caps Prospect, By Fedor Fedin

Kuznetsov takes a selfie at his locker after the game (Photo credit: Kuznetsov’s Instagram)

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Traktor Chelyabinsk beat Ak Bars Kazan 2-1 in Game 7 of KHL Eastern Conference Finals. With goals by captain Vladimir Antipov and Andrei Kostitsyn (whose move to the Panthers is delayed again), Traktor pulled off an upset, coming back from 1-3 deficit in the series. Kuznetsov didn’t get any points in game seven.

Traktor, who has played in two games seven this postseason, both times trailing by two games in the series (0-2 and 1-3), will face Alex Ovechkin’s home team and the reigning champions, Dynamo Moscow, in the finals. This is the deepest Traktor has gone in the KHL postseason.

Tagged with: Evgeny Kuznetsov • Traktor Chelyabinsk

Caps Sign University of Minnesota’s Nate Schmidt

On April 3, 2013, In Caps Prospect, News, By Fedor Fedin

Photo credit: USCHO

The Capitals have signed Nate Schmidt, a 6-foot, 194-pound, lefty to a two-year entry-level contract, kicking in this season. The 21-year-old from St. Cloud spent three years with the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, where late-round Caps draft pick Travis Boyd also played. Over the last two seasons, Schmidt has been nearly a point-per-game player. Schmidt attended Capitals Development Camp last year.

This season, Schmidt ranked third in points among NCAA defensemen and first in the WCHA. He was named to the All-WCHA first team and considered the top free agent on a Gophers team composed mostly of already drafted NHL prospects.

Tagged with: Nate Schmidt • Washington Capitals

Evgeny Kuznetsov Gets Misconduct Penalty For Shooting at Empty Net After Game Ends

On April 3, 2013, In Caps Prospect, Video, By Ian Oland

The game might have been over for five seconds, but Kuzya (bottom right) isn’t done scoring.

Those who have read our site for years know that Evgeny Kuznetsov loves to taunt. Kayaking, push-ups, and playing-dead goal celebrations: he makes Alex Ovechkin and the hot stick look ascetic.

On Tuesday, as Traktor Chelyabinsk forced Ak Bars Kazan to game 7 in the KHL’s Eastern Conference Finals, Kuzya decided to shoot at the Ak Bars net as the buzzer blew. Ak Bars players did not appreciate Kuzya’s gesture, and the entire team skated after him at center ice. Kuznetsov, swift of skate, knowing his life was in danger, somehow avoided getting tackled. He did not, however, avoid getting punished: a 10-minute misconduct from the officials.

Tagged with: Evgeny Kuznetsov • Traktor Chelyabinsk

Leksands IF General Manager Tommy Salo is Lobbying to Keep Filip Forsberg for One More Season

On April 1, 2013, In Caps Prospect, Translations, By Ian Oland

Forsberg (center) celebrates Leksand’s promotion to the Elitserien with his teammates. (Photo credit: Aftonbladet)

Last Friday afternoon, Capitals General Manager George McPhee discussed the organization’s top prospects, including 2012 first-round pick Filip Forsberg. McPhee made it clear that he’d like the 18-year-old Swede to join the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears after his season is finished with Leksand on April 5th.

But if Leksand General Manager Tommy Salo has his way, Forsberg will stay in Sweden for one more season.

Tagged with: Filip Forsberg • Leksands Idrottsförening • Tommy Salo

Filip Forsberg Scores Two Goals, Leksand Essentially Clinches Promotion to Elitserien

On March 29, 2013, In Caps Prospect, Video, By Fedor Fedin

Photo credit: svenskafans.com

Filip Forsberg was impressive in Leksands IF’s first game of the Kvalserien, scoring two goals in a 3-1 win over Michael Nylander’s Sodertalje SK. On Thursday, the 2012 first-round pick was at it again, this time tallying two more goals in a 8-3 blowout win over Timra IK.

Tagged with: Filip Forsberg • Leksands Idrottsförening

A Caps Fan’s Guide To The 2013 NCAA Tournament

On March 28, 2013, In Caps Prospect, By Fedor Fedin

Miami University’s Riley Barber headlines a list of Caps prospects at the NCAA Tournament (Photo credit: Rachel Lewis / Triple Deke Photography)

Washington Capitals prospects have been no strangers to the NCAA hockey tournament recently. A year ago, four of them (including then-UFA Cameron Schilling) made it to regionals. This year’s tournament includes six Caps prospects.

Regionals will be held in Toledo, OH; Providence, RI; Grand Rapids, MI; and Manchester, NH. The winners of the tournaments will face each other in Pittsburgh on April 11-13.

Grab yourself a bracket and let’s learn about our competing Caps prospects.

Tagged with: Austin Wuthrich • Greg Burke • Patrick Wey • Riley Barber • Thomas DiPauli • Travis Boyd

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Russian Machine Never Breaks

Tom Wilson Scores Playoff Hat Trick Against Dale Hunter’s London Knights

Tom Wilson Returns From Injury, Scores A Goal

Evgeny Kuznetsov Hits Post on Brilliant Breakaway Move (Video)

Evgeny Kuznetsov Scores Two Points, but Traktor Loses First Two Games of KHL Finals

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Traktor Chelyabisnk To Play In Gagarin Cup Finals

Caps Sign University of Minnesota’s Nate Schmidt

Evgeny Kuznetsov Gets Misconduct Penalty For Shooting at Empty Net After Game Ends

Leksands IF General Manager Tommy Salo is Lobbying to Keep Filip Forsberg for One More Season

Filip Forsberg Scores Two Goals, Leksand Essentially Clinches Promotion to Elitserien

A Caps Fan’s Guide To The 2013 NCAA Tournament

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