PITTSBURGH - The Washington Capitals have selected forward Chandler Stephenson 77th overall.  Stephenson is currently playing Major Junior with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, where he skated with Capitals prospect and current Hershey Bear Garrett Mitchell.  Stephenson is a center/left winger and had 42 points (20 goals) in 55 games for Regina this year.  He stands 5'11" and weighs 190 pounds.

This pick adds more toughness and offensive wingers to the Capitals' farm system - even after adding two players similar to Stephenson on Friday night.  He is a power forward who likes to play physical and is noted for having a very nice set of hands.  But as with all third round picks, he is a project, and will spend at least the next two seasons playing in Regina.

Update: DeBlouw drafted 186th overall by Calgary.

Matt Gajtka is the Director of Communications for the USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks.  He has profiled the Lumberjacks' Matt DeBlouw, a likely candidate to be drafted by the Capitals in the third or fourth round.  The original story is here.

Matt DeBlouw spent the last two years with the Muskegon Lumberjacks building his reputation as a legitimate NHL Draft prospect. That work will likely come to fruition this weekend in Pittsburgh when he is projected to a be a mid-round selection Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center.

With the draft just days away (the first round will take place Friday night, with rounds 2-7 saved for Saturday), hockey observers are in the process of finalizing their evaluations of all relevant prospects. That list includes DeBlouw, 18, who will attend Michigan State University in the fall.

One person who already has an extensive mental file on DeBlouw is Assistant Coach Dave Noel-Bernier, who was part of the Lumberjacks staff when the 16-year-old center from Chesterfield, Mich., first arrived in Muskegon in the summer of 2010.

"His speed and skating ability are off the chart and he has the potential of being bigger and stronger still," said Noel-Bernier, who administers the Lumberjacks' strength and conditioning program in addition to his coaching and scouting duties.

DeBlouw certainly made Noel-Bernier proud with his impressive showing at the NHL Draft Combine last month, when he scored in the top 10 out of over 100 players in several fitness tests. His best result was a second-place finish on the Wingate bike, which measures leg power and is regarded as one of the most important tests at the annual combine.

Matt's combine breakout could give him a boost when NHL teams assess his place on their draft boards; in fact, his profile has been raised to a point at which it wouldn't be entirely surprising if he sneaked into the bottom of the second round.

Read on.

DeBlouw put up 33 points, including 11 goals, in 2011-12, his second USHL season.

AP Photo

PITTSBURGH, PA – For the last four seasons, the Washington Capitals have lacked a center.  Friday night in the City of Bridges, they may have finally plugged the hole.

George McPhee pulled off yet another coup, landing pivot Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for pennies – center Cody Eakin and the 54^th overall pick in the 2012 Draft.

Ribeiro, 32, would seem to be the answer to the Capitals’ glaring hole at center.  Standing 6’0”, the Montreal native had 18 goals and 45 assists this past season and has not scored fewer than 63 points in a full season over the last five campaigns.

“We wanted to add a little bit of skill to our lineup,” McPhee said.  “I just didn’t like the way we played in the playoffs.  We got some big, gritty forwards and we just wanted to put another guy in the middle of it to see if it helps.  I think it makes our team immediately better.”

When asked if plugging the second line center hole was the top priority this offseason, McPhee simply responded, “Yes."  

"We think he’s a 1 or 2 center in this league.  I just felt like at some point this summer we wanted to add a skill guy, and if it was at center ice, that would be ideal.”

As usual, McPhee managed to add a player at a lower price than the market would seem to dictate.  Only 15% of 2^nd round picks in the last ten years have made a significant NHL impact – and Cody Eakin, who at one point was moved for eight assets in the Western Hockey League – was a small price to pay as his stock had recently fallen.

After making the trade for Ribeiro, McPhee wasn’t done.  Following a number of teams going wild early in the first round and picking players not ranked in the top ten by many, the Capitals were presented with a golden opportunity: take a player ranked in the top five outside of the top ten selections.  And the General Manager delivered, landing what many consider the steal of the draft at this early stage: Swedish winger Filip Forsberg.

“Well, of course it’s a big honor to get to go to the Washington Capitals and to be a part of their great organization,” Forsberg said.  “So yeah, really looking forward to it. This is just the start of hopefully a good career.”

It was a no-brainer pick for the Capitals, who had one of the best players in the draft essentially fall into their lap.  Forsberg was the top European skater ranked by basically every scouting service, and most mock drafts had him being selected in the top five.

“The scouts the table the scouts were unanimous,” McPhee said when asked about his thought process. “‘We have to take this guy, he’s a fantastic player.  We have to take this guy.’”

Read more about Friday night here.

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PITTSBURGH - With the 16th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals have selected RW Thomas Wilson.  More to follow. no comments

PITTSBURGH - With the 11th overall pick in the 2012 Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals have selected RW Filip Forsberg. Forsberg was the #1 ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting, but fell to the Capitals at 11th overall. He is the type of player who could contribute at the NHL level as early as 2013.

Forsberg produced 8 goals and 17 points in 43 Allsvenskan games with Leksand this season.

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PITTSBURGH - The Washington Capitals have acquired center Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for C Cody Eakin and their second-round pick this year. 

Ribeiro, 32, is a skinny playmaking center who was relegated to second-line duty this season in Dallas behind Jamie Benn.  Ribeiro has been a consistent producer for Montreal and Dallas over the last 8 seasons.  He will be expected to score near 20 goals and produce 40 assists next season with the Capitals.  He is most decidedly the second-line center the Capitals have needed. 

Eakin played 30 games for the Capitals last season as a rookie, posting 8 points.  He was the Capitals' third-round pick in 2009.  The Capitals second-round pick was the 54th overall selection. Update: Dallas used the 54th overall pick on Mike Winther.

Update 11:09pm:  The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded D Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix for Harrison Ruoop, Marc Cheverie, and a 2012 3rd Round Pick.

Update 10:49pm:  The Los Angeles Kings have selected Tanner Pearson with the 30th overall pick.

Update 10:45pm:  The New Jersey Devils have selected Stefan Matteau with the 29th overall pick.

Update 10:38pm:  The New York Rangers have selected Brady Skjei with the 28th overall pick.

Update 10:32pm:  The Phoenix Coyotes have selected Henrik Samuelsson with the 27th overall pick.

Update 10:24pm:  The Vancouver Canucks have selected Brendan Gaunce with the 26th overall pick.

Update 10:19pm:  The St. Louis Blues have selected Jordan Schmaltz with the 25th overall pick.

Update 10:08pm:  The Boston Bruins have selected G Malcolm Subban with the 24th overall pick.

Update 10:03pm:  The Florida Panthers have selected Michael Matheson with the 23rd overall pick.

Update 9:56pm:  The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected Olli Maatta with the 22nd overall pick.

Update 9:49pm:  The Calgary Flames have selected Mark Jankowski with the 21st overall pick.

Update 9:43pm:  The Philadelphia Flyers have selected Scott Laughton with the 20th overall pick.

Update 9:36pm:  The Tampa Bay Lightning have selected G Andrey Vasilevski with the 19th overall pick.

Update 9:30pm: The Chicago Blackhawks have selected Teuvo Teravainen with the 18th overall pick.

Update 9:24pm: The San Jose Sharks have selected Thomas Hertl with the 17th overall pick.

The Washington Capitals have selected RW Thomas Wilson with the 16th overall pick.

Update 9:12pm: The Ottawa Senators have selected D Cody Ceci with the 15th overall pick.

The Buffalo Sabres have selected C Zemgus Girgensons with the 14th overall pick.

The Dallas Stars have selected C Radek Faksa with the 13th overall pick.

The Buffalo Sabres have selected C Mikhail Grigorenko with the 12th overall pick.

Update 8:45pm: The Washington Capitals have selected RW Filip Forsberg with the 11th overall pick.

Update 8:35pm: The Tampa Bay Lightning have selected Slater Koekkoek with the 10th overall pick.

Update 8:25pm: The Winnipeg Jets have selected Jacob Trouba with the 9th overall pick.

Update 8:12pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected Derrick Pouliot with the 8th overall pick.

Update for trades: The New York Islanders have acquired D Lubomir Visnovsky from Anaheim for a 2nd round pick in 2013.

The Washington Capitals have acquired C Mike Ribeiro from Dallas for C Cody Eakin and a 2012 2nd round pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded C Jordan Staal to Carolina for C Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumolin, and the 8th overall pick in 2012

Update 8:04pm: The Minnesota Wild have selected Mathew Dumba with the 7th overall pick.

Update 7:56pm:  The Anaheim Ducks have selected Hampus Lindholm with the 6th overall pick.

Update 7:47pm:  The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Morgan Rielly with the 5th overall pick.

Update 7:41pm:  The New York Islanders have selected Griffin Reinhart with the 4th overall pick. 

Update 7:31pm:  The Montreal Canadiens have selected Alex Galchenyuk with the 3rd overall pick. 

Update 7:24pm:  The Columbus Blue Jackets have selected Ryan Murray with the 2nd overall pick. 

Update 7:15pm:  The Edmonton Oilers have selected Nail Yakupov with the 1st overall pick. 

Stay tuned to Rockthered.net tonight as Harry Hawkings and Andy Green are covering the Draft from the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.  We will have coverage of the Capitals' first round picks and major trades.

 

With the NHL draft beginning Friday night, you probably know by now that the Capitals hold 11 picks in this year’s festivities, including two first round selections.  Below, I try and prognosticate whom Washington will take with those two first round picks, as they are key to restocking the talent pool in the DC farm system.

11th Overall Selection – From Colorado (Acquired July 2, 2012)

Option A: Jacob Trouba, D, USNTDP (USHL) – There is little chance that Trouba falls this far, but teams go off the reservation with top ten picks every year and it is possible that Trouba falls all the way to the Capitals at #11.  The Michigan native is a big, strong, mobile defenseman who likes to model his game after Shea Weber and can move the puck.  He would be a steal.

Option A-1: Radek Faksa, C, Kitchener (OHL) – Faksa is projected as low risk, medium to high reward player who will be a steady if unspectacular NHL contributor as a second line center the Capitals have craved for so long.  Faksa can score, play defense, cycle well, and even play on the penalty kill, and would be a great pickup for the Capitals here.  There is little that is missing from his game, and he would probably take one season to get to DC; regardless, adding depth at the center position is essential for the Caps at this moment.  He is the most likely pick for George McPhee to make here in my book.

Option B: Cody Ceci, D, Ottawa (OHL) – Ceci doesn’t fill the Caps’ need for a center, but if Faksa is gone, Ceci would be a good pick here.  He is big enough and strong enough to contribute right away, and can both run a power play and play a solid defensive game.  He could look really nice next to Dmitry Orlov; he and DC’s young Russian defenseman would be a hell of a second pairing behind Karl Alzner and John Carlson (in about 4 years).

NOTE: Center Mikhail Grigorenko, who plays for Quebec in the QMJHL, has been predicted recently to fall outside of the top 10 despite being ranked in the top five for most of the season.  Should that happen, it is certainly possible that the Capitals draft him - probably likely because of McPhee's penchant for Russians.  But he is a flight risk, and with Evgeny Kuznetsov staying in Russia for at least two years, it would be hard for the Caps to compensate for their two best prospects not coming to play in America.

16th Overall Selection – Washington’s own

Option A: Brendan Gaunce, C, Belleville (OHL) – This may be a bit of a stretch for Gaunce, as most have him going in the 20s or even past 25^th overall – but then again, some have him going as high as 13^th overall.  The bottom line with Gaunce is that he is a leader, on and off the ice.  Scouts think he has all of the leadership qualities you want in a young player and potentially future captain.  He’s also pretty good at hockey; he can score and play defense and, like Faksa, is viewed as an NHL second line center.  One weakness, according to an OHL scout, is his skating – but that will get better with time he continues to develop and is a small hole in an otherwise very solid player.  I would love to get him here and so should McPhee.

Option B: Zemgus Girgensons, C, Dubuque (USHL) – If Gaunce is gone, I still expect McPhee to take a center.  Giregensons is a Latvian but has spent the last several years playing in America, so there should be little concern about him jetting to Europe or adapting.  He profiles as a solid two way center as has been compared to Ryan Kesler by some scouts; though that is probably a bit much he is a good player.  One red flag: some scouts have questioned if he can be a true elite second line center.  But his basement is a third liner by most accounts and he is a very energetic player.

Option C: Sebastian Collberg, LW, Frolunda (Elitserien) – Collberg fits the George McPhee pedigree of a skilled speedy scoring winger.  He is flashy and has some unbelievable moves, but the return may not come for a couple of years as Collberg both wants to stay in Sweden and probably is not yet ready for the big time.  I don’t think this pick is overly likely, but certainly possible.

Option D: Tom Wilson, LW, Portland (OHL) – Tom Wilson is a monster of a man, almost 6’5” and over 200 pounds.  He is ruthless power forward who plays like Milan Lucic – and even though I hate Lucic and everything he represents, the Caps may benefit from having a player like him.  I don’t think this is very likely because it’s a bit of a reach, but it’s certainly a possibility.

We will be live from Pittsburgh for both days of the draft.  Follow me on Twitter here for all of your news needs leading up to, during, and after the draft.

As Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee prepares for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this Friday, he must figure out what to do with his league-high 11 draft picks.  He has two in the middle of the first round (11th and 16th), which will be aired on the NBC Sports Network on Friday at 7pm.  Keep an eye out for Rock the Red writers Andy Green and Harry Hawkings, as we will be at CONSOL Energy Center covering the event.

Looking back, McPhee has come full circle.  His first NHL Entry Draft at the helm of the Washington Capitals was in 1997, also in Pittsburgh.  The team was in a state of flux with a new coach, a new system, and new expectations.  McPhee used the 9th overall pick on a defenseman who played over 600 NHL games, played in the NHL All-Star Game, and won a Stanley Cup.  Of course, Nick Boynton re-entered the draft in 1999 and never played a game for Washington, but McPhee showed then that he sure knew how to pick 'em.  

Boynton was the first of McPhee's 126 draft picks, and it certainly won't be the last.  Over the course of the next few days, we will preview several likely prospects the Capitals may take in the first 3-4 rounds of the draft.  In these previews we will discuss:

Talent Analysis:
Just what can this guy do, anyway?

Last Season:
Where did he play and how did he do?

NHL Projection:
What does he project to be in the NHL and how does that fit into the Capitals' plans?

Will the Capitals draft him?:
Will he still be available when the Capitals draft?  Based on George McPhee's history, is he a likely target?

Plans for next season:
Assuming the Capitals draft him, what's the plan for next year, and what's his road to the NHL?

Keep an eye out for your future Capitals!

The Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League have announced the hiring of Dean Evason as their head coach for the 2012-13 season.  The Admirals, the primary minor-league affiliate of the Nashville Predators, finished second in their division this season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.  They were in need of a new head coach when Kirk Muller left to take over the Carolina Hurricanes mid-season. 

Evason moved on after he was told he was no longer a candidate for the Washington Capitals head coaching vacancy.  He had spent seven seasons as an assistant under three different head coaches.  This marks the second time Predators General Manager David Poile has hired Evason, as Poile also drafted the Winnipeg native to play for the Capitals in 1982.

Evason played the first 17 games of his NHL career in Capitals red, white, and blue.  All told, "Deano" played 803 NHL games over 13 seasons with Hartford, Dallas, San Jose, and Calgary, and his playing career also included stops in the AHL, Switzerland, and Germany.  Upon retiring from playing in 1999, Evason immediately stepped behind the bench as head coach of the WHL Kamloops Blazers.  He took over the Vancouver Giants in 2002 and also spent a season with the Calgary Hitmen in 2004-05 before joining the Caps' coaching ranks. 

During Evason's junior coaching career, he coached future Washington Capitals Shaone Morrisonn and Tyler Sloan in Kamloops and Jeff Schultz and Karl Alzner in Calgary.  He also coached future NHLers Ryan Getzlaf, Andrew Ladd, Scottie Upshall, Erik Christensen, Gilbert Brule, and Jared Aulin.

Best of luck, Deano.