Kostento saves a shot against the QMJHL All-Stars this winter. (Photo by QMJHL)

In the last three NHL Drafts, the Washington Capitals have selected European goaltenders past the fourth round.  In 2010, it was German product Philipp Grubauer.  In 2011, it was Norwegian Steffen Soberg.  This year, it was Russian Sergei Kostenko.

Washington selected Kostenko, who grew up playing with current Capital Dmitry Orlov in their hometown of Novokuznetsk, with the 203^rd overall pick on Saturday.  Kostenko, 19, spent last season playing with Novokuznetsk’s minor league team, where he posted a 2.47 GAA and .897 save percentage in 40 games.  So what did that Capitals like about him?

“Very athletic, very competitive, we have seen him before in the past,” said Director of Amateur Scouting Ross Mahoney on Saturday.  “He played well with Russia’s under 20 team when they came across and did the Subway Series, basically ending up as the third goalie on the World Junior team.  We’ve been tracking him for three years.”

“They [the scouts] just saw something there, they think he can be a National Leaguer,” George McPhee said.  “He wasn’t on the list, for central scouting, and we got him on the list at the end of the second round.  They had to research him to make sure he would be eligible for drafting.  We got him approved before the seventh round and then we took him.  Sergey [PR Director Sergey Kocharov] had a conversation with him yesterday, really vouched for his character, said he would love to come over.  We thought it was well worth the pick.”

The Capitals have had great success drafting goaltenders outside of North America in the past, as Olaf Kolzig, Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth were born overseas.  Grubauer, who has yet to play one game for the Capitals, was stellar in his first professional season this year, posting a 2.22 GAA and .918 save percentage for South Carolina in the ECHL.  Grubauer’s performance earned him a selection to the all-rookie team in that league and verified his selection, as goaltending coach Dave Prior had him near the top of his rankings during the 2010 draft.

Even more encouraging is the fact that Kostenko seems to want to come over to North America as soon as possible and get ready to compete in the different style of game – something some of the Capitals’ other Russian prospects, like Evgeny Kuznetsov, have not.

With Washington still deep at the goaltending position organizationally, this pick seems to be just another addition to the stockpile that has a chance to work out.  At the second most important position on the ice, you can do a lot worse than continually adding low-risk, potentially high-reward goaltenders - especially raw, athletic ones that simply need to be honed.

With the 167^th overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals selected forward Riley Barber, an 18 year old from the United States Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  One of four USNTDP players selected by Washington in the middle rounds, Barber was just as happy as his teammates on now being a Capital.

“It was great, I was at home on the couch with my family and I got a call from my agent saying I was drafted,” Barber said in a phone interview Sunday.  “Then I saw it on TV.  It was great, a great feeling and very surreal to see your name up there with an NHL team you watched so many times.”

So what could Barber bring to the Capitals down the road?  Only 18, the Pittsburgh native played only one season in Ann Arbor but is scheduled to play next year for the Miami (OH) Redhawks – a storied NCAA program that most recently made the National Championship game in 2010.  And Barber, whose father played professionally, lacks no confidence.

“I think I have the potential to do whatever my team needs me for my team to win,” he said.  “I can put pucks in the net, I can kill penalties, I can block shots, I can be an all around player that all teams need.  Second line, third line, fourth line, whatever the team needs.  I’m a team guy.”

Danton Cole, who coached him this past season, spoke to some media on Saturday in Pittsburgh, and raved about a player who he only got to see for one year but still made an impression upon him.

“Riley joined us after one year, this is the second year and he tied for leading goal scorer on the team,” Cole said.  “He’s got a pro shot, another kid with a real high compete level and hates to lose, his battle level is real good.  He does a lot of things, he’s kind of a pro winger, he gets pucks out, he understands the subtleties of the game, he’s got a good physical aspect to his game.  As I said, he’s got an NHL shot, he’s a goal scorer.”

“He’s heady, finds net,” texted Matt Greason, another former coach of Barber’s at the USNTDP.  “Love him.  Gritty two way center.  Blood and guts captain material and thinks the game like a pro.”

But like any draft pick, especially one in the 6^th round, the 18 year-old has some work to do in order to be able to contribute at the NHL level.  Greason says that he needs to get a little more “jump” to his game and work on his skating.  However, it seems at the early stages that the Capitals may have gotten a steal at this position so late in the draft.

Specifcally, Barber wants to do whatever he can do make the team as soon as possible – despite that fact that he’s from Pittsburgh – because he thinks that he has been drafted into an organization that has their sights set on winning, all the way down.

“I think about the owner, and George McPhee, they loves to win and they will do anything to win,” he said of his new franchise.  “That’s what I model my game after.  I want to win, I hate losing.  The fact that they drafted me, I think it’s a perfect fit.  They are a very skilled team, and I think I’m pretty skilled.  They like to score goals but they also have those grinders that like to hit every shift, and make plays and score goals.  It’s a great team overall that I am very happy to be drafted by.”

“I watched the Capitals down the stretch and I think that they were great,” he added.  “Dale [Hunter] had to do what he had to do.  You know, all he wanted to do was win.  And I think the guys that they drafted, I know we are all hard workers and I know that we all love to win.  I think it was great for the Capitals to pick us up.”

The Capitals and their fans will get their first look at Barber and his American teammates at Development Camp in about two weeks, which Barber confirmed he would be attending Sunday.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals and the 2012 NHL Draft for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here.

 
Austin Wuthrich shakes hands with Capitals brass after being selected 107th overall. (AP Photo)

PITTSBURGH – In their prior history, the Washington Capitals had selected two players total from the United States Development Program.  They tripled that number in rounds four through six of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft Saturday, picking four players out of Ann Arbor to help replenish their prospect pool.

Thomas Di Pauli, Austin Wuthrich, Connor Carrick, and Riley Barber all heard their names called as part of four consecutive Washington selections through the middle rounds.  And for every member of that team that was present at the CONSOL Energy Center, the moment was one of almost unspeakable joy.

“Unbelievable,” beamed Di Pauli, who moved to the United States from Italy in middle school to chase his NHL dreams.  “At first I didn’t hear, but my mom stood up to congratulate me. Best moment of my life.  I was starting to get a little nervous and shaky, so I couldn’t believe it.  Dream come true. Incredible.”

“It was just as good as I imagined,” echoed Wuthrich, his voice audibly trembling.  “Great feeling, and I’m just really happy that the Caps drafted me.  Right around the end of the third round, my mom started to get a little nervous, which made me nervous, so I mean it’s always nerve racking, but I’m just really happy and excited right now.”

“I guess I’m just honored,” Carrick agreed.  “The Capitals are a great organization, and being among some of the names of that are getting called today, it’s pretty special.  You think about something like this for a long time, and it’s been a really good experience so far.”

The selection of so many American players, particularly in a row, was a change of pace for McPhee and director of Amateur Scouting Ross Mahoney.  One look at the Capitals’ lineup shows a heavy reliance on European and Canadian players, with just two Americans, Matt Hendricks and John Carlson, on the current roster.  In addition, as mentioned before, the Capitals had only picked two players from the USNTDP in their history prior to Saturday – winger Greg Burke in 2008 and center Travis Boyd in 2011.  But Mahoney and his staff loved what he saw this year from Ann Arbor, and the selections prove it.

Read more about the American infusion here.

PITTSBURGH - Below is the transcript of the draft day interview with Capitals' third-round pick, Chandler Stephenson.

Image courtesy Washingtoncaps.com

What’s your initial reaction on finally coming off the board and going to Washington?

Just excited, you know.  The whole week, just kinda anxious about where I’m going.  I talked to Washington and wasn’t really sure about their thoughts, so it’s an honor to go there.

You talked to them a few times?

Talked to them at the combine and during the season a bit.  It was kind of unexpected, I guess.

How familiar are you with the organization?  Do you know anyone in the organization who played for the Pats?

Yeah, Garrett Mitchell.  My rookie year with Regina, he was captain of our team.  He is a great leader, and I know he’s going to be talking to me.  He said [Washington] is a great place to play and obviously I’m really excited to play there.

How would you describe your game?

As an offensive forward, I’d like to see, but I’m trying to change to two-way forward, fix the defensive part of my game.

What would you say is your path for the next few years?

Just still developing in Regina, still learning a lot with the WHL. I’m just going to take a lot in there, and just kind of develop and move on and follow the path of my career.

Do you still keep in touch with Garrett Mitchell?

Yes.

I’m sure you’ll talk to him about the organization and I would assume you’ll be at Development camp in July.

Yeah.  Probably he’ll be talking to me and I’ll be talking to him. We both are on the same team now, and before that, I knew him, and he’s at the same agency as me.

How would you best describe the way you play?

I don’t know, an offensive forward, like I said.  Skating is probably my #1 attribute.

What was the meeting with the Capitals like before the draft?

It was really good.

Do you see yourself as a center moving forward?

I played center this year and played left wing, just whatever the coach wants me to play.

What’s your idea when you think Capitals?  What first comes to mind?

Alexander Ovechkin. He’s exciting to watch.  Growing up, he’s always been the top player, him and Semin.

Did you have a big crowd here today?

Just my family, my dad’s buddy, and my agent.

How old were you when you first started playing hockey?

I went to register for hockey when I was 4, but you have to be 5.  So I played ringette for a year and when I was 5, I played hockey.

Did your dad play, too?

No.  My dad was a ball player.

Chandler Stephenson Position: Left Winger/Center Height: 5'10 Weight: 192 Shoots: Left Born: 04/22/94, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan NHL Central Scouting Rank: #33 North American Skater Player Pages:   NHL - EP - HF - WHL

Talent Analysis:
The 77th overall pick, Chandler Stephenson is an offensively-minded center with good speed. He was voted his junior team's most gentlemanly player, as he is not prone to taking penalties.  He displays good creativity in the offensive zone, he has good hands and good hockey sense and is willing to play with a physical edge.  He is not very large, but he is very strong and has a powerful slap shot.  He is working to improve his all-around game, but he is able to control play in the offensive zone well enough for his defense not to be an issue most of the time. 

Last Season:
Though he missed 14 games with a sprained knee, Stephenson still managed 22 goals and 42 points in 55 games as the fourth-best scorer on the Regina Pats of the WHL.  He finished the season with a -1 rating and just 24 PIM, but perhaps most impressive was the fact he had just 2 powerplay goals, meaning his production should take off with more special teams time next season.  In the WHL playoffs, Stephenson finished tied for third in team scoring with a goal and 4 points, but the more impressive numbers might have been his team-leading +4 and 0 PIM. 

NHL Projection:
If Stephenson continues to play center, he projects to be a playmaking center, probably a second- or third-liner because of his size.  He will take several seasons to develop into that type of role, but he has a good brain for hockey and a good starting skill set.  His NHL upside will be limited if he does not improve his defense, though. He should be well motivated and coached with three cousins who play professional hockey.

Plans for next season:
Most likely, Chandler Stephenson will follow the path of another speedy, 5'10 center the Caps drafted, Mathieu Perreault.  After his draft year, Perreault played two more years of junior and a full season in the AHL before making his NHL debut in hist fourth year after the 2006 Draft.  Then Perreault was a part-time center for the Capitals for two seasons before making the team for good in year 6.  Stephenson will need to continue developing in the WHL for at least one more season, probably two, where he will be expected to take on a larger role for Regina.  He should get the chance to develop in the AHL in 2014-15 before getting the chance to make the NHL roster in 2015-16. 

PITTSBURGH - The Washington Capitals have selected G Sergei Kostenko with the 203rd overall pick. More to follow.

PITTSBURGH - The Washington Capitals have selected D Christian Djoos with the 195th overall pick and D Jaynen Rissling with the 197th overall pick. More to follow.

PITTSBURGH - The Washington Capitals have selected RW Riley Barber with the 167th overall pick. More to follow.

Thomas Wilson Position: Right Winger Height: 6'4 Weight: 203 Shoots: Right Born: 03/29/94, Toronto, Ontario NHL Central Scouting Rank: #15 North American Skater Player Pages:   NHL - EP - HF - OHL

Talent Analysis:
Tom Wilson is a big, strong, tough winger who thinks in straight lines.  He takes the shortest route to the puck, often running through puck-carriers at high speed.  He creates room for his linemates in the offensive zone and stands up for himself and teammates with his fists when necessary.  He has good hands, is strong in the corners, has good speed, and has the mental make-up to be effective playing against large-bodied men.  He is somewhat injury-prone with his playing style, but his work-ethic and stubbornness will allow him to recover quickly. He also has solid defensive acumen.

Last Season:
Wilson missed a big chunk of time with a broken knuckle suffered in a fight, but he was a demon on the ice when healthy.  Wilson only posted 9 goals and 27 points in limited ice time for the OHL Plymouth Whalers, but his 141 penalty minutes speaks to his willingness to stick his nose where it isn't welcome and to get his hands dirty.  His +17 shows he can keep the puck out of his own net, too.  His offense came to light in the playoffs when he posted 7 goals and 13 points in 13 games to go along with a +10 rating and 39 PIM. 

NHL Projection:
Wilson already plays with the reckless abandon of an NHL power forward.  He is the type of player who can be useful on any line, but he is most likely to have a positive impact on a scoring line in need of a net-crashing presence and forechecker.  Wilson will make the NHL in some role if he can stay healthy, it's just a matter of how good his offense will be and how long it will take. 

Plans for next season:
Wilson will spend next season in the OHL where he will be expected to take on more responsibility.  He may also get a look for Team Canada at the World Juniors.  Wilson will probably spend a season in the AHL after that before splitting 2014-15 between the AHL and NHL.  He will probably get the chance to be an NHL regular in 2015 on a scoring line, but his regular NHL duty may come sooner on a checking or energy line because of his size and versatility. 

PITTSBURGH - Below is the transcript of the draft day interview with Filip Forsberg from last night. 

Photo by Andy Green of Rockthered.net

What’s your initial reaction of going to Washington?

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 so, yeah, really looking forward to it.

What did you think when you saw your name on the board?

Well I guess it’s been a pretty busy season, with all the meetings with teams, so yeah, I’m kind of glad I’m done.  This is just the start of hopefully a good career.

This would have been Colorado’s pick if they hadn’t made the trade, so maybe you’d have played with Landeskog and not Backstrom.  How does that feel for you?

Well of course its glad to have some Swedes on the team.  Anything can happen in NHL, whenever I can play in NHL maybe some Swedish players not there, maybe some new Swedes are there. Yeah, really looking forward to playing for the Capitals and hopefully with Nick.

How many years until you make the NHL?  Will you stay in Sweden another year?

I have one year left on my contract back in Sweden, so yeah, that’s my plan for next year.  Then I’m not sure, we’ll see, hopefully I can have a good season and then anything can happen.

What were your nerves like sitting there waiting to be drafted?

Well, I would lie if I say I wasn’t nervous.  I was pretty nervous but I’m glad to have my family with me there.  I guess they’re pretty proud of me.  It was a good day for both me and also for them.

Do you know anyone on the Capitals?

You mean the players?  No not really.

Have you crossed paths with any of them, like Marcus Johansson?

No. I haven’t played against any of the Swedish guys, unfortunately, but hopefully I will play with them in the coming years.

A couple scouts have compared your style to a North American game like Brendan Shanahan, do you think you play more a North American game than a European style game?

I’m a kinda big sized player, I’m try to play a bit physical and try to take the puck to the net.  I guess that’s more of a North American style than a Euro style of game.  Yeah a little bit.  Hopefully I can bring that with me when the time is ready for me to come over.

What part of your game do you try to work on for next year?

You have to become stronger, and if I can make my skating a bit better, I think I could be an even better player.  I try to work on those things.  I’ve been practicing every it day, hopefully I can improve it.

How much do you know about the Capitals organization?  How much have you watched any of their games in the past 2 years?

Well, I haven’t watched that much because it’s a bad TV time back in Sweden, because the games are on in the middle of the night.  I will try to watch, they have some, some good seasons with some good draft picks playing good for the organization, so hopefully I can be a part of a winning team.

Any idea why you dropped out of the top 10?

It was a Dman draft this year, so, I’m very happy to be part of the Washington Capitals, yeah, I’m very excited.

Did you have any idea the Caps would draft you?

Well, I had a meeting at the combine with them, and also I have been talking a bit to their Swedish scouts [back in Sweden].  Yeah, a little bit.

Any disappointment for you in terms of where you went in the draft?

I don’t look at a disappointment at all.  It’s like a dream coming true, being drafted.  Hopefully I make the team in some years and  I will be working hard to become a part of the Capitals organization in the coming years.

Is D.C. a place you anticipated going to?

It’s a happy moment when they called my name out.