Top Washington Capitals Prospects Yet to Deliver on Their Hype
So far, the 2013-14 season has seen some of the top prospects for the Washington Capitals not only gain valuable experience but also be productive.
One of those players is Connor Carrick, a defenseman selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL draft by the Caps. Carrick impressed coaches and players alike during the Capitals' training camp and was on the team's roster for the first three games of the season.
He even scored a goal in the Caps' home opener against the Calgary Flames. Ultimately, Carrick was reassigned to the Hershey Bears, where it is expected that he will continue to make progress and continue to improve his game.
Then there is Tom Wilson. Wilson was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft, and he made his debut in last season's opening-round playoff series against the New York Rangers.
Prior to the season starting, it was clear that Wilson was making a strong case to be considered for a full-time position with the Caps for 2013-14. The question was whether the team would be able to make room for the right wing.
The Caps, however, informed Wilson he would not be going back to the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL and that he would be a member of the Caps for the duration of the season.
In Wilson's past six games, he has a goal and two assists. On top of that, the 19-year old has quickly emerged as one of the enforcers of the team, and he adds a physical presence that the Caps need.
While Carrick and Wilson have been moderately successful, things do not always work out so well with prospects. Every team has had to deal with their share of draft busts over the years, and the Capitals are no exception.
Which top Capitals prospects have—thus far anyway—failed to live up to their hype?
Here are four such prospects who fit that description.
Anton Gustafsson
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The story of Anton Gustafsson's failure with the Washington Capitals is a sad one.
The son of one of the Caps' most beloved players of all time, Bengt Gustafsson, was drafted with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft.
It seemed like the perfect fit for the Caps. The younger Gustafsson would surely duplicate what his father did in Washington—wouldn't he?
In a word, no. Not even remotely close.
Bengt Gustafsson ranks sixth all time for the Caps in points and goals scored, and he ranks fifth all-time in assists.
His son, however, just never panned out at all, and in 2011, the Caps placed him on unconditional waivers.
As was reported by The Washington Times at the time Gustafsson was released, his failure to succeed in the NHL was partly due to injuries and also due to him perhaps coming to North America before he was really ready for it. In fact, Gustafsson played in just one game for the Hershey Bears before returning to Europe.
Even in Europe, Gustafsson has not done a whole lot. He has played in 138 games in Europe and has only 23 goals in his entire career.
It is an example of how the style of play in the NHL is so very different from the style of play in Europe, and success in one league does not always translate into success in the other.
In the case of Gustafsson, he really has not enjoyed success at any level, which is a real head-scratcher when one considers his pedigree.
His failure to succeed with the Caps was particularly disappointing for fans and the team alike. Having another Gustafsson on the team—and having him be successful—would have been an excellent sign of better things to come for the Capitals.
But it just never worked out.
Perhaps it is not too late for him, as he is only 23 years old. Perhaps Gustafsson will ultimately find the game so many though he would have when the Caps drafted him in 2008.
For now though, he represents one Cap prospect who completely failed to live up to the hype.
Dmitry Orlov
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You have to feel a bit sorry for Dmitry Orlov.
Orlov was selected by the Caps in the second round of the 2009 NHL draft with the 55th overall pick. It did not take too long for Orlov to get a chance to show what he could do.
During the 2011-12 season, Orlov played in 60 games for the Caps with three goals, 16 assists and a plus-one rating. Those were pretty good numbers—but apparently not good enough to earn an opportunity to play in the playoffs against either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers.
Despite Orlov having put together some solid numbers during the regular season, then-coach Dale Hunter did not have confidence in him as far as playoff hockey was concerned.
For the shortened 2012-13 season, Orlov played in only five games. Orlov missed the first 28 games of the season after suffering a concussion while playing for the Hershey Bears during the lockout. In those five games he played, he had a plus-five rating—and this occurred during a time frame where the Caps were giving up a ton of goals.
This season, Orlov has been the odd man out. Connor Carrick, Nate Schmidt and Alexander Urbom have all gotten the chance to play. Orlov, on the other hand, has been a healthy scratch on most nights with the Capitals so far.
The somewhat odd situation with Orlov was discussed in The Washington Post recently. He spent the better part of the past two weeks with the Caps but saw no ice time at all. He has now been sent back to Hershey.
It even appears that Tyson Strachan will get a chance to play before Orlov will this season—and yet general manager George McPhee continues to insist that Orlov will get a chance.
When Orlov has played, he has usually played quite well. So why is he not getting a real chance to show what he can do?
Orlov is only 22 years old and at 6'0" and 210 pounds, he has the size and speed to be a really good NHL defenseman. For one reason or another, he has not done enough to impress either McPhee or head coach Adam Oates—at least not enough.
Still, I expect Orlov to get some playing time this year. What he does with that chance remains to be seen.
But if he does not make the most of it, Orlov will continue to be a very good prospect who has not lived up to his billing.
Stanislav Galiev
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Stanislav Galiev is another prospect who is tough to figure out. Is he ready to take the next step or not? There is no clear-cut answer in this regard.
Galiev was selected in the third round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Caps. He is a very strong skater who has good hands and a very good shot. He has exceptional speed and very good vision on the ice.
The main knock on him is that at 6'1", 188 pounds, he's a bit on the small side.
But there is talent there, and you won't hear any complaints about Galiev's work ethic.
Galiev has demonstrated steady progress in his professional career thus far. It is just that he is perhaps not developing as quickly as had been hoped.
During his time with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, Galiev showed what a force he could be. This was particularly true during the 2010-11 season when Galiev scored 37 goals and had 28 assists in 64 games.
Galiev was plagued by a wrist injury during the 2011-12 season and only played in 20 games, but in the playoffs he was dominant as he scored 16 goals and had 18 assists in just 17 games.
Galiev then made the jump to the Hershey Bears but seemed to take a step back as he only managed an assist in 17 games.
Last season, Galiev played with the Reading Royals of the ECHL and got back on track, scoring 23 goals and adding 24 assists in 47 games played. In the playoffs, he added four goals and seven assists in 10 games.
Galiev got to spend some time with the Caps during the preseason and even scored a goal in an exhibition game against the Winnipeg Jets. Despite a good effort during the preseason though, Galiev could not earn a roster spot.
Galiev figures to spend some time in Hershey this season trying to again improve upon his game. For now, though, he is back with the Royals, where he has three goals and eight assists in nine games played.
Galiev has the right skill set to excel in the NHL, but he just does not seem to be coming along as quickly as he should. Without question, he needs to spend more time in Hershey this season, working against better talent and proving to himself and the Caps that he is, in fact, NHL-ready.
He is only 21 years old, so it is not as though his best years have passed him by. But he does need to round out his game, gain more experience and perhaps gain some more size.
I think Galiev has a lot of potential. But, so far, he has not lived up to the expectations that were placed upon him after his breakout season with the Sea Dogs in 2010-11.
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Evgeny Kuznetsov
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If there is a Capitals prospect who has been more of a disappointment the past few seasons than Evgeny Kuznetsov, then I sure would like to see him.
The maddening thing is that Kuznetsov might still end up playing for the Caps, and he has the potential to be a true game-changer. But, like everything with Kuznetsov, it might all be just wishful thinking.
The situation involving Kuznetsov continues to evolve in ways that are equal parts exciting and infuriating.
One can look at comments and recent developments and become convinced that Kuznetsov is on his way to D.C. sometime next year.
Or it is very easy to surmise that he will never play in the NHL.
A case in point occurred in September. Several outlets reported that Kuznetsov would actually stay in the KHL—and never come to play for the Caps—if the right contract was offered to him.
"If I am offered a contract here for five to seven years, then I would seriously think about it," Kuznetsov said in an interview with Sovietsky Sport (via SI.com). "A long-term contract guarantees stability, and I want to feel confident about the future."
But in the same interview, Kuznetsov also said that he was serious about leaving the KHL and playing for the Caps after this season.
Just a few weeks ago, Kuznetsoz was singing the same tune and a whole lot of analysis on the subject was summarized by the Russian Machine Never Breaks blog.
Without question, there are aspects of that article that should make any Caps fan feel, perhaps, a tad bit more optimistic. Long-term deals are, in fact, not very common in the KHL. And learning that Kuzya might just end up renting a room or two from Alex Ovechkin seems like a pretty good solution for a Russian player trying to transition to North America.
All this drama and the 26th overall pick of the 2010 NHL draft has still not set foot on the ice in North America. There is constant concern he might never actually do so, and his recent comments have done nothing to quell that unease.
Those who have been following the Kuznetsov saga since he was drafted in 2010 are familiar with the chronology and the frustration.
This year, in particular, has been very frustrating. The hope of Caps fans was buoyed when Kuznetsov stated that he would come and play for the Caps after the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Before any of us could really feel too good about things, though, the saga took a turn for the worse again.
As reported by NBC Sports Pro Hockey Talk, general manager George McPhee indicated that he does not expect Kuznetsov to come to the Caps until late this season or, quite possibly, not until the 2014-15 season.
Then again, with Traktor Chelyabinsk struggling a bit this season, perhaps we see Kuzya sooner rather than later?
Kuznetsov has all the potential and talent to be the Caps' second-line center. His stats last season for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL demonstrate this. He had 19 goals and 25 assists in 51 games during the regular season.
In 25 playoff games, Kuznetsov had five goals and six assists, including one in the KHL Championship where Traktor fell in six games to Dynamo Moscow.
If he showed up on the Caps' doorstep when training camp opened, he would likely immediately be the third-line center.
Kuznetsov is very fast, very skilled and plays with a high level of energy and enthusiasm. He has emerged as one of the best offensive threats in the KHL.
He has missed roughly half the season due to injury, but he still has five goals and three assists in 12 games.
The injuries are a concern, and he needs to work some on his two-way game. But there is no denying what an asset Kuznetsov would be—if he actually suits up for the Caps, of course. He would immediately add depth and explosiveness to a team that might actually be a bit deeper than was originally anticipated.
It is no surprise he is the No. 1-ranked prospect in the organization, according to Russian Machine Never Breaks.
Seeing as how the Caps have waited three years for his debut, with no definite date for this to happen in the future, Kuznetsov is the one prospect in the organization who has failed to live up to the hype more than any other.
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