Washington Capitals Depth Chart: Part 2: The Forwards

There is little doubt that the Washington Capitals have the most skilled group of forwards in the NHL. Led by superstar Alexander Ovechkin, they dominated the league in almost every offensive category during the 2009-10 regular season. 

The real news is that the Caps have a lot of young talent who will compete for only a few open spots in the league’s most potent offensive.

Washington's rookies face a tough challenge. It is no coincidence that both top AHL forwards in each of the past two seasons – Alexandre Giroux and Keith Aucoin – were been unable to crack the Caps lineup either year.

Let’s look at the centers and wingmen on a line by line basis.

First Line

The Caps number one line is written in stone: Ovechkin at left wing, Backstrom at center, and Knuble on the right side. This is as well balanced and highly skilled a trio as you could ask for. Last season they were the highest scoring line in the league with 112 goals while tying for the lead in combined +/- rating at 105.  Enough said.

Second Line

The personnel for this line feels nearly set as the Caps enter training camp. Alexander Semin, the Caps second leading goal scorer, is a lock for this line. The incredibly talented winger plays either side, although usually lines up on the right. He swaps up to the first line when coach Boudreau needs an offensive spark.  

The leading candidate for second line center is Tomas Fleischmann, a fast skater and excellent puck handler.

Fleischmann brings a lot of offensive creativity and is effective as both a goal scorer and playmaker. His main weakness has been on the face-off, but hopefully he has done off-season work on those skills.

Brooks Laich is a rock solid choice at left wing, who can play on the right side and at center as well. He was the team’s number five scorer last year, and his rugged style of play, especially around the net, will complement Semin and Fleischmann’s high skill quotients.

An alternative would be to put Laich between Semin and Fleischmann on the second line. Laich has played center throughout his career and is a good playmaker, although not the fanciest skater or stick handler.

The Rookie Contenders

Two young centers will get a hard look at training camp for a spot on the second or third line.

Mathieu Perreault is a speedy skater in a small package, known for bringing energy to the ice. He performed well in 21 appearances with the Caps last year putting up 4 goals and 5 assists despite averaging only 11 minutes of ice time per game – a production rate in goals/points per 60 minutes comparable to Brooks Laich. 

At 22, Perreault is in the final year of his entry level deal and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season

Marcus Johansson, the Cap’s 2009 first round draft pick, had a great rookie camp demonstrating a level of hockey maturity not often seen in 20 year olds. He has excelled over the past few seasons in the Swedish Elite league and was captain of the 2010 Swedish World Junior team.

Should Johansson make the jump to the NHL this year, the comparison with fellow countryman Backstrom will be unavoidable. Otherwise, he is likely to return to Sweden rather than play at Hershey.

Third Line

Eric Fehr is virtually guaranteed to start on right wing. A natural sniper with a terrific wrist shot, he put up scoring numbers in a career year last season that would merit a top six forward slot on most NHL teams.

It’s a tribute to the depth of Washington’s offensive talent that Fehr ends up on the third line.

Expect Jason Chimera to start at left wing. While only an average scorer, he is lightning fast on his skates and an excellent checker. Chimera plays a rugged game and shines at disrupting the opposition on both ends of the ice.

At this point, it appears likely that the third line will be filled out by one of the rookie centers. 

Perreault may have an edge. He generated real chemistry centering the third line for Fehr and Chimera when called up from Hershey last spring.

However, an outstanding training camp performance by Johansson could easily earn himself the starting spot on the third line. 

Other options: Boudreau may experiment with moving Dave Steckel or Boyd Gordon to the third line, to see if playing either of them with more offensively talented wingers will increase their production. Both have excellent face-off skills that could catalyze more offense from the third line.

Aucoin is definitely the underdog for third line center. Although AHL leading scorer and MVP with the Calder Cup winning Bears last year, he turns 32 in November and does not appear to offer a lot of upside potential at this point.

Despite incredible numbers in the AHL – 1.36 points per game over the past five seasons – Aucoin's performance in 74 games at the NHL level over that period was only marginal. 

Fourth Line +

With room under the salary cap, the Caps are able to keep a full 23-man roster, which will include 14 forwards. So to complete the depth chart, we need to fill out the fourth line plus a couple of spares. 

At center, Steckel probably has the inside position; however, he may be challenged by Boyd Gordon, a former first-round draft pick who struggled with injuries last season. Both have excellent face-off win percentages and are strong defensive forwards. 

When not at center, Gordon will typically line up at right wing on the checking line next to Steckel, who can slide over to left wing if Gordon centers.

Matt Bradley, a Caps stalwart for the past five seasons, will continue to hold down the fort on the checking line. A natural right wing, however, he works both sides effectively, so if Gordon lines up on the right he will skate on Steckel’s left. 

Bradley has also shown occasional offensive flair. He would be the first choice to push up to the third line if Fehr falters, or if injuries lead to reshuffling of lines.

Newly acquired D.J. King skates at left wing, so when he is on the ice, either Bradley or Gordon will line up at right wing. 

However,  King was picked up more for enforcer skills than hockey performance. Expect him to be a frequent healthy scratch unless the Caps face a team known for tough on-ice tactics.

Assuming no serious injuries and the likelihood that either Perreault or Johansson (but not both) gets tabbed for an opening day roster slot at center, that leaves one more forward position to fill on the 23-man roster.

If AHL performance is an indicator, Andrew Gordon has a good shot at filling that final slot. He was second on the Bears in goals scored last year and has performed well each of the past three seasons.

More importantly, perhaps, at age 24 Gordon is in the final year of his entry level contract. If the Caps return him to Hershey, he will have to pass through waivers and they risk losing him for no return. Remember Chris Bourque.

Several others have a shot at that final roster slot.

Right winger Jay Beagle played respectably during his call up last season and, at 6’3” and 204 lbs has the size to be an effective checking line forward in the NHL. But he is more likely to start the season on the Bears roster and earn a mid-season call up if he plays well.

Aucoin could stay in the final roster slot if he has a great camp, as he plays right wing as well as center. He will also be at risk on waivers if sent back to Hershey.

Veteran Brian Willsie and newcomer Matt Hendricks are a couple of wild cards in the mix.

Willsie, a 32- year-old veteran with seven seasons in the NHL, had a career year with the Caps in 2005-06. However his performance has slipped over the past four seasons, two with LA and two with Colorado, and he seems destined to be a depth player at Hershey given his age and the Caps strong roster.

Hendricks, a Caps training camp invitee, was on Boudreau's Calder Cup winning team in 2006-07. The 29 year old is a versatile checking line forward and penalty killer who can play all three positions and had a respectable season at Colorado in 2009-10. However, if he earns a contract from the Caps, he's also more likely destined for Hershey as a depth forward.

The Caps have several other talented young forwards with NHL written in their futures. 

Francois Bouchard, a 22-year-old right winger, has all the tools to be a top six forward, but will undoubtedly return to Hershey to spend another season honing his skills.

19-year-old Cody Eakin impressed everyone at rookie camp with his speed and poise, but looks likely to return to for a final year in juniors.

Dmitry Kugryshev and Anton Gustafsson are a pair of 20-year-old Europeans who have also shown real flashes of NHL potential.

Nevertheless, none of these four youngsters seem suited for fourth line duty. They will be better served by year or more of seasoning in a top six role in another league before they are ready for the big time.

Predictions

When all is said and done, I expect that the Caps 14 forwards on opening day will line up as follows:

1. Ovechkin­­—Backstrom—Knuble
2. Laich—Fleischmann—Semin
3. Chimera—Perreault—Fehr
4. Steckel—B.Gordon—Bradley
5. King — A.Gordon