Washington Capitals 2010-11: What to Expect From Marcus Johansson This Season

As the Washington Capitals made their final cuts at the close of their 2010 training camp, they were faced with a very difficult decision regarding their third-line center for the start of the 2010-11 NHL season.  They had a close competition between Mathieu Perreault, who performed admirably during his 21-game call up in 2009-10, and 2009 first-round pick Marcus Johansson.  

Johansson ended up winning the competition. A strong preseason saw him post four points (all assists) in five games, outscoring Perreault by two points.  

Though he displayed offensive ability over the course of his audition, it was his two-way play that won over the Capitals' management group and coaching staff. General Manager George McPhee said his speed and hockey sense have him, "ahead of where Nicky Backstrom was," in terms of his ability to adapt to the North American game as a rookie.  

During the 2007-08 season Backstrom became an offensive star in the NHL. But he had an adjustment period that saw him moved to the wing early in his rookie season.  After adapting his game to better fit the more physical NHL game, he flourished and earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team.  

With that being said, Marcus Johansson is not Nicklas Backstrom.  Johansson's offensive upside doesn't look to be nearly as high as Backstrom's, but he looks to be a complete player. This is typical of Swedish trained forwards. 

As a rookie starting out on the third line, Johansson will likely see some time with the second power-play unit, which gives him a reasonable chance to hit the 40-point barrier. At the very least he will begin the season on a line with Eric Fehr, a budding power forward who can score. Johansson will get his chances offensively.  

That being said, Johansson gives the Capitals another dimension offensively. They now have the ability to run three skilled lines and keep pressure on opponents for a greater portion of the game.  Johansson has progressed a great deal in the last year. He doubled his point total from the previous season to 20 in the Swedish Elite League, along with captaining Sweden to a Bronze Medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships in January. 

Though Johansson looks to be a key component of the Capitals' future up front, it may take him a bit longer than it did for Backstrom to truly make his mark offensively.  The 'Caps know they have a special player in Johansson.

And they're ready to see what he can do at the next level.