Washington Capitals Prospect Update: Connor Carrick

One of the Capitals’ top two defensive prospects, Carrick is having another strong campaign in the American Hockey League.

The Washington Capitals have drafted their fair share of late-round gems over their history, and there is another player just on the cusp of the National Hockey League that is looking to add to that list. Connor Carrick, a 21-year-old defenseman out of Orland Park, Illinois, is in his second full season with the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Prior to that, he was a fifth-round draft choice of the Capitals in the 2012-13 NHL Draft.

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Taken in the same draft as his CHL (Plymouth Whalers) teammate Tom Wilson, Carrick’s first foray into professional hockey took him straight to the NHL. During the 2013-14 NHL season, Carrick appeared in 34 games with the Washington Capitals, scoring one goal and adding five assists. He was clearly rushed to the NHL, but given that he had been a fifth round pick just over a year prior, everyone in Washington knew that they had a potential stud for the future.

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After being sent down, he contributed four assists in 13 games with Hershey. That season, he also appeared in the World Junior Classic with Team USA, where he put up three assists in five contests, though the United States fell to Russia in the quarterfinals.

After his first full offseason as a professional, Carrick exploded onto the scene with the Bears during the 2014-15 season. In 73 games, the defenseman scored eight goals and added 34 assists, to go along with a prominent role on the Bears’ blue line. In ten playoff games that season, he added a pair of goals and assists each prior to Hershey being eliminated. So far this season, Carrick has already surpassed last year’s goal total with nine, to go along with 11 assists in just 38 games.

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Talent AnalysisCarrick lacks size (5’11, 185 pounds), but he more than makes up for it with his skating and offensive ability. He shows great confidence carrying the puck and attacks the offensive zone, jumping into the rush and creating opportunities. Though he is undersized for a defenseman, he shows competency in his own zone despite facing physical challenges. His shot and ability to quarterback the power play are what make him most valuable and he has the skill set to be very good as an offensive defenseman on the NHL level.FutureCarrick thrived with Hershey of the AHL in 2014-15, playing in all situations and logging full-time minutes. He also continued to display his excellent offensive abilities, registering 34 assists and 42 points in 73 games with the Bears. For 2015-16, Carrick will likely earn an extra-long look from the Capitals out of training camp, especially with the departure of long-time puck-moving defenseman Mike Green. If Carrick can’t stick with the Capitals out of camp, he will return to Hershey to assume top-pairing minutes. Ultimately, Carrick should slide into a top-four role with the Capitals where he will share power play duties with John Carlson.–Hockey’s Future

Though he appeared in three games with the Washington Capitals this season, he is better suited at this time for a full-time role in Hershey. He is once again the top defenseman for the Hershey Bears, essentially making him the John Carlson of the Bears.

Carrick has an extremely bright future. His offensive skills are above average, though he could afford to add some more muscle to his 185 pound frame before moving up to the NHL full-time. At just 21, he is showing all of the signs of becoming a very good offensive defenseman moving forward.

Though the right side of the Washington Capitals’ defensive corps is crowded right now, the Capitals have time to be patient. Carlson is 26 and Matt Niskanen is just 29, each with multiple years remaining on their contracts. The more likely scenario is that he slots in on the third pairing for at least a year or two. He then could force his way up the lineup as he progresses.

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Carrick is one of the most exciting prospects that the Washington Capitals have right now. He has a great chance of making a big impact in Washington within a couple of years.