Washington Capitals 2017 prospect profile: Connor Hobbs
The Washington Capitals have a promising future thanks to prospects like Connor Hobbs, who had a breakout season in 2016-17.
With the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup window closing fast, prospects are going to be very important for the team moving forward. Connor Hobbs is a defenseman Caps fans should keep an eye on, as he could be a very special defenseman.’
The Capitals selected Hobbs with the 143rd overall pick (fifth round) of the 2015 NHL Draft. When drafted, he was viewed as a high upside, but raw, prospect. Since then, Hobbs has shown he could be a late round gem with his massive improvements.
2017 season
Hobbs spent the 2016-17 season with the Regina Pats. Caps fans are probably familiar with the team, as the team has drafted other players from them, including Hershey Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, fellow 2015 draft pick Colby Williams and center Chandler Stephenson. Hobbs had his best season by a significant margin, setting career highs in goals (31), assists (54) and points (85). Each of these are Pats’ franchise records for defensemen and led all WHL defensemen.
It’s not hard to tell what Hobbs’ calling card is – his offense. He moves the puck extremely well and is remarkably effective on the rush. Hobbs can do a lot of special things with the pucks that most defenseman can’t.
Caps fans should be familiar with him, as he saw some preseason playing time. Sadly, the most notorious thing that he did was get a cheap shot from Andrew Shaw.
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Hobbs isn’t afraid to drop the gloves to stand up for his teammates, as his 92 penalty minutes show. He has to improve his discipline and overall play. Hobbs saw his plus-minus rating rise from -1 in 2015-16 to +30 in 2016-17, but he was also sheltered with offensive zone starts. Still, that’s quite impressive.
Future Outlook
He has all the tools you want to see in a modern defenseman. Hobbs isn’t a liability in his own end and is an excellent skater. To top it all off, he does great things with and without the puck. Hobbs has a similar style of play to former Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green. This isn’t implying he matches him talent wise, but they have very similar high-risk high-reward playing styles.
Hobbs likely isn’t going to be a first pairing defenseman unless his defense continues to grow. At worst, he has the makings of a very solid third pairing defenseman. Hobbs might have to be sheltered at the NHL level, but unlike most sheltered defensemen, he can put up points. If he continues to produce, he’ll get a shot.
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ETA
He’ll likely start next season with the Hershey Bears after signing an entry level contract in March. Mark French does a terrific job with young blue liners, so developing with him should help Hobbs in the long run. Defensemen tend to take longer to develop, so the 2019-20 season seems like the earliest he’d be ready to handle an NHL role.
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