The Washington Capitals have few draft picks and a relatively shallow prospect pool. Their only option is to take some risks.
The Washington Capitals are in a bit of a conundrum. They’re a very good team, but they’ve paid the price for it. Two years ago, their prospect pool was fairly deep. Thanks to graduations, the depth has gotten shallow. Usually, teams replenish their prospects with draft picks. Unfortunately, the Capitals, barring a trade, won’t pick until the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
So what should their strategy be at the draft? They can go two ways. The first way is they can use a pick or two to trade for an upgrade, much like they did last year with Lars Eller. However, how relevant would said upgrade be if your best pick is a fourth rounder? Not very.
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The second option? Be aggressive and bold. The Capitals have taken chances in the past. For example, the Caps took a raw defensemen in Christian Djoos back in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Most teams saw a player too small to play. The Capitals saw something special. Djoos has turned into one of the Hershey Bears’ most reliable defenseman and could push for a roster spot next season.
Another example came back in 2015. The Capitals went after another raw defenseman in Connor Hobbs in the fifth round. They saw his unique upside on offense and saw it worthwhile to gamble on. Washington could have gone with a safer pick, but instead, might get rewarded for going with the more talented player.
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The Capitals have to adopt this strategy in the 2017 NHL Draft. It might seem like a shallow draft, but perhaps the 2015 and 2016 drafts have spoiled fans. There are always gems to be found, it’s a matter of finding them.
Some talented players will fall in the draft. The Caps need to draft based on upside. If there’s an undersized wing who can produce, don’t worry about whether he’s big enough to play. Go out and draft him. Hope he turns into something special. And if he doesn’t, oh well, he was a late round pick anyway.
If you’re going to gamble on someone, why not go for the guy who has the most upside? While undersized players might finally be getting attention, keep in mind it took until the second round for Alex Debrincat to get off the board last year. Every team who passed over him then now wishes they had not done so.
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Going with “safe” picks doesn’t make sense for the Capitals because they have enough “safe” prospects. What the Capitals need are talented prospects, who can be found in the later rounds of the NHL Draft. But in order to do so, the Capitals first must take some risks.