With the 182nd pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals have selected American defenseman Benton Maass.
Defense appears to be the focus of the 2017 NHL Draft for the Washington Capitals. Especially after selecting two defensemen with their first two picks. They’re continuing the trend, as Washington has picked American defenseman Benton Maass with the 182nd overall pick. Unlike the first two picks, he’s right handed.
Washington selects Benton Maass from Elk River High in Minnesota/
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 24, 2017
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With the right side of the blue line a concern moving forward, it’s not surprising to see Washington go with Maass. John Carlson is a free agent after next season and Madison Bowey, while extremely talented, isn’t a sure thing. Neither is Lucas Johansen.
Going into the 2017 NHL Draft, he is ranked 161st by Hockeyprospect.com and 159th by NHL Central Scouting, among North American skaters. Maass is from Elk River High in Minnesota. In 29 games, he had 29 points, including six goals. Starting in the fall, Maass will be attending the University of New Hampshire.
He stands at 6’1″ and 185 pounds. That’s pretty good size for a high schooler. Maass appears to have a good amount of offensive upside, especially with his passing. Though he has a limited sample size, his skating appears to a strong asset. That’s always good to see from a prospect.
However, Maass is a work in progress, especially in his own zone. But he’s one with a nice offensive upside. At the very least, Maass should be a quality depth defenseman, providing offense. If his defense improves, it’s not hard to see him as a second or third pairing guy.