Washington Capitals: 3 things we’d love to see at Rookie Tournament

#1 A line of Shane Gersich, Connor McMichael and Joe Snively

The Washington Capitals prospects aren’t ranked highly compared to other NHL teams but that doesn’t mean they don’t have prospects that aren’t fun to watch. A first or second line featuring three explosive forward Caps prospects is something we’d love to see this weekend!

Shane Gerish is the only Stanley Cup champion of the bunch, having spent that entire spring run with the team fresh out of college. Last season Gersich scored eight goals and 16 assists in 66 games during his first AHL season with the Hershey Bears. Additionally, Gersich added three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in nine playoff games as Hershey defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in five games before falling in a four-game sweep to the Charlotte Checkers.

Per the Caps Rookie Tournament guide, Gersich led all Bears rookies with two goals on the power play and was second among rookies with at least 10 games played with 0.36 points per game.

The 2014 fifth rounder is speed demon that is due for a big sophomore season. He could be on the first or second line on the Bears this season and he’ll continue to be fun to watch. Gersich looks to crack the Capitals roster one day but he’s got one year left on his contract. He looks for a strong showing this weekend.

2019 first round pick Connor McMichael is the first Capitals forward drafted in the first round since 2014’s selection of Jakub Vrana. He’s a star of the London Knights and is looking to help Dale Hunter’s club return to glory this upcoming season.

Last season, McMichael led the Knights with 72 points (36 goals and assists) in 67 games. In the playoffs, McMichael added five points in 11 games (2 goals, 3 assists) before the Knights fell short in the second round.

McMichael has spent the summer developing his game. After being drafted by the Capitals, he participated in the team’s annual summer development camp as well as earning an invite to Team Canada’s Development Camp.

McMichael can glide down the ice with ease and create quick, nifty passes. He can also drive to the front of the net and has a nose for knocking in rebounds or quickly burying any pass that comes his way.

Joe Snively hasn’t even played in an NHL game yet but his story is already incredible. The undrafted free agent out of Yale University was signed by the Capitals late in the season and he immediately went to Hershey and made an impact on the homestretch of the Bears season.

Snively grew up in nearby Herndon, VA and was a diehard Capitals fan growing up. He even has the same dentist as Alex Ovechkin and at one point, Ovechkin signed Snively’s hockey gloves when he was a kid. Where was he when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup? Outside of Capital One Arena celebrating like the rest of us!

https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1151850848194125825

Snively was nominated for the Hobey Baker award as the top college hockey player after recording 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 33 games in his senior year with Yale, being honored with a selection to the ECAC’s First All-Star Team. He led Yale in points each of his four seasons and finished his career with 58 goals and 81 assists (139 points) in 129 career NCAA games.

With the Bears, Snively scored two goals and added five assists in nine games. He’ll most likely be back with Hershey this upcoming season with Gersich and it’ll be interesting seeing what kind of chemistry those two, plus McMichael would develop over the weekend should they each share a line.

#2 Our first look at Ilya Samsonov in 2019

We are very excited to see what Ilya Samsonov, Washington’s 2015 first rounder, could do in an NHL game. That will have to wait at least a little while but in the meantime we can get a look at Samsonov in Capitals red as soon as this weekend. He’s spent some time training at the team’s headquarters in Arlington, VA for some summer informal skates and there’s a strong chance he could even be a backup in Washington if he has a phenomenal training camp.

But it is likely Samsonov will be back up in Hershey this season and the scouting staff needs to watch him closely up there. The way he plays throughout the season will factor in the Capitals future goaltending plans including but not limited to Braden Holtby’s contract situation with a tight salary cap as well as who to expose in this upcoming summer’s Seattle expansion draft.

Samsonov finished his first season in Hershey with a 20-14-2 record with a 2.70 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. Per the Rookie Tournament guide, Samsonov was tied for eighth in shutouts with three. His best stretch came from Feb. 2 to the 27th where Samsonov won six in a row with a 1.46 GAA and a .947 save percentage during that stretch. In the Calder Cup playoffs Samsonov went 2-3 with a 2.99 GAA and a .897 save percentage.

Samsonov is splitting time in net this rookie tournament with Logan Thompson and Beck Warm.

#1 Alex Alexeyev have a great tournament

You may have heard plenty about Alex Alexyev over the last few weeks. He’s worked out with the Capitals throughout the summer in Arlington with the goal of making an NHL roster. It’ll be tricky though with a battle already taking place between Christian Djoos and Jonas Siegenthaler for the third pairing next to Radko Gudas.

Steve Richmond, Capitals director of player development said back at the team’s annual summer development camp that Alexeyev is indeed close to making it to the NHL but hinted he’ll likely begin the season in Hershey.

“He’s gonna be playing against bigger, stronger, guys. He was one of the bigger, stronger guys in junior… It’ll be a big step but it always is. But we’re patient. We have time for him. We don’t have to rush him. We’re lucky. He could play (NHL) games this year if he keeps progressing,” said Richmond back on June 27.

Richmond happened to be in the building when Alexeyev suffered his season-ending knee injury with the Red Deer Rebels in March. His timetable for recovery was much quicker than once thought and now he looks to lead that young rookie Capitals defense into this tournament in Nashville.

Those are the three things we’re excited about seeing at the Rookie Tournament. Which players are you looking forward to watch this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

Hockey is finally back and the puck drops tomorrow at 1 p.m. central (2 p.m. Eastern) as the Capitals take on the Carolina Hurricanes rookies.