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

By Michael Marzzacco

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Alexander Alexeyev poses with team personnel after being selected thirty-first overall by the Washington Capitals during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Alexander Alexeyev poses with team personnel after being selected thirty-first overall by the Washington Capitals during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: Connor McMichael, 25th overall pick of the Washington Capitals, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: Connor McMichael, 25th overall pick of the Washington Capitals, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

#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!

LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 07: Shane Gersich #63 of the Washington Capitals kisses the Stanley Cup after Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals defeated the Golden Knights 4-3 and won the series four games to one. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 07: Shane Gersich #63 of the Washington Capitals kisses the Stanley Cup after Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals defeated the Golden Knights 4-3 and won the series four games to one. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: Connor Mcmichael reacts after being selected twenty-fifth overall by the Washington Capitals during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: Connor Mcmichael reacts after being selected twenty-fifth overall by the Washington Capitals during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

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.

BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 13: Joe Snively #7 of the Yale Bulldogs skates against the Boston University Terriers during NCAA hockey at Agganis Arena on December 13, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers won 5-2. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 13: Joe Snively #7 of the Yale Bulldogs skates against the Boston University Terriers during NCAA hockey at Agganis Arena on December 13, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers won 5-2. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

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.

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