Capitals: Vasili Ponomaryov is worth drafting in 2020
The Washington Capitals might have Vasili Ponomaryov on their radar.
On the latest mock draft per our friends at Bleacher Report, they have the Washington Capitals selecting Vasili Ponomaryov. Let’s learn more about the prospect that might get drafted.
We don’t know when the 2020 NHL Draft will take place but one player that might be on their radar Vasili Ponomaryov, who’s a center on the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL also known as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The 18-year old had a solid first season with Shawinigan, recording 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 57 games. Internationally he has represented Team Russia on their U18 team and in the junior tournament scored four goals and added eight assists for 12 points in 12 games.
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Prior to this past season, Ponomaryov registered 29 points in 37 games in Russia’s junior league MHL in 2018-19.
He’s been known as a reliable player who will step in and fill a role if anybody is injured, kind of like his teammate Mavrik Bourque when he went down with a leg injury.
Ponomaryov also has a heavy shot and shows great deception with and without the puck. When handling the puck, he handles it with ease like Evgeny Kuznetsov.
He’s engaged in every shift and puck battle and besides his numbers on the stat sheet, his drive and attitude also stick out.
On the other side of the ice, Ponomaryov isn’t afraid to lay out a hit, or poke check the puck away from an attacking player. He’s very patient in his vision and has the potential to become a two-way center in the NHL.
Similarities of how the Capitals and Nationals Won Their Championships. light. Hot
If the Caps draft him, it would be the third forward they selected since the summer of 2014. The other two forwards are Jakub Vrana and Connor McMichael. We’ve seen what happened with both players since their selection and Ponomaryov hopes to do the same thing if he indeed becomes one of the newest Capitals prospects.