3 Dark Horses To Watch Who Are Bound To Spice Up The Capitals Roster Competition
The Capitals will likely see a handful of top prospects emerge to battle for a spot on the opening night roster.
The Washington Capitals will see quite a bit of youth injected into the mix for the upcoming season, as general manager Chris Patrick chose to trust his prospects to fill the voids up front rather than bringing free agents on board.
Of course, the biggest competition will be on the bottom-6, with Sonny Milano aiming to make his NHL comeback after an injury-riddled season, while Andrew Cristall looks to make the roster after dominating juniors and nearly making the Show out of camp this past year. Then, there’s Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre, who want to put the AHL in the rearview and be NHL regulars, and Ethen Frank is also aiming to remain up with the big club after making the full-time jump to close out last year.
That said, there’s a handful of other up-and-comers to keep an eye on who are bound to make camp interesting. Here are three dark horses to keep an eye on.
Henrik Rybinski
The 24-year-old made waves at training camp last year and nearly made the team out of camp, but ultimately returned to Hershey for his third pro season, where he had 10 goals and 25 assists for a career-high 35 points, more than doubling his production from the previous season.
He stood out with solid two-way play and consistency, and ultimately, earned his first NHL call-up in December. Though he didn’t play, it was a testament to the work he’s put in, and he went on to ink a one-year extension this summer.
Look for Rybinski to again stand out at camp and show that he’s ready to get some NHL experience under his belt. He’s a good playmaker with size and speed who can create time and space for himself and his linemates.
Bogdan Trineyev
Before Washington acquired Justin Sourdif, Trineyev figured to be the next player up to join that fourth line with Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime. And though Sourdif appears set to start there, Trineyev could still try and show he’s ready to stay up with the big club.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound winger had 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points in 62 games this past season with the Bears, and he was a standout in the Calder Cup Playoffs with five goals and two assists in eight postseason outings.
Trineyev’s a big, physical player with great defensive awareness and versatility that allows him to play multiple roles. He can block shots, kill penalties and win puck battles, and at the other end of the ice, he can be an offensive contributor and use his size and grit to get to the dirty areas of the ice. Keep an eye on him at camp.
Ilya Protas
A long shot for a roster spot, but don’t sleep on Ilya Protas, the younger brother of Aliaksei. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound winger busted out onto the scene in his first year in the OHL, putting up 50 goals and 74 assists for 124 points in 61 regular-season games with the Windsor Spitfires, and he followed that up with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 12 playoff games.
Ilya is a lot like his brother; he has a big frame and a high hockey IQ, as well as good vision that makes him a solid two-way player. Though his skating still needs improvement, he’s able to make great plays and possesses speed, patience, mobility and understanding of the game that serve him well in the offensive zone.
Aliaksei said earlier this offseason that Protas could very well end up in the NHL sooner rather than later, and Ilya also noted at development camp that he’ll give it his all and see where he ends up. Could he force the coaching staff’s hand and earn an extended stay to prove his worth? It’s not out of the realm of possibility.