Lynden Lakovic Isn't Much Like His Uncle, Sasha. But He Keeps His Memory Close As He Joins The Capitals
Growing up, Washington Capitals prospect Lynden Lakovic took a lot away from his uncle, Sasha, and is using those lessons to his advantage.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Growing up, Washington Capitals prospect Lynden Lakovic took a lot away from his uncle, Sasha.
And why wouldn’t he? Sasha Lakovic made quite a name for himself over his pro career, racking up thousands of penalty minutes and becoming a top enforcer who packed a punch and instilled fear in his opponents. His brother, Gregg was the same way.
Ultimately, Lakovic didn’t necessarily want to emulate his uncles, and he means that with no offense.
“If you expect me to be like him completely, I don’t think Washington would’ve drafted me,” he quipped.
He’s actually proven to be quite the opposite of his ancestors; he logged just four penalty minutes this past season, focused more on his offensive contributions than throwing his weight around.
Still, when it comes to his uncles, especially Sasha, he was a sponge growing up, absorbing as much information as he could from him as he worked his way up the ranks and hoped to make it to the NHL. And the biggest lesson he took away is one he credits Sasha with.
“You have to work for it,” Lakovic declared. “I’ll be honest, they didn’t have a lot of talent, but they really worked for what they had. He told me stories how hard he worked and the things he would do to make it. Talent can only take you so far, so I think if you put in the work over time and stay consistent with it, your dreams are going to come true.”
That’s how it worked out for Lakovic so far.
The 6-foot-4 winger — who’s really closer to 6-foot-5 — was taken 27th overall by Washington following a strong year of growth with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, where he racked up 58 points in 47 games while wearing the “C.”
A day later, he touched down in D.C. and took the ice at Capitals development camp, and at the end of it all, put pen to paper as he signed his NHL entry-level contract.
“It kind of feels surreal,” Lakovic said. “Going into the draft in L.A., if you would’ve told me a week later I’d be a signed NHL player… it’s a pretty awesome feeling.”
Lakovic’s biggest assets are his size and wicked shot, but he also has sneaky-good playmaking ability that makes him a major threat in the offensive zone. His skating is also trending in the right direction.
That said, he wants to add more to his game and met with the staff to see just what he has to do to play at his best.
“I know how much work I need to put in. They believe in me, and htey’re going to help me achieve my ceiling,” Lakovic said.
When it comes down to it, though, Lakovic is going back to his uncle’s game, and is going to end up taking a bit — just a bit — away from it to make himself better on the ice.
“I could add maybe just a little bit of nastiness… I do need to add a little bit of nastiness, but I think it’ll come,” Lakovic said, adding, “Just rounding out my game and using my body more efficiently. I think you see I have a big frame and I think using it to my advantage is only going to make me a better player.”
The plan is for Lakovic to attend Capitals training camp in the fall and ultimately play another year in juniors with Moose Jaw, where he hopes to continue excelling and showing D.C. that it made the right choice.
“Rounding out my 200-foot game, I think it’s something I’m improving on. That’s what’s going to make you stay in the NHL,” Lakovic said. “You need to learn how to play both sides of the puck, so I think that’s something that I’m looking forward to working on.”