Dmitri Orlov was the only Russian defenseman in development camp last week. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stanislav Galiev impressed the hockey mavens who gathered at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex with their skillful shooting and agile skating. In the case of Orlov the general assessment was that he was a talented prospect who has yet to demonstrate his full potential.
Marcus Johansson showed up for development camp amid great expectations. After six days, and some ups and downs, the 19 year-old Swede left camp with generally favorable notices from the Caps brain trust but also with the recognition that he has some challenges ahead of him.
After 60 minutes of regulation and 5 minutes of overtime the game between Team White and Team Red remained tied. A shootout would determine a winner. Here's what two key players had to say.
Cody Eakin:
“It is something I have been working on a little bit. I just kind of build up my speed and then when the goalie kind of reads your speed ....at the last second I fire on the brakes and really slow down and try and beat him. . .I think it is a pretty strong move and I was lucky today that it happened to go in.”
When he was growing up on a farm in Marshall, Saskatchewan Braden Holtby’s father set up a backyard rink under a large spotlight so he could train well into the night.
When Holtby went inside he spent countless additional hours firing pucks off the walls in the family basement.
“I had a way when I was young of shooting on myself somehow. I’d shoot off the wall and try to save it,” he recalled in an interview with Caps Snaps and Addison Huber of Russian Machine Never Breaks. “The walls are kind of looking a little worse for wear now.”
“I played hockey all day” he added. “There is not much else to do in Saskatchewan.”
Braden Holtby and Evgeny Kuznetsov got the coaches attention during the Thursday scrimmage—but not entirely in the way they might have wished.
Chelyabinsk, a gritty industrial city 900 miles southeast of Moscow, has produced its share of star hockey players. Alexander Semin began his career in the Traktor Chelyabinsk organization as did former Capitals defenseman Sergei Gonchar. The newest hockey phenomenon to emerge from this factory town is Evgeny Kuznetsov, an 18 year-old forward whom the Caps selected in the first round of this year’s draft.
Marcus Johansson is one of the most promising players in the Capitals organization and has the potential to be key player in the lineup this coming year. After today's development camp workouts he spoke with the media.
"It feels good to get going. I feel a little rusty, but you get over it..."
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