Washington Capitals Draft Haul

The Washington Capitals went into draft weekend with 6 picks, 16th, 46th, 76th, 84th, 119th, and 146th. The GM was in attendence and made his way to the stage for their first pick at 16th overall but disappeared for the rest of the draft. "I had prior engagements, but I had total faith in our scouts and staff to make the decisions we had already discussed in the weeks leading up to the draft." Said Mitchell. News has just broke this morning that the team has traded it's 2016 5th rounder at 146th overall to the Rangers for two 2017 5th rounders.

So who are these players that have been chosen by the team? Lets take a look at each pick and get you familiar with these guys:

16th Overall:

Dennis Cholowski D 6'1" 176 lbs - BCHL GP 50 / G 12 / A 28 / P 40 / PIM 16

Dennis saw a rise in his stock this year due to an amazing playoff run with Chilliwack leading all Dmen in scoring in those playoffs with 15 points. He's committed to St.Cloud State next year as he's decided to go the NCAA route to the pros. He's seen as a bit of a raw prospect but he's committed to a great program and will be given lots of time to hone his skills and bulk up. Playing at his current weight would be a bit of a concern if he were in the pros. He projects as a top 4 two-way defender.

Quip from the GM: "We have a definate need to stock up on the backend and had him very high on our list. We were pleased when he fell in our laps so we didn't have to choose between him and Bean. For the record I think we still would've chosen Dennis."

46th Overall:

Kale Clague D 6'0" 176 lbs - WHL - GP 71 / G 6 / A 37 / P 43 / PIM 54

Clague was a bit of a reach for the Capitals, going 5 spots earlier than he did in the NHL. He's a high IQ player who sees the ice well and makes smart decisions, he also has outstanding puck skills and has a good skating stride. Kale also isn't afraid to go into battle in the corners or throw a bit hit. With Provorov more than likely graduating to the pros Clague will get an opportunity to be the guy in Brandon next season. He projects as a two-way defender

Quip from the GM: "Here's a guy who was rated as a late 1st or early 2nd rounder. So we were pleased he made it to us at 46th. I'm excited to watch him in Brandon next year"

75th Overall:

James (J.D.) Greenway D 6'4" 205 lbs - US NTDP - GP 64 / G 5 / A 23 / P 38

Was there any doubt the team would target the brother of prospect Jordan Greenway? Like his bro, James is a big defender who isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage. Call me lazy, but I cannot find where he is committed to in the NCAA but if my memory isn't mush I believe he will be suiting up for the Defence factory University of Wisconsin. He's fairly agile for a big man and has shown a bit of skill in shootouts and penalty shots but he definately projects as a defensive dman at the next level.

Quip from the GM: "We like his skating ability for his size and think he could develop well with at least 3 years in the NCAA. Plus brother Jordan was bugging our scouts at the draft...I think that's how he ended up ahead of Mete."

84th Overall:

Victor Mete D 5'10" 165 lbs - OHL - GP 68 / G 8 / A 30 / P 38

One of the fastest skaters in the draft, Mete will have to prove himself to a lot of doubters due to his size. Listing him at 5'10" may even be a stretch, he's a lot closer to 5'9". But with his speed and willingness to skate with the puck he brings a lot of the things you look for in the faster paced game these days. Bulking up may hurt his speed, so the best thing for Victor will be a slow development curve. He's the biggest project drafted by Washington, even more so than the hulking Greenway. He projects as a top 4 puck moving D.

Quip from the GM: "Being a big fan of the London Knights I got a lot of viewings and always walked away impressed. We were pleased he was still on the board at 84th, right where central scouting had him."

119th Overall:

Nathan Noel C 5'10" 180 lbs - QMJHL - GP 61 / G 21 / A 36 / P 57

Noel should have been drafted in 2015, there will be a lot of NHL teams shaking their heads when this guy shows what he can do. He has been concentrating on his two-way game in the Q on a less than stellar Sea Dogs team so his offensive ceiling is a big unknown. Another question mark is what kind of player are you getting? Will he be a top 6 guy? Can he be effective in the bottom 6? He'll be back in the Q next year in a bigger role where he will have a chip on his shoulder and should answer some of the Capitals questions. Projection could be as high as a #3 center...though he may be converted to the wing to be more effective.

Quip from the GM: "We really wanted Noel last year but he was passed over and not eligible to be drafted. We were estatic we could take him with what tuned into our last pick of the draft."

      Unlike last year where the team was drafting BPA with every pick, this year saw a definate strategy drafting defence with it's first 4 picks. The team traded one of their two defencemen prospects for a veteran winger so the injection of D will go a long way in a few years. Time will tell how they did.

Expect a top prospect report to come out later in the summer as we await a coaching decision.