NHL: Fine Young Capitals

The Washington Capitals struggled early in the season and never found their groove. With the recent signing of top-prospect Nicklas Backstrom, the youth movement is slowly coming along however, there are still many holes to fill. The departures of Dainius Zubrus and Richard Zednik should help their cap space for the upcoming off-season and it should be very interesting to see which players general manager George McPhee adds to improve the organization. McKeen's reviews several young Capitals who made an impact this season and will look to lead the team through their rebuilding process.

Alexander Ovechkin – Centre/Left Wing

The face of the organization did not perform as well as last season but trades and injuries to others hurt his offensive totals .. his sensational jump and speed generated in his first strides allow him to capitalize on many chances and his velvet-soft hands usually finish the job .. his hands are like feathers, as he is so soft with the puck in all areas of the ice .. could be one of the best natural goal-scorers, as his shot accuracy is on the money and his shot selection in certain situations serves him well .. he can shoot off either foot, which makes him dangerous and the strength he gets behind his shot is even more impressive considering that he is constantly being mauled by the opposition .. always driving to the net and not afraid to challenge defenders or take abuse on the way there .. he is very elusive, and just when players think they have closed his lane, he manages to squeeze into open ice and draw defenders before making a pass to create a scoring chance .. great vision and passing ability compliment his finishing skills .. at times, he tries to do too much and has a tendency to over stickhandle three feet within the offensive zone where he is susceptible to turnovers resulting in an odd-man breakout the other way, so he needs to be aware of this against faster teams .. plays a conscious two-way game but did not show the same effort he did last year, as he seemed discouraged as the season wore on .. needs a setup man to distribute the puck and Sabres centre Daniel Briere would be a perfect choice .. should continue to be a dominant player in years to come however, without the proper supporting cast, he will never be able to rival Sidney Crosby for a scoring championship.

Alexander Semin – Left Wing

Amidst all the controversy that surrounded his rights last season, he has certainly been worth the wait, as Semin has been one of Washington's most consistent players .. his goal-scoring skills are at a premium and his slick playmaking skills make it very hard for defenders to get a read on him .. has a tendency to admire his passes too much and at times, was hit as a direct result .. his skating is what sets him apart, as he has incredibly quick feet and his ability to stop on a dime and change directions is one of the best in the league .. he would be better served if he moved more after making a pass .. his shot is very accurate and despite his smaller size, he gets his full weight behind it .. very weak along the boards, as he is listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds but is nowhere close to that and is not strong physically .. excels in open-ice situations where he can take advantage of his individual skills .. should continue to blossom on a team that relies heavily on his offensive production and if he could ever improve on his defensive skills, he would be a complete player.

Jiri Novotny – Centre

After being acquired at the trading deadline from the Buffalo Sabres for Dainius Zubrus, he found himself on the top line playing alongside Ovechkin .. the added offensive responsibility has increased his confidence however, he lacks the true finishing skills to be a top-line player .. that is not to suggest that he does not have finesse or good puck skills however, his anticipation and overall offensive instincts are not on par with players like Ovechkin and as a result, the entire line suffers .. shows good speed in the straightaway and is agile and shifty enough to move into open areas however, as mentioned too many times, he is chasing the play and does not have a chance to set up .. needs to be stronger in all areas of the ice and quicker along the boards, as too many times he was stripped of the puck by looking up to survey his options .. should be able to settle down on this Capitals roster and be a good third-line addition, as several young players are eager to make their mark thus bumping him down the depth chart.

Boyd Gordon – Right Wing

Signed a two-year deal with the Capitals this season after winning a Calder Cup with Hershey last year .. known for his defensive approach to the game, he is usually pitted against other team's best players .. offensively, his game is coming along slowly, as he posted respectable totals this year .. his points come from a direct result of hard work and persistence in the offensive zone because he is not a natural with the puck .. he is more of a playmaker, as he can handle the puck at top speed however, he only appears to have one gear of acceleration .. identifies his man early in the defensive zone but at times gives his man too much room and his mediocre first step doesn't allow him to get on top of a speedy player .. really struggled against Buffalo's aggressive breakout attack .. has good faceoff technique .. should continue to make strides in his game and be a serviceable player for the next two seasons .. does not cost the organization much against the cap, and should be another piece to their rebuilding strategy.

Brooks Laich – Centre/Winger

Another member of the Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, he joins the Capitals full time this season .. a speedy player who is always involved in the play and seems to be around the puck constantly .. shows healthy speed on the straightaway .. good presence in all areas of the ice but flourishes down low where he can stickhandle in tight spaces with modest success .. industrial player who will do anything that is asked of him and is not afraid to sacrifice his body to make a play .. average stickhandler but he is effective in getting the puck into the offensive zone .. not overly agile and still looks a tad awkward but the added icetime due to a rash of injuries have served him well .. even though the points have not come yet, he does have a good skill set and should be able to elevate his game next season, as he gains more confidence and learns to release the puck faster.

Tomas Fleischmann – Centre

After exploding in the Calder Cup playoffs last season, Fleischmann learned that the NHL is a completely different game .. played sparingly this season and has come along slowly despite his offensive totals in the AHL .. very elusive, he is a lurk-in-the-weeds, type-of-player and is great at getting behind defenseman and creating scoring chances .. economical skater, certainly not blinding but efficient .. his shot power and overall strength are major areas of concern .. a skilled, crafty playmaker and distributor of the puck but at times he is guilty of trying to make cute plays that simply do not work against experienced defenseman .. the creativity he shows is promising however, if he could modify his game slightly he would be a complimentary second line player for years to come .. his offensive totals should jump this season, as he did line up with good players and with added experience, he should be able to be a full time NHLer next year.

Shaone Morrisonn – Defence

Not known for his offensive prowess, the Vancouver-born native has shown decent development as Washington's primary shutdown defender .. at 6-foot-4, he has a great wingspan and reach .. his puckhandling skills are average at best and at times, he is clumsy with the puck .. commands considerable respect when charging into the zone with the puck despite his average puck skills .. getting more agile however, his coordination is still not quite there .. strong on his skates and very adept at eliminating his man coming down the wing against the glass, as his strength down low serves him well .. he can physically manhandle most opponents in this league .. he could do a slightly better job gapping faster forwards and making quicker adjustments with his footwork to recognize a breakout .. emerging as a solid top-four defender however, do not expect him to win you any pools with his scoring ability.

Steve Eminger – Defence

Eminger never really found his groove this season and took a step backward as far as his development was concerned .. the arrival of Brian Pothier took away some of his valuable PP time and affected his confidence .. putting Ben Clymer on the back end also hurt his offensive chances .. he does play special teams and was a fixture on the PK but offensively he is invisible .. has improved his lateral movement, as his skating looks slightly neater .. not always making smart plays and seems despondent too many times throughout the contest .. his puck skills are crippled by his lack of confidence and he is not as daring as he was in former times .. defensively, he still has a tendency to get beaten, as was evident by a poor one-on-one play against Drew Stafford that led to a goal .. the organization still is optimistic for Eminger as he oozes potential.

Mike Green – Defence

Joins the Capitals after a successful postseason last year with the Hershey Bears and gives them a dependable stay-at-home defender who can be used in all situations .. plays more of a defensive role, as his offensive game is still in need of maturing .. must get his timing down as at times, he hesitates with the puck while in possession .. seems afraid to be trapped, as he usually retreats when the play advances up ice and elects to hang back in case a breakout should occur .. gaps well and angles players with his surprisingly quick feet .. not overly big or physical, he relies heavily on his anticipation away from the puck and the ability to read the play .. learning to settle down, as his game matured throughout the season .. factors to be a strong shutdown player with some offensive upside in a few seasons.

Jeff Schultz – Defence

Another first round selection looking to find a roster spot on a reassembled defensive unit .. a capable scorer, as he managed to post modest point totals in junior and will be looked upon to contribute more offensively at the NHL level .. a wonky stride, as he has yet to establish his coordination due to his massive 6-foot-6 frame .. he can make a good first pass and does not try to stretch the pass .. his shots are kept low and always on the net for a chance to tip or deflect .. skates with the puck too far ahead of his body, thus not protecting it and often losing it before he gains the line .. has difficulties containing smaller players down low, as they have a tendency to turn him inside out .. is better in open-ice situations where he can contain forwards off the rush .. time will tell in terms of development, as he could go either way.