Graham Mink comes home

 He's already got the playoff beard down (photo by JustSports Photography)

Early in training camp, I was watching Group B practice. A friend asked me, "Is Graham Mink a career AHLer?" Without even thinking, I said, "Yes." Then I paused for a minute and said, "But he's the kind of guy that knows it and accepts it. Like, 'This is my role, so I'm going to be damn good at it.'"

Even in interviews, he refers to Washington as "they," not "we."

It's an attitude that is evident just talking to Mink about his return to the Washington organization. He's played just seven NHL games (all with the Capitals), but consistently puts up big numbers with his AHL clubs. The 32-year-old winger has had only one season scoring under 40 points since 2005-2006, and he's won two Calder Cups with Hershey (2006 and 2009).

It's Mink's first time back in Hershey since that 2009 Calder Cup win (and third time back overall), and he's ecstatic to return. "It kind of feels like family here. I missed being part of Washington," he said during training camp. "I'm going to be in Hershey, and I'm excited to be back there, I love playing there, it's a great city."

Mink doesn't put on airs about his role with the organization. He knows that with all the young talent joining the Bears this year, he may not enjoy any call-ups at all. But at this point in his career, Mink knows exactly what he's supposed to be doing in Hershey: be a mentor.

"There's going to be a lot of players that are in Hershey this year that are going to come up and help the Caps. My goal is to help teach them and have them learn the game, learn what it's like to be on a successful team and what's expected to be a professional," Mink said.

"I kind of look at it as an extension of the coaching staff as the veteran player. I think most veterans do. You want to bring these 22-, 23-, 24-year-olds and make their learning curve as steep as possible to get to the next level as quickly as possible."

As for the new kids in Hershey like Cody Eakin and Dmitri Orlov, Mink is looking forward to being a leader for them. "They're very smart kids, they're very mature for their age and they pick up fast," Mink said. "It'll be good for Orlov to learn some more English and grow. It's got to be tough being as young as you are and all that ways from home, so you want to make them feel as comfortable as you can and allow them a coming out process of growing up, maturing a little bit."

With Mink's work ethic and drive, he's the perfect candidate to teach the new blood. He thrives on the pressure of being with a winning organization, and brings a good attitude to the locker room. "(The pressure environment) meshes well with my personality," he said. "I want to win every game, every night."

Hopefully that attitude will rub off on the Hershey rookies. It's why Mink is returning to Hershey for what he hopes is a long stay. "Hopefully I can stay for a while this time. It's something I'm looking forward to."

Capitals' Eakin Making Strides

 photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

At the conclusion of this summer's Capitals development camp, Cody Eakin wasn't sugarcoating how he felt about his performance at the week-long camp. "I’m not in the best shape; there’s no excuse for it," Eakin said.

Though he did have a bit of an excuse: his season had just finished five weeks prior. While other players were in the gym doing their offseason training, Eakin was still on the ice, competing for a Memorial Cup.

Even though Eakin didn't stand out as much as he had in previous development camps, Coach Bruce Boudreau stood behind the rookie. "I’m not at all disappointed in Cody," Boudreau said. "Sometimes we forget he just finished playing five weeks ago. I thought he competed hard, but I think he’ll be better in September."

Boudreau explained how Eakin could look so out of shape after finishing up his last year of junior hockey. "Hockey is such a draining sport to keep going at the same level that you’ve been at, for 12 months is difficult," he said. "I'm not making an excuse for [Eakin], because he didn’t have a bad camp at all, but at the same time, maybe the expectations from everybody else around him are so great that I think he’s going to come and tear it up."

"Tear it up" he didn't, but coming into this week's rookie camp, Eakin was more prepared to compete for a roster spot. As Boudreau said Monday, "His goal, being a graduate of junior hockey, was not the [development] camp, his goal was this camp." 

After development camp, Eakin was happy to get into a more consistent offseason routine, spending five days a week in the gym, instead of just resting as he had in the weeks between the Memorial Cup and development camp. He arrived a few days early and joined informal skates with some of the team's veterans ahead of official camp.

Sunday, Eakin spoke about how his own disappointment in development camp propelled his offseason training routine. "I think development camp scared me the most, obviously not having a lot of time before that and coming in not in the best shape," Eakin said. "The whole summer, that was in the back of my head giving me the extra motivation."

His improved conditioning and focus has been immediately noticeable at rookie camp.  "He's in great shape. You can tell he's determined. He's here to fight for a job, and he's putting his best foot forward," Coach Boudreau said. "You can see a little bit more determination on his face."

While Eakin looks good so far in practices, Boudreau knows that it will probably take a few preseason games to tell if he's ready for the NHL.

"He's going to be a good one," Boudreau said. "It's just a matter of is it going to take a little time, or is it now?"

Cody Eakin Reveals What He Told Steffen Soberg

Quick update on the Swift Current Broncos front: I was able to ask Cody Eakin if he had indeed talked to Steffen Soberg about Swift Current. Eakin did, and spoke at length about what he told Soberg about his own experience with the Broncos.

"I told him a little bit about it. I told him it's a great city, a great town, and it's a really good place to play and come up through juniors. He said he likes the idea and he's thinking about going there. I think he's got a chance to be the number one goalie. Like I said, it's a great place to play, and a great community, great atmosphere, and great camaraderie with the team."

Soberg Shows Off at Development Camp

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

Soon after becoming the first Norwegian goalie ever to be drafted in the NHL, Steffen Soberg had to face another draft - the CHL Import Draft. Capitals goaltending coach Dave Prior instructed Soberg to go the CHL path to get the best coaching and development possible to turn him into a professional-league goaltender.

It's the path Michal Neuvirth took after coming over from the Czech league, before winning two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears and moving on to the NHL.

Soberg said that he had some offers from teams in Sweden, but turned them down in favor of doing what the Capitals wanted. "That would be easier for me [to play in Sweden], not moving that far away," Soberg said. "But Dave Prior thinks that [the CHL] is the best place to develop as a goalie. I trust that."

Soberg went sixth overall in the CHL Import Draft to Cody Eakin's former club, the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. Eakin had been captain of the Broncos before his trade to the Kootenay Ice, and I asked Soberg if he had spoken to Eakin yet about the experience in Swift Current.

"He said I was going to be the first goalie to play a lot of games." [Ed. note: I took that to mean that Eakin told Soberg he'd be the No. 1 goaltender.] "They're going to test me there," Soberg said.

When I asked about his U18s tournament, he seemed very proud of his achievements during the tournament. "That's one of my best tournaments ever. I [faced] like, 50 shots every game," he said. "When you get a lot of shots it's more easy to come into the game, and I like that. Everything was working and everything went great. It was a good tournament."

It seems that Soberg thrives under pressure. He likes being tested and likes to be a big part of the game. Even with a weak team in front of him, he's able to perform and not completely shut down. The CHL is a league in which games tend to have a lot of shots and a lot of goals per game, so Soberg should do well in that environment.

I recorded a video of Soberg making saves during a drill. I noticed that he tends to rely on his leg pads a good deal, and his reflexes are good.

Capitals Prospect Cody Eakin Involved in Blockbuster WHL Trade

Eakin plays against the United States in the 2011 WJC (photo by Windsor Star)

Particularly after his strong showing in the World Junior Championships, just how much is Cody Eakin worth?

For the WHL's Kootenay Ice, the answer is five players and three draft picks.

More specifically, the Ice lose current forward Christian Magnus, as well as prospects Ryan Bloom, Jarett Zentner, Colby Cave and Steven Myland. The Ice are also surrendering to the Swift Current Broncos three draft picks: a first and second round draft pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and a third round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. 

As the season ticks down, CHL teams were looking to beef up their rosters before the January 10 trade deadline. With this trade, Kootenay makes themselves a lot stronger in the short run, as Eakin is aging out this season. Conversely, Swift Current is going to be stronger in the long run with the addition of prospects and high draft picks.

But the teams involved made the trade for opposite reasons, since the teams are on opposite ends of the standings spectrum. Kootenay Ice are first in their division, second in the WHL Eastern Conference, and tied for second in the league. The Swift Current Broncos are under .500 so far this season. One team is making the playoffs -- the other, probably not, even with Eakin on their roster.

With the addition of Eakin, Kootenay all but guarantees that playoff spot. He brings leadership and scoring ability, and his current statistics put him at second in points with his new team.

Swift Current had to put aside their desire to keep their star player and captain in order to think about the future of the club. Though they say they of course didn't want to trade Eakin, it was something they had to do to improve their club in seasons to come. "Eakin has been the best player to come to this team since Joe Sakic," Broncos head coach and general manager Mark Lamb said. "It's a trade we didn't want to do, but it's the best thing for our hockey club in the long run."

What does this mean for Eakin himself? The trade of course does not affect his NHL rights -- those still lie with the Washington Capitals. But it means that Eakin is about 99% certain to gain Memorial Cup playoff experience. He already has Calder Cup playoff experience that he can use to help Kootenay in their playoff run. It gives him a chance to develop with players that are more talented than his former teammates, and further build his skills with teammates who are on his level of development.

The trade does mean one bit of bad news for Capitals and Bears fans -- with Eakin on a playoff-contending team, he won't be available for at least some of the Hershey Bears postseason.  

But that's bad news we can bear.

Rookie Camp Day 5: Rookie Game

 celebrating the 4-3 win (photo by me)

The rookies took the ice for the last day of their week of camp, and they hit the ice wearing brand-spanking-new Capitals sweaters.  Not the red practice jerseys of development camp, but actual home Capitals jerseys.  They certainly looked the part as they faced the rookies of the Philadelphia Flyers, and many of them lived up to the tremendous hype.

The same guys we've been talking about all week were the ones who impressed in the 4-3 win over the Flyers.  2010 third-round draft pick Stanislav Galiev opened up the scoring in the first period, with assists from Dustin Stevenson and Marcus Johansson.  

Mike Testwuide answered midway through the second period, going high glove side on Philipp Grubauer.  A few minutes later, Brandon Anderson relieved Grubauer in net so the two could get some equal work.

A major presence on the power play unit was defenseman Josh Godfrey.  Setting up on the point, Godfrey unleashed his tremendous slapshot, beating the Flyers goalie not once, but twice, on two separate power plays in the second and third periods.  We hadn't seen much of Godfrey's offensive prowess before, but Coaches French and Boudreau say that his shot is why he was drafted.  French adds that his hard shot is "probably NHL-level now" but "his five-on-five play has got to be better."

After Godfrey's goals, the Flyers came back, with Eric Wellwood and Marc-Andre Bourdon scoring on Anderson, and leveling the scoring 3-3 with less than five minutes to go in the third period.

With less than two minutes remaining, Cody Eakin led a breakaway into the offensive zone, swept around the back of the net, and potted the game winner unassisted.

But in the locker room after the game, Eakin was the picture of modesty.

"It was a perfectly executed controlled breakout.  The goalie didn’t play it, so I just kind of wrapped around to the back end and it squeaked through."

Despite the goal being recorded as unassisted, Eakin credited his teammates for the setup.

"It was kind of lucky, but it was a good chip by Mitch [Garrett Mitchell]. It was a good breakout, and it led to a good opportunity."

Coach French gave a little bit more credit to Eakin.

"Cody scoring the winning goal there, he’s the type of guy we saw last year in the Calder Cup  that relishes those big-time opportunities.  When you need him he seems to come through; I thought he was excellent in the second and third period."

Eakin's looking forward to showing his chops in the upcoming preseason games.  He knows it's "a long shot" but says,

"I’m here, I want to prove that I can play here."

Marcus Johansson didn't score any goals, but assisted on two goals and was a critical member of the power play.  Coach Boudreau also pointed out that he was "strong on faceoffs and on the puck" and was "the most consistent player we had all night."  But Johansson said that he learned a lot from playing a game as opposed to just practice:

"Well of course you learn more in games, that’s what you’re practicing for.  I try to play my game as much as I can to learn about time and to be at the right point at the right time."

On possibly making the roster, Johansson added:

"I'm going to work hard for it."

Other notes and observations:

• Trevor Bruess was excellent on the penalty kill.  He showed speed and stickhandling skill that we hadn't yet seen from him.  His fight with Zac Rinaldo wasn't exactly the bout he had with Stefan Della Rovere in development camp, but at least he made good on his promise.

• Samuel Carrier was solid on the blue line, but needs to work on his passing play.  On some passes he had trouble hitting the tape of his teammate.

• Bruce Boudreau's honorable mentions after the lengthy discussion of Eakin and Johansson (and Godfrey) were: Philipp Grubauer, Dustin Stevenson, Brett Flemming, and Patrick Cullity.

• When asked about Joe Finley, Mark French did express doubts on his playing at the AHL level next year.  He said that Finley needs to "play at a higher pace" in order to make it in the AHL.

• At several points, Flyers rookies were trying to get under the skin of Marcus Johansson - chirping at him after whistles, playing him a little more physical.  Johansson never engaged, and always shrugged it off.  In post-game interview, he proved himself extremely smart and mature.

• Alex Ovechkin stuck around for the rookie game after the vet skate in the morning, and came into the locker room after the game ended to congratulate the guys and chat with them for a few moments. The captain was all smiles, and according to Jared DeMichiel's Twitter, Ovechkin and Mike Green took the rookies out for a sushi dinner.

Partying with the Bears

Note: This blog post is pretty much purely fluff. I just wanted to share my experience of the Bears Cup Celebration and some of the funny things that happened. Also, I'm barely conscious due to lack of sleep from this very event.

After watching the thrilling conclusion of the Calder Cup Finals on Monday night, after the tears of happiness subsided, news came out that the party would be Tuesday night, 7:00-10:00 PM. In my stupor, I suddenly thought, "I have to be in Hershey tomorrow!"  So I reserved a Zipcar, printed out directions, and went to bed thinking thoughts of that shiny Calder Cup being passed around the ice of the Giant Center.

The problem? I work a 9-5 job and wouldn't be able to leave early. The second the clock hit 5:00 PM on Tuesday, I bolted out of the office. Three hours of infuriating traffic and some speeding later, I arrived at the Giant Center around 8:00 PM (free parking when it's usually $7? BONUS!) I entered the floor and found a swarm of people (as I learned later, estimated to be about 5,000) on the covered ice surface. I was able to track down my friend Kathryn, waiting for Karl Alzner's autograph. I'd missed the presentation/speech part, but was just in time for the autographs. I slid into line with Kathryn.

Alzner, much to my dismay, had shaved completely, and there was no trace left of the once-glorious lumberjack beard.

Before:
 

via DC Sports Bog

And *sob* After:
 

Next stop for me? Cody Eakin. A short line led to a very excited me nabbing a picture with the flame-haired Canadian. But here's him with a small child.

I was continuing to pass by Michal Neuvirth's table (his line was too long for me to wait in) and he is one of the guys who chose to keep his stunna shades on. Probably because his eyes were glazed over from how much he'd had to drink.

Steve Pinizzotto and Alexandre Giroux were sharing a table, and it was the next place I headed. I already have Giroux's autograph (courtesy of last year's Caps Convention), so waited in the line for Pinner. While some guys like Roo and Bryan Helmer opted for shaving their playoff beards into handlebar mustaches...

Pinner decided to go... a different route...

Yes, those would be stripes shaved into Pinner's beard.

I decided that with that look, Pinner strongly resembled a late-1990s AJ McLean, of Backstreet Boys fame:
 

Next... the time had come... for Keith Aucoin. A shockingly short line meant I thankfully didn't have much time to panic, though by the time I got to him I was still shaking like a leaf. He happily signed my jersey, which features his name and number, and I had enough time to snag a picture with him. One of the best quotes of the night was courtesy of Coiner. I wanted Coiner to sign on his numbers on the back of my jersey (the numbers are brown so a black Sharpie would not have worked), so Coiner reached over to grab the silver pen in front of tablemate Andrew Gordon. It had run dry (thankfully I had bought silver Sharpies that day). As I dug the pen out of my purse, Aucoin jokingly said of his linemate:

"I can't count on him for anything!"  

As with Alzner, Aucoin also shaved off the glory of his playoff, um, mutton chops.

Tablemate Andrew Gordon had a significantly longer line. We soon found out why. Gordo was having a conversation with everyone. By the time I got to him, he confessed to me that he really had to go to the bathroom (being as the guys had been drinking, several of them kept hopping over the boards and sprinting off to use the restroom). I found it hilarious that Gordo decided to share the status of his bladder with me.

By that time, there wasn't a whole lot of time left in the party. I sprinted to Chris Bourque's line, who was trying to drive people from his long line into tablemate Simon Ferguson's nonexistent line (ribbing Ferguson in the process). Bourque was sporting a Red Sox shirt and his MVP trophy was sitting on the table in front of him. Bourque also was gracious enough to take a picture with me.

There were about 10 minutes left, and I noticed that Zach Miskovic had no line.  Signed and picture (and absolutely kicking myself for not chatting with him about growing up in the Chicago suburbs, as both of us did). Braden Holtby's line was looking less than 10 minutes long. Signed and picture. I resisted asking him to be a part of my "Why Does He Do That?" feature regarding the famed "Holtbyisms."

After autographs were over, I made my first visit to the Bear's Den with tweeps Natalie (who shared her celebration experience with The Hockey Chronicles) and Kim, then hit the road, and finally got home around 2:15 AM. It was a stellar evening, and well worth the less-than-5-hours of sleep. Congratulations to the Hershey Bears, Calder Cup Champions for the 11th time.

(Autographs are, clockwise from the top left corner, Grant McNeill, Karl Alzner, Cody Eakin, Chris Bourque, Zach Miskovic, Andrew Gordon, Braden Holtby, Boyd Kane, and Steve Pinizzotto. And of course the back features Keith Aucoin.)

Final Note: Unless otherwise noted, all photographs in this post were taken by me and are my property.

Update: Cody Eakin

 photo by me

Well, I got to see Cody Eakin in action myself this weekend, as I headed up to Hershey for the Bears' last home game of the regular season. I'd heard from Hershey friend Derek that Cody didn't have such a great game on Saturday night against the Crunch, but I was hoping he'd still see action in the lineup on Sunday. Did he ever.

At the end of the night, Eakin was awarded the #2 star of the evening (#3 being Patrick Wellar and #1 being Mathieu Perreault). For the most part, the scouting reports I read were very correct. While I didn't really get to see the extent of his speed in action, I did notice that he is very good at seeing the ice. Just watching him during a particular shift, I saw that his eyes were constantly moving (literally darting around), even when the puck was nowhere near him - looking around the ice to see where the puck was, where his teammates were, where his opponents were. He could see the next play before it even happened. This kind of ability will no doubt prove to be important and extremely beneficial to Eakin and his team.

His #2 star came from his beauty of a goal in the second period. As Cody was providing a screen in front of the net, Patrick Wellar launched a slapshot from the blue line, and Eakin angled his stick to deflect the shot past Admirals goalie Tokarski's shoulder for a goal. Aside from the goal, Eakin had a good game - creating scoring chances and establishing a decent forecheck. I can't wait to see him continue to improve, get stronger (at 179 lbs, he's still mighty scrawny for a 5'11" hockey player), and one day make it up to the Capitals roster.

Highlights of Sunday's game are here. Patrick Wellar's shot that Eakin deflects in comes at about the 0:22 mark.

Focus on Prospects: Cody Eakin

photo by Getty Images

Name: Cody Eakin

Position: C

Shoots: Left

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 179 lbs

Birthdate: 1991-05-25

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Cody Eakin is pretty much your typical Canadian hockey-playing kid.  Playing up through the ranks in Canada, he was drafted in the first round out of bantam ranks by the WHL's Swift Current Broncos in 2006.  His first season of 2007-08, he scored 11 goals and had 6 assists, and then really shone in the playoffs of that year, when he had 7 points in just 12 games.  In his next season, he exploded into the WHL star ranks - 24 goals, 24 assists, and was named the Broncos Rookie of the Year.  The same season, he was selected to play in the CHL Top Prospects Game, and scored 2 goals for Team Orr, earning him the Player of the Game award.  He went on to play in the IIHF U18 tournament for Team Canada, where his team earned the gold medal.
 

This season, the Broncos were 3rd place in Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season, but were knocked out in the 1st round of the playoffs by the Brandon Wheat Kings.  During the season, Eakin was #7 on the list of top scorers in the WHL with an astounding 47 goals and 44 assists.  As a reward, Cody was named to the All-WHL Eastern Conference second team this season.

The main thing that coaches and scouts point out about Cody Eakin is his speed.  He's not terribly big, but what he lacks in height and weight he makes up for in his skating ability.  He's good on the forecheck and effective on the PK, and definitely isn't a selfish player - he sees the ice and his teammates extremely well.  Eakin has said he models his skating after Ottawa's Mike Fisher.  That's a fair assessment, being that Eakin is skilled as a two-way forward, much as Fisher is.  However, Eakin does say that his favorite player is Ovechkin due to his passion for the game - a passion that scouts have seen in Eakin.

His idolization of Ovechkin meant that he was a thrilled little quote machine after being drafted by the Capitals in 2009 in the 3rd round (85th overall).  He told reporters that he'd recently become a Capitals fan, largely for the exciting play of Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom.  He said after the draft:

"I'm looking forward to getting there and see the guys. I'm probably going to be a little shell shocked because of those amazing players. I watch the Capitals all the time...It is a good young team and I am excited to go down there."  

He had no idea who would select him getting down the 3rd round, but was excited when the Capitals called his name.  He said, "I wasn't really sure who or where I was going to go. But I am happy and I couldn't ask for a better team."

Signed to an entry-level contract in October 2009, Eakin knew that he was eligible to play with the Hershey Bears once his Swift Current season was over.  But he didn't even really expect to go that far this year.  In a January interview with Japers' Rink, he was asked about how he felt about possibly playing with the Bears this spring.  Eakin responded with:

"Oh, that would be exciting!  ...If I get a phone call and be asked to come up, whether it's to watch or to practice or what have you, it would be an exciting time for me, and I think definitely would be an eye opener for me."

Eakin was called up to the Hershey Bears on March 25, and his first game was in Syracuse against the Crunch on March 31, wearing #34.  He scored his first AHL goal - on his first shot.  He finished the night with a +2.  Eakin's new coach Mark French said that he intends on keeping Eakin in the lineup for a little while, indicating that the organization wanted to take a good look at him.  It seems to be the beginning of a very exciting career for the 18-year-old Eakin.  From the interview with Japers' Rink, he shows that he's very smart about the game and should go far:

I think if you get called up to any team, you gotta play a simple, smart game.  You gotta be reliable player.  You wouldn't expect to go up there and log big minutes.  But the minutes that you are out there -- you gotta take advantage and show that you're smart, reliable, and you can be put on the ice and you don't have to be worried about.

Here is a link to the highlights from Eakin's first AHL game.  Be sure to check out his impeccable positioning on his goal.  The goal comes right off the face-off around the 0:29 mark (thanks Kathryn).

Focus on Prospects: Dmitry Kugryshev

 photo by russianprospects.com

Name: Dmitry Kugryshev

Position: RW

Shoots: Left

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 187 lbs

Birthdate: 1990-01-18

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

When it was announced last week that Dmitry Kugryshev was signed by the Caps to a three-year entry-level deal, fans were excited.  Anyone who attended development camp knows that he looked to be a promising young player from the land of Alexander Ovechkin.  The Moscow-bred 20-year-old is now eligible to play with the Hershey Bears once his Québec Remparts season is over.

Dmitry first came into the hockey public eye in the 2008 World Junior Championships.  He had 4 points (including a goal) in 7 games, and helped the Russians toward a bronze medal.  His 2008-09 rookie season with the Remparts was a great entrance into North American hockey.  That season, he scored 40 goals and notched 54 assists, and won the Michel-Bergeron Trophy, awarded by the QMJHL to the Best Offensive Rookie of the year (an award that Sidney Crosby won in 2004 with Rimouski Océanic).  Drafted by the Caps in 2008 (2nd round, 58th overall), Dmitry showed excitement about his drafting team, especially considering the Russians on the team at the time - Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Viktor Kozlov, and Sergei Federov.  On his visit to Washington after the draft, Dmitry was invited to dinner with Ovechkin, his parents, Semin, and Federov.  On his blog (H/T to On Frozen Blog), Dmitry was pleasantly surprised by his selection:

I was extremely happy – to be picked at all, and to be picked by them. There are a lot of Russians on the team, and the team itself is really good. Went there for the training camp. Loved everything: the City, the Team. Honestly, everything was awesome.

Now into his second QMJHL season with the Remparts (of which he's considered the star), his numbers have improved still - in 66 games played, he's scored a whopping 87 points (29 goals and 58 assists).  Hockey's Future currently ranks him #10 on their list of Washington Capitals prospects - one spot above Cody Eakin, who was signed by the Caps earlier this season.  Hockey's Future offers the scout's perspective on Dmitry's skills.  He's called a "solid winger" and especially talented along the boards "where he uses his technique, balance and toughness to win most of the battles also thanks to his resilience to opponent’s physical play."  His passing still needs work, but some work with the Bears' A-line (Giroux, Aucoin, and Gordon) should definitely help his passing play.  He's a very dedicated and passionate player, but doesn't "over-rush his play to impress the coach or the scouts."

His Remparts coach Patrick Roy agrees.  In an interview with Dmitry Chesnokov in June 2009,  Kugryshev said:

Patrick told me that I have everything to play in the NHL. But he also told me that I shouldn’t stop working on improving myself and turn my good hockey skills into even better ones. He is very interested in me realizing my dream of playing for the Capitals as soon as possible.

With his current numbers and provided his improvement in some areas (which is certain in a system like Hershey), Kugryshev is poised to become the next Nicklas Backstrom (although Kugryshev says he gets inspiration from Semin's play).  But knowing how valuable Backstrom is to the team, the eventual addition of Kugryshev to the lineup will be a very good move for the Capitals.

Update:

I enjoy this interview that Kugi did with sportsandmoore.com earlier this season.  His English has improved by leaps and bounds since his first training camp.