Rookie Camp Day 1: Catching Up with Dustin Stevenson

Stevenson is on knee, center, blue sweater (photo by me)

Dustin Stevenson started off our interview with "Sorry if I smell bad."  Think I'm going to like this kid. 

(And for the record, I couldn't smell anything.  Probably because I was so cold at that point that all my senses were dulled.)

Rink Rebel: You were the first player from the SJHL to be signed by the NHL, so how did that feel?

Dustin Stevenson: Oh, it felt great.  It's everyone's dream, I think, it was my dream for sure, to sign an NHL contract.  I didn't think it was going to happen this soon, but it definitely felt real great.

RR: Most of the guys here are from collegiate hockey, KHL, CHL, how do you think your game would differ from that?

DS: I think I had good coaching where I played so I feel like I'm right with everyone in this camp, I don't feel out of place at all.  There are some good players here, and there's definitely a little bit more skill, but I feel like I fit in.

RR: Bruce had singled you out saying you had a good development camp, what did that do for your confidence?

DS: It helped my confidence a lot.  I mean especially for this camp, now coming back I kind of know where I fit in and where I sit with the guys and it definitely pumped the confidence up a bit.

RR: Obviously I understand why you picked the contract over your scholarship to St. Lawrence, but do you feel disappointed in a way that you had to forgo that scholarship?

DS: [shakes head] Not at all.  I don't look back on that decision at all, I think this is the best for my development, and that's a decision that me and my family made as soon as I got offered a contract.  So no, I'm not looking back on it.  I'm happy with the decision I made.

RR: People tend to compare your style to Chris Pronger, is that accurate?  Or who do you think your style of play is like?

DS: I guess it's fair to compare me to him, I'm not sure really, I just try and play my own style of game, but I guess I can see we're both kind of tall, puck-moving defensemen.

More interviews to come on Thursday!

Rookie Camp Day 1: Catching Up with Philipp Grubauer

photo by Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star

On day one of Rookie Camp, the guys went through various drills and then off-ice weight training. After all that work, I got a chance to speak with goaltender Philipp Grubauer for a few minutes about his upcoming OHL season.  
 

Rink Rebel: Are you looking forward to your season with Kingston?

Philipp Grubauer: Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to it, I think we have a good team, and we should be going back to the championship with this team.  Everybody has to do their job, and I'm looking forward to this year.

RR: And you'll also be in the WJC with Germany, are you looking forward to that as well?

PG: Yeah, I think we have a pretty good team as well there... So we should stay in the group [Germany is in Group A with USA] and our goal is getting a medal this year.

RR: During your playoff series with Barrie, you got run over by Darren Archibald. When you got up you had sort of a smile on your face, so what were you thinking?

PG: Yeah I mean I kind of knew it was coming to that point, we won that game 6-2 and there was only one minute left so they tried to do everything to disturb me. It was kind of funny to me because I knew it was coming.

RR: You had a shutout against your former team Belleville just a couple days ago, how was that feeling?

PG: It was an awesome feeling to get that shutout, because you're getting back to the old building, playing against your friends, and it was just an amazing feeling to show them that we can do it in Kingston too.

RR: Goalies are kind of known for their weird little quirks, I don't know if you've watched Braden Holtby prepare his crease, but do you have any quirky little things that you tend to do?

PG: I think I have my own game routine, every player has, but I don't do anything special.  Just a nap before the game, I always eat pasta, but that's pretty much all I do.

I should have more exciting interviews after the rookie game on Thursday. Dustin Stevenson interview is coming up next.

Rookie Camp: Guys to Keep Your Eye On

Rookie and training camp rosters were released today, and while everyone knows names like Cody Eakin, Dmitry Kugryshev, and Marcus Johansson, there are the unknown guys that are poised to impress.

 photo by Getty Images

David de Kastrozza

The University of Maine alum was signed by the South Carolina Stingrays this past March.  He joined the team after the signing, and in the three games he played, he registered two assists.  At 6'3" and 205 pounds, the winger is best known for his physical presence (particularly in front of the net), and despite his size, he's a skilled and agile skater.  de Kastrozza was responsible for a Team Red breakaway goal during the final scrimmage of this year's development camp.

Similar to: Brooks Laich

photo by Norwich Athletics

Nikita Kashirsky

Another college alum, forward Kashirsky was a standout on the Norwich University Cadets, earning accolades like RBK first-team All-American (twice), ECAC East's "Player of the Year," and a spot on the ECAC all-conference first team.  Kashirsky grew up in Bethesda, but also played in Moscow - he is a close friend and former teammate of Alex Ovechkin.  Kashirsky joined the South Carolina Stingrays after graduating from Norwich in 2009, and with his skillful puckhandling and knack for scoring, helped them towards the Kelly Cup that year.  Last year, he split the season between the AHL's Springfield Falcons and Manitoba Moose.

Similar to: Alexander Semin
 

photo by goaliej54

Dylan Yeo

The 5'11" defenseman debuted in the ECHL in 2007 with the Victoria Salmon Kings (with whom he was named ECHL's Defenseman of the Year for 2008-09), and spent 23 games over 2 seasons with the Manitoba Moose during callups.  In 2009, the South Carolina Stingrays signed him, and in 49 games played, he earned 30 points.  He also spent 4 games in Hershey last year after being called up.  Yeo tends to be more offensive, perhaps due to his height, but he's certainly strong at 210 pounds.  Yeo also has other talents - during his time with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, he once sang "O Canada" before a game.

Similar to: Mike Green

photo by Lethbridge Hurricanes

Brandon Anderson

The only goaltender attending rookie camp who has not been drafted or signed by the Washington Capitals, Anderson is an 18-year-old undrafted free agent currently with the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes.  He played his first full season as the No. 3 with the Hurricanes last year, but is still inexperienced and had a shaky start to the season, later improving to a 3.49 GAA and .892 SV%.  His stats, however, can also be attributed to an injury that nagged him last season.  Hurricanes coaching staff believe in his potential - next year, he is expected to be the starting goaltender in Lethbridge.

Similar to: Too early to tell!

Note: The fan becomes a member of the media - I've been awarded credentials for rookie and training camps, so expect some in-depth content here and on The Fourth Period's website during camp!  If you have questions for any attendee, let me know in the comments.  I may ask them!

Focus on Prospects: Caleb Herbert

This is the third installment of my countdown to rookie camp series.

photo by mnhockeyprospects.com

Name: Caleb Herbert

Position: C
Shoots: Right
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs
Birthdate: 1991-10-12

Hometown: Bloomington, Minnesota
 

When Caleb Herbert got the news from his agent that he'd been drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 5th round (142nd overall), he was at work.  Selling parking tickets to cars coming onto a beach in his hometown.  It seemed a fitting situation for a humble high school grad from Minnesota.  "It was an awesome feeling," Herbert said.
 

For the past three years, Herbert played with Bloomington-Jefferson High School's team.  Known for his speed, he was a standout on the team, scoring 55 points in just 25 games played in 2009-10, and he finished the regular season with a +37.  But while Herbert comes from high school hockey, he's no stranger to professional hockey situations.  In the summer of 2008, he was on Team USA in the Ivan Hlinka U-18 tournament.  He scored two goals in the final game of the tournament, and helped USA to a 6-5 win over Switzerland.  For his efforts, Herbert was named Team USA's Player of the Game.
 

Graduating from high school earlier this summer, Herbert is getting ready for the next step in his hockey development.  He was snapped up in the 2009 USHL Entry Draft by the Sioux City Musketeers with the 172nd pick.  He'll spend one year in Sioux City, as he's committed to University of Minnesota-Duluth starting 2011-12.  On his college selection, Herbert seemed excited about his team:

"The [University of Minnesota] Gophers didn't really cross my mind.  I just had an interest in Duluth.  I really liked the coaches there, they're getting a brand new rink, and their program is on the rise, so I think it's a good time to go in there and work hard, and hopefully move on to the Capitals after that."

Herbert had a lot to learn at this summer's Capitals development camp, but coach Bruce Boudreau indicated that he was impressed with Herbert's quick learning.

"Skill-wise, Caleb is doing really good.  When you've only played high school hockey, the structure isn't what it is at this level.  He had a little trouble catching on a little bit on the- not on the drills, but on the way we play because it's more go go go."

With NCAA rules about signing NHL contracts, we likely won't see Herbert in the Caps organization for another 5 years.  But in 5 years, he'll still be only 23 and will have gained valuable experience at a collegiate level.  Look for him to make a splash in the world of college hockey.

Focus on Prospects: Samuel Carrier

Second in my series counting down to rookie camp, we have Samuel Carrier.  Let me know if there's someone you want to know about.

photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Man I love this awkward photo shoot

Name: Samuel Carrier

Position: D
Shoots: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 186 lbs
Birthdate: 1992-04-28

Hometown: Varennes, Québec

To set the tone for this post, I'd like to share someone's first-hand experience of Samuel Carrier.  Twitter friend Sarah (of somethingsbruin.net) went to a QMJHL preseason game of the Lewiston MAINEiacs as they played the Victoriaville Tigres.  She promised to keep an eye on our Sam to see how he played.  I'll let her take it away:

"[Carrier] got elbowed from behind by [Tigre] Vincent Marcoux into the half wall.  He fell down, stood up, turned around and punched the guy in the face."

Now THAT'S what I like to hear.

The feisty French Canadian was the 2010 6th round (176th overall) pick of the Washington Capitals, and seemed delighted to be coming to the team.  He's said that he enjoys watching Mike Green, as Carrier is also an offensive defenseman who enjoys occasionally joining in on the rush.  And like Green, he too is valuable on the power play due to his offensive skills.

Carrier was drafted by the Québec Remparts in the first round (10th overall) of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft.  He had set several records with his Midget team (he has the record of most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single game, as well as landing in the top 5 of most goals by a rookie defenseman in a season).  But yet Carrier's offensive instinct didn't seem to kick in until last season.  He spent his first QMJHL season with the Remparts (home to Dmitry Kugryshev and head coach Patrick Roy).  But despite the talent there, he didn't exactly have a breakout rookie season.  Although he had some success in Midget, in 56 games with the Remparts in 2008-09, he scored only 9 points.

After the season's end, Carrier was traded to a struggling Lewiston team in a multi-player, multi-pick deal.  His first season there in 2009-10, he seemed to hit his stride.  In 66 games, he scored an enviable 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists).  Five of those ten goals came on the power play.  Carrier helped the MAINEiacs to the playoffs last year - a team that was last in the Central division the season before Carrier arrived.  The MAINEiacs didn't make it past the first round, but Carrier did score a power play goal in the series against Drummondville.

Hockey's Future stresses Carrier's youth and inexperience when they point out areas where he needs improvement.  He sometimes is out of position chasing after the play (though it's not like we haven't seen that before; see #8 on this list) but he is effective along the boards in the defensive zone, puckhandles well, and has a heavy, accurate shot from the point.  Carrier may not ever make the NHL, but he was still draftable due to his potential:  

"Carrier is by nature an offensive player from the backline and has some skills and creativity that set him apart from prospects his age - which is why he was drafted.  He is still young enough to develop the complimentary elements to make him a successful attacking defenseman and potential power play specialist at the NHL level."

Carrier is only 18 and therefore will return to play with the MAINEiacs this upcoming season, but he seemed to take a lot from this year's development camp.  While not making a huge impression like Johansson or Kuznetsov, he was solid on the blue line and took the experience very seriously.  He showed maturity in his approach to camp, but I also loved Carrier's naïveté - in an interview on a Potomac cruise for the attendees, Carrier admitted that he "didn't know" there was a river in Washington:



Ah, to be young and Canadian.

Focus on Prospects: Dustin Stevenson

With rookie camp coming up in under 2 weeks, I wanted to look at some of the prospects that may be invited. I'll do profiles of a couple of guys until rookie camp - if there's someone you want to hear about, let me know!  But for my first choice, let's take a look at defenseman Dustin Stevenson.

photo by bridgetds

Name: Dustin Stevenson

Position: D
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 220 lbs
Birthdate: 1989-08-12

Hometown: Gull Lake, Sask.

While one of the Caps prospects not currently playing in the CHL, KHL, or Collegiate, Dustin Stevenson is arguably the star of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).  The SJHL, for those curious, is a Junior A league, which is considered to be a step below leagues of the CHL (which are Major Junior leagues).

But don't count Stevenson out based on that.  Last season, the La Ronge Ice Wolves (which Stevenson captained) won the Credit Union Cup, making the Ice Wolves SJHL Champions.  At the end of that same year, Stevenson was named the SJHL Player of the Year after notching 11 goals and 36 assists, third among defensemen in the league.  He also became the first SJHL player to ever be signed to a pro contract while still with the SJHL (signed right in the middle of the SJHL Credit Union Cup finals).

Not too shabby for a hulking kid from a town of under 1,000 people.
(To provide perspective, when I was a senior in high school, my high school's student population was about 2,500.)

However, SJHL players age out once they are over 20, and with Stevenson just turning 21 this month, he must move on from his team.  Before his signing, he had a hockey scholarship to attend St. Lawrence University, which has produced Hershey Bear Zach Miskovic as well as a handful of current NHL players and coaches.  However, in signing a pro contract, Stevenson had to forgo his turn at a college education and NCAA play.  Though it's not like he's terribly upset that the Capitals signed him.

"For sure, it's a dream come true. Ever since I was a young guy, my dream was to sign with an NHL team. I still haven't wrapped my head around it completely but it's definitely a dream come true."

Many reports say that Stevenson has a Chris Pronger style of play, but he's no goon.  With the size and strength perfect for a defensive defenseman, the speed of a power forward, and the work ethic of a seasoned captain, Stevenson is a coach's dream.  His coach in La Ronge, Bob Beatty, was delighted but not surprised by the signing:

"There's so much potential there.  He's such a good character kid. We know he's going to put in the effort to get better and obviously Washington feels the same way."

Stevenson is also on Bruce Boudreau's radar after an impressive development camp showing.  Stevenson was one of the players that Boudreau singled out in his "all-camp team."  Since Stevenson will not be able to return to the SJHL and will not be attending St. Lawrence due to the fact that he's signed a pro contract, I'd expect him to join the South Carolina Stingrays next season.  A little more pro experience is needed for this self-proclaimed "late bloomer," but he's well on his way to becoming a great addition to an NHL blue line.

The Case for Willie Mitchell

 photo by Getty Images

GMGM has remained vague about signing any more free agents, saying that the Caps were done but not sounding definitive while saying it.  With Willie Mitchell visiting the Capitals and Kettler Capitals Iceplex this week and having "a very good meeting," could Mitchell be the ace up McPhee's sleeve?

A related question could be: Do the Caps really need Mitchell?  In a word, yes.  One of the persistent issues with the Capitals roster has been the lack of defensive defensemen - the "stay at home" guys who aren't afraid to make the tough hits and are valuable on the penalty kill.  The Caps lost perhaps their only good stay at home defensemen when free agent Shaone Morrisonn (who last year trailed only Alex Ovechkin for the team high in hits) signed with Buffalo.  

The Caps are gaining John Carlson and Karl Alzner,  but both are rookies who lack the experience of a seasoned blue-liner.  Jeff Schultz has stepped up his defensive play in recent years, leading the league in +/- last year, leading the team in blocked shots (129), and improving his hit count with 66 last year.  However, for some perspective, John Erskine bested Schultz in hit total (by over 40 hits) while playing 30 fewer games.

While Willie Mitchell, 33, missed almost half of last season with post-concussion syndrome (thanks to a hit by Evgeni Malkin), his 2008-09 stats show a definite knack for defense.  In that season, he had 82 hits (one per game) and blocked 125 shots.  He was fourth on the Canucks in takeaways with 39.  He also led the team in +/-, finishing up the season with a career-high +29.  Mitchell was awarded the Canucks' trophy, the Babe Pratt Trophy, for best defenseman on the team in 2008 and 2009.

With Kevin Bieksa, Mitchell has been a one half of arguably the best defensive pairing on the Canucks - Bieksa's offensive mindset complements Mitchell's strong defense and long reach (Mitchell uses a stick at the league-maximum of 63 inches).  I'd love the idea of a top defensive line of Mike Green and Willie Mitchell - Green would be a little more free to explore his offensive side without too much worry over the blue line going unprotected.

Only time will tell who Mitchell decides to sign with - Los Angeles and San Jose are in the signing mix with the Caps.  The Canucks haven't been ruled out either; re-signing Mitchell may be an option for them.  But Caps fans are pushing for McPhee to sign someone of Mitchell's physical presence.  The Caps have a decent amount of room under the salary cap.  And it's undeniable that the Caps could use him.

Mitchell is expected to make his decision by the end of the week.
UPDATE 8/25/10 - Willie Mitchell has signed a 2-year contract with the LA Kings.