Focus on Prospects: Travis Boyd

photo by Dan Hickling

Name: Travis Boyd

Position: LW

Shoots: Left

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 185 lbs

Birthdate: 1993-09-14

Hometown: Hopkins, MN

With their sixth round selection (177th), the Washington Capitals selected Travis Boyd of the U.S. National Development Team Program (NDTP). In 60 games this past season with USA, he scored 13 goals and 25 assists for a total of 38 points. His discipline is beyond compare with just 16 PIMs in those 60 games. He also participated in April's IIHF U18 tournament, with six points in six games, earning a gold medal with the USA team. 

Boyd is committed to attending the University of Minnesota beginning next year.

Boyd began drawing buzz as an 8th grader playing on his high school's hockey team in Hopkins, Minnesota. After leading his team in scoring with 46 points his first year, he was invited to join the U.S. NTDP. He couldn't turn down the invitation, considering the opportunity to play for his country the chance of a lifetime.

In post-selection interviews, Boyd compared himself to Claude Giroux. Scouting reports wouldn't disagree, saying he's a "shifty player that has great hands and a keen ability to read the play in front of him." While he doesn't have a very heavy shot, it is accurate. He has good vision, great playmaking ability, and is a skilled passer.

He showed off those exact talents in one game during the U18 tournament, an 8-1 USA win over Slovakia. Boyd scored a shorthanded goal during the game, and one observer marveled at the play that led to it.

Travis Boyd’s shorthanded tally was a thing of beauty. He out-raced a defenseman to the puck in the Slovakian zone, out-muscled said defender, put the puck to his backhand, and with one hand on his stick let it glide right into the net. It was a great goal and that was probably the straw that broke the Slovakian camel’s back.

As he prepares to head to Minnesota, Boyd says his main focus is getting stronger and faster. One weakness scouts see is his skating. While he does have maneuverability on the ice, his speed could use some work. He needs to put some weight on his relatively small frame, and he plans to work on skating with training coaches to improve his speed. 

Minnesota coach Don Lucia agrees with Boyd's conditioning plans. "He can play on the power play on the half wall and can kill penalties," Lucia says. "I think as he adds strength that he will be able to play in any situation that we have going into the next few years."

When his name was called on Saturday, Boyd was thrown for a loop. "I didn't really expect Washington, I never talked to them." Not that he's not happy to come to DC and be a part of the Capitals organization. "It's awesome because Washington's a great place, good team, I'm happy to go there."

Focus on Prospects: Patrick Koudys

photo by Sara Melikian/RPI

Name: Patrick Koudys

Position: D

Shoots: Left

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 210 lbs

Birthdate: 1992-11-15

Hometown: Smithville, ON

With their fifth round pick at 147th, the Washington Capitals selected Patrick Koudys, a defenseman currently studying civil engineering and playing hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in the ECAC of Division I college hockey. RPI has produced NHL talent such as Adam Oates and Joe Juneau (incidentally, both former Capitals).

Koudys just completed his freshman year at RPI, scoring one goal and two assists in 31 games as an Engineer. Prior to his freshman year, Inside College Hockey (INCH) named him 11th on their Top 20 list of Incoming Freshman Defensemen.

He compares his game to that of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who actually has a very similar background to Koudys. "He is from Smithville right now, even though he was originally from Grimsby," Koudys says of Bieksa. "He went to Blessed Trinity like I did. He played Junior A in Burlington, and was drafted to the [OHL] and went to school - so was I."

He plays like Bieksa as well, considering himself a "solid two-way defenseman." He points to his vision as being an asset, saying, "I can read the play well and see the game, overall, pretty well." Earlier this June, he spoke with NHL.com about his flexibility as a player. "If a team needs a defensive-defenseman, I'm that guy," he says. "An offensive guy, physical presence or a fighter … I can do that, too."

At 6'4" and 210 lbs, he's nearly at NHL-ready size. "I think my size is a big thing, too," Koudys says. "Not too many guys are as big as I am right now, and I see myself filling in lots this summer, and a lot more over the next couple of years before I make my big push for the NHL."

Father Jim, also a defenseman, was drafted by the New York Islanders with the very last pick of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, 252nd, in the 12th round. He honed his skills with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL for three seasons. Though he never played an NHL game, he spent several seasons in the AHL and IHL. 

Patrick says his father actually inspired him to go the college route instead of going straight from the CHL to professional hockey as his father did. After getting picked by the Oshawa Generals in the 7th round of the 2009 OHL Draft, RPI offered him a scholarship, and Koudys accepted the chance to get an education and play college hockey. "It was a no-brainer for me," Koudys says of his decision. Koudys points out that if professional hockey doesn't work out for him, he'll have a degree to fall back on.

However, after invites to last summer's NHL Research, Development, and Orientation camp as well as the recent NHL combine, scouts clearly see talent and he should enjoy some sort of professional career. Ranked 76th among North American skaters in the Central Scouting Services (CSS) final rankings, CSS scouts see Koudys as a player who can and will improve as he continues to develop with RPI's program. 

"He has really good upside, a really strong skater, good defensively," says CSS scout Gary Eggleston. "He was a little bit restrained offensively, but I think he can still go with the puck and contribute to the offense. He's a pretty physical kid, strong in the corners and capable of moving to the puck quickly. He played with a lot of poise for a freshman."

It was at this month's combine that Koudys first met with the Washington Capitals and spoke with management. He felt his interview went well, and was happy to hear his name called by the Capitals on the second day of this weekend's draft. 

In an interview with the media after his selection, Koudys expressed his excitement, saying, "They're obviously a great organization and really excited that I got drafted there."

Focus on Prospects: Steffen Søberg

 photo from Manglerud Star team website

Name: Steffen Søberg

Position: G

Catches: Left

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 176 lbs

Birthdate: 1993-08-06

Hometown: Oslo, Norway

After trading their first round pick for Troy Brouwer, the Capitals first available draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft was 117th, in the fourth round. With it, the team surprised analysts and fans by selecting a sleeper, Norwegian goaltender Steffen Søberg of the Manglerud Stars.

Some were quick to judge the pick, considering Søberg's statistics from last season with the Stars. A 4.17 GAA and .884 save percentage in 27 games doesn't inspire much confidence, but his Norwegian league team performance is not why the Capitals drafted him.

Søberg made a name for himself in Norway after showings in the World Junior Championships (U20) in December 2010/January 2011, then the IIHF U18 tournament in April 2011.

Søberg made his first international tournament appearance in the 2011 World Juniors. Taking place several months before U18, Søberg was not the starting goaltender, and played less than half of Norway's goaltending minutes. But in the time he did see on the ice, he posted a .913 save percentage and a 3.57 GAA.

It was the later tournament (U18) in which Søberg particularly made his presence known to International Scouting Services scouts. Søberg played behind a weak Norway team, and the team won just one game in the tournament.

Despite that, Søberg had the second-best statistics of any goaltender in the tournament, with a .930 save percentage and a 3.90 GAA. He alone kept Norway from being blown out every game.

ISS Head Scout Ross MacLean noted that he was extremely impressed by Søberg at the U18 tournament. Norway was considered an effective team, and MacLean says that fact was "99% due to the play of Søberg," who he thought was "without a doubt the most impressive goaltender in the tournament so far."

ISS also spoke to Hockey's Future about Søberg's U18 play, calling it "simply astounding." His high GAA could be accounted for by how many shots he faced - Søberg made 295 saves on 317 shots in just six games, including a 5-0 loss to Canada in which he made 58 saves on a tournament-high 63 shots.

ISS spoke of Søberg's composure in the crease, saying that he made saving so many shots look easy. "Few U18 goaltenders have ever shown the poise displayed by Søberg during this tournament and with the other top goaltending prospects faltering a bit, the excitement around Søberg could go a long way come draft day."

Just a month after the tournament, ISS named Søberg the top European goaltending prospect in their May ranking. He was also named Rookie of the Year by his Norwegian league.

Kyle Woodlief of Red Line Report spoke of Søberg in a column he wrote for USA Today. A Google translation of a Swedish article on Søberg quotes Woodlief as saying, "Søberg stood on his head and made hundreds of incredible saves that allowed Norway to keep themselves alive in almost every game."

The Hockey News too took notice as the draft approached, calling Søberg one of the draft's "dark horses."

Now a Washington Capitals prospect, goaltending coach Dave Prior indicated that, hopefully, Søberg will play in the CHL next year. The CHL Import Draft takes place in just a few days (June 29), and if all goes according to plan, Søberg will be selected and play for a CHL team next season.

Michael Neuvirth took a similar path, developing for three years in the OHL before landing with Capitals ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, and working his way up to the NHL.

Søberg is expected to attend the Capitals' development camp, beginning July 11.

It's Over

My sentiment in the last minute of Game 4:

"I hate loving this team."

Now that I've taken some time to grieve and let the loss really sink in, I'm still not really certain how I feel. A couple of emotions are circling in my head. Disappointment. Anger. Frustration. Disgust.
 

And yet, oddly, I'm hopeful.

This has been one of the most irritating, and yet successful regular seasons that I have seen from the Caps. They went through a vastly-publicized (thanks, HBO) eight-game losing streak, and still managed to pull off the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Even the best moments come in losses. Remember Alex Ovechkin up-ending PK Subban on February 1? The Capitals lost that game in a shootout. Marcus Johansson's first NHL goal against the Bruins? A 3-1 loss in October.

There will be some changes to the roster this summer - several long-time Caps will be UFAs, and the Caps cannot afford to keep all of them. The team will have a very different face. It will be difficult to say goodbye to some fan favorites, but it's obvious that changes have to be made.

Despite everything, I remain optimistic. George McPhee is one of the smartest drafters in the league, and I would expect some prospects will move into the roster. As well, McPhee will pick up more quality prospects at next month's draft.

As a fan of most Chicago sports teams (in particular the Chicago Cubs), I'm quite familiar with the phrase "There's always next year." I know many fans eschew that phrase, but Stanley Cup wins don't happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of work to achieve such a feat. The Capitals will win a Stanley Cup. It's just impossible to know when. It's frustrating to wait, yes, but it will happen.

Until then, have patience and have faith. Being a sports fan isn't always easy, but that's why we are fans. We face a lot of heartbreak, but just think: when the Caps do win the Stanley Cup, it will be that much sweeter knowing the struggles of the past.

 

 

 

Thank you for all the support this year. I'll continue to do Prospect posts this summer, and I plan to continue writing for The Fourth Period next season, beginning with development camp in just a few months. I appreciate everyone who reads my blog, shares it on Twitter, everything. The support means the world.

Perspective on the Eve of a Caps OT Loss

I was disappointed at 10:00 last night.

I went over to California Tortilla to drown my sorrows in a burrito. The place was crowded, and I had to sit at a table with several other people. I'd been chatting a bit with the couple sitting next to me about the game. I was reading Twitter on my phone, and suddenly stopped. "Oh my God," I said. The girl next to me asked, "What?" "Osama bin Laden is dead," I replied. "Oh my God," she said, and the guy she was with suggested they hurry over to his place to turn on the TV.

On the Metro, everyone was abuzz about the news. We were sharing information we were reading on our phones with others. I broke the news to at least one man sitting near me.

Once I got home, President Obama had still not come to the microphone. I turned on the TV and eagerly awaited the news.

After Obama's address, CNN was showing GW students running to the White House to celebrate in front of the gates. Twitter followers who live far from DC urged me to go. I hopped in a cab, wearing my John Carlson shirt, and made my way down.

 
I was immediately struck by how many people were there. Despite the sheer number of people, everything was very peaceful, and everyone was just celebrating the news. People were sitting in the trees outside the gates, and scaling light posts to hang American flags at the top. One person brought sparklers, and several people waved them happily in the crowd. People broke out in spontaneous rounds of "God Bless America," and the "U-S-A!" chant was steady throughout the night.

One man was standing solemnly in the crowd, holding a photo of a man in the military and a folded flag. After a reporter went up to him to ask him about the photo, he said that the photo was of his son, who was killed in Afghanistan.

 
There were many servicemen wandering through the crowd, some in dress, some in fatigues. There was an older veteran holding a sign offering free military haircuts.

 

I stayed for a few hours, but it was past 3am and I was exhausted. I uploaded my photos to flickr, and posted several videos to twitvid (http://www.twitvid.com/ZMWVH http://www.twitvid.com/HUJB9 http://www.twitvid.com/EXDDH http://www.twitvid.com/G5H92). What a day for America.

Capitals Hockey from an Outsider's View

As many of you know, I didn't grow up a hockey fan. Growing up in suburban Chicago, Blackhawks games weren't broadcast on TV thanks to the beliefs of Bill Wirtz.

My mother, who still lives in my hometown of Barrington, Illinois, is of course acutely aware of my obsession with the Capitals, and she comes to visit DC a fair amount to see me. A few months ago, she mentioned that she wanted to go to a Capitals game with me when she was next in DC. That moment came this past weekend.

My mother's a fifth grade teacher, and her spring break was last week. Since I was in Canada the first weekend of her spring break, she chose the second weekend of the break to visit me. It happened to be the weekend of the Capitals' Fan Appreciation night against Buffalo on Saturday. I managed to buy great tickets at an ungouged cost thanks to a season ticket holder friend (thanks Addison).

The day of the game, I went to cover Capitals practice since I can only go on the weekends to act as media at Kettler. I took my mom with me so she could see a typical Caps practice and also so that we could go to the Team Store to outfit her before the game that evening. It was after practice that my mom revealed to me that the first (and last) time she had been to an NHL game was a Blackhawks game in (approximately) 1979.

My mom's definitely never watched much Capitals hockey, and basically knows Ovechkin and whatever other players I've babbled on about to her or players whose jerseys I've requested for Christmas (my first ever Caps jersey I got for Christmas in 2008, and I got my Mike Knuble Winter Classic jersey for Christmas last year). She knows the names of most of the Blackhawks thanks to more recent news coverage in Chicago. But that's basically her extent of the hockey world.

It occurred to me that she was attending this game as a total outsider - as what all of us start as. My first Caps game was so long ago that I don't really remember what my feelings were, only that I fell in love with the team.

We got to the Verizon Center, found our seats, and I explained to my mom the significance of Bill McCreary's retirement that evening and how most Caps fans felt about him. I guided her through the pre-game rituals: made sure she knew the puck-in-play rule, pay careful attention to the awesome opening video, stand when the team comes out, and remain standing because the National Anthem comes right after.

My mom seemed fascinated the whole game. She got increasingly into it, slapping her knee with a groan when Alex Ovechkin had a shot saved by Jhonas Enroth. Holding me back (literally) when I got into an expletive-filled screaming match with the obnoxious Sabres fans down our row (oops). She was amused by my participation in Unleashing the Fury, and told me that she thought it was a fantastic video montage.

When Ovechkin got the overtime game-winner, she actually cheered! She then said she loved the Ovechkin victory dance, and thought it was very classy of him to go and shake Bill McCreary's hand after the game (something I didn't even notice). We then watched the Jerseys Off Their Backs portion post-game, and my mom only said good things about the conduct of the players. It couldn't have been a better game to be her first.

I'd forgotten what it's like to be a hockey outsider at a Capitals game, but I'm fairly confident that she became a convert. Yesterday she emailed me to let me know that she wore her Kettler purchase, a Capitals track jacket, to school and was Rocking the Red in her classroom in Cary, Illinois.

We all were new to hockey at some point, and I can only hope that I made my mother into at least a casual Capitals fan - and not just because her daughter is a fan.

Canada Trip Leg Two: Montreal

Hello from Montreal! After arriving on the train, host, Habs fan, and awesome blogger Amanda picked me up to head to her place. After dropping off my luggage and picking up our gamewear, we wandered down Ste-Catherine for a while, checking out the shops and battling the pedestrian traffic. We then stopped to have a nice Thai dinner and brought our own wine, but were expecting three people, not just the two of us (the famous Julie had a previous engagement go long) and so we had two bottles of wine with us. We had to bite the bullet and down the both of them ourselves. So, needless to say, we were more inebriated than we'd planned before the game.

The restaurant was only about two blocks from Centre Bell, so we walked over for the game. I had plenty of fans cajoling me on my choice of attire (a Mike Knuble Winter Classic jersey), but none in a harmful or personal way. Most of the comments were a good-natured "hey, you're wearing the wrong jersey" which of course wasn't too much of an issue for me.

 

Centre Bell is lovely, however the concourses are quite narrow, which is only a problem during intermissions when it feels like a human cattle drive. We were seated in the very last row, but at center ice. The press box is suspended over the upper sections so there was sometimes an issue seeing the top of the jumbotron from our seats, but again, as we were in the last row, there was no one to complain about us leaning forward. Or standing up and dancing to the arena DJ like idiots.

As to the game, it was like seeing a different team from the previous night. I was happy to see Marco Sturm get his first goal as a Cap, and I'm probably one of the few fans who can say they've seen Braden Holtby's first and second NHL shutouts in person. Holtby was outstanding. He still makes some rookie mistakes, but he's gotten a lot better about minimizing his mistakes and absolutely robbed some Canadiens. Oh, and, Bell Centre Holtby Shuffle.

the menu at the Habs tweetup, with each special named after a player

After the great game, we went to the Habs tweetup, where people had been gathered to watch the game. I met some tweeps I know, and some I didn't, and then we ventured off to another nearby bar. Lo and behold, Kirk Muller was at the bar in a back room. I got to shake his hand, and then later on I was standing talking to someone, and Muller rubbed my shoulders to get by me. I about died.

So, in general, Saturday was much better than Friday. But I've had a great time on my trip, and I'm sad to be leaving Montreal tomorrow to head back Stateside. But I'm glad that the Caps were able to redeem themselves for my trip!