Prospects

Caps Prospect Roundup: And Then There Were Three

Since the last roundup, three more prospects have seen their seasons come to an end. However, for another Caps prospect, his year doesn’t end with the WHL playoffs. Let’s get to it.

Connor HobbsCONNOR HOBBS: Defenseman (#44) for the Regina Pats of the WHL; drafted fifth round, 143th overall in 2015

Hobbs kept his best game for last in this series against fellow Caps prospect Beck Malenstyn. Not only did Hobbs continue his trend of scoring two assists in every game this series, he threw a goal on there for good measure. Way to show off, kid. Hobbs now has nine points in four games, which seems about on par with how his regular season went. We’ll see if he can keep it up when Regina takes on Swift Current in the second round. That series begins April 6.

Click here for highlights from Thursday’s 5-1 win over Calgary.

Lucas JohansenLUCAS JOHANSEN: Defenseman (#7) for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL; drafted first round, 28th overall in 2016

After a rallying effort by Kamloops on Friday with a 4-1 win to push the series to six games, Kelowna finally got the better of the Blazers — and Johansen’s fellow Caps prospect Garrett Pilon — 4-2 Sunday. Johansen maintained a pretty quiet series, staying off the scoresheet after his lone assist in Game 1. However, he was a plus-3 in Sunday’s game, so that sets the tone for good things to come.

Highlights from Sunday’s game:

Beck MalenstynBECK MALENSTYN: Center (#11) for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL; drafted fifth round, 145th overall in 2016

Well, by now you know how Malenstyn’s season ended. Very, er, not pretty. Malenstyn failed to record a point all series. However, when one door closes another one opens. There’s always a silver lining. Etc. The Hershey Bears announced Tuesday they signed Malenstyn to an amateur tryout agreement.  The Bears are currently sitting one point out of the playoffs, so with any luck, Malenstyn will find his scoring touch again. He finished his WHL season with 56 points in 74 total games (including playoffs), and was second on the team in points and goals during the regular season. Best of luck, kid.

Garrett PilonGARRETT PILON: Center (#41) for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL; drafted third round, 87th overall in 2016

Kamloops just didn’t have enough to hold off Kelowna this series, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from Pilon. In Friday’s 4-1 win, he notched both a goal and an assist on the way to victory. He also recorded an assist in Sunday’s loss. While the end of his WHL season is likely a disappointment, Pilon is also poised to join Hershey in its quest for a playoff spot. With 69 points (21 goals and 48 assists) in 73 games this season, a little extra scoring oomph couldn’t hurt Hershey. Here’s hoping he can help the Bears and pursue another championship this season.

Click here for highlights from Friday’s game (Pilon scores at 0:50).

Dmitri ZaitsevDMITRI ZAITSEV: Defenseman (#95) for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL; drafted seventh round, 207th overall in 2016

Moose Jaw put up quite the fight in the first round. In a mostly even series, the Warriors fell to Swift Current 2-1 on Friday, but were able to come back 3-2 Saturday to force a Game 7. However, if you read the title of this post, and you’ve been keeping count, then you already know how this series ends. The Broncos got the best of the Warriors 3-2 Monday, and so ends Zaitsev’s season. So far, neither the Caps or Bears have signed him to a deal, but at 18 years old, that’s not overly surprising. Zaitsev finished the season with 20 points (two goals and 19 assists) in 77 total games this season. He was a plus-19 during the regular season, but a minus-6 during the playoffs.

Highlights from Friday’s game:

Highlights from Saturday’s game:

Highlights from Monday’s game:

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