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2013 Summer Camp: Boyd to Djoos

André Burakovsky is a happy Swede on Day 2 of development camp. Photo by M. Richter.

Each summer, the Capitals bring potential to the Washington D.C. area. While bigger names sprinkle the development camp rosters,  there are many that the average fan doesn’t know or might need a refresher on.

For your mid-summer hockey fix, here are some quick facts about the prospects skating this year at Kettler.

In this round of development camp alphabet soup, there are less than six degrees of separation.

Travis Boyd (#53)

Age: 19

Hometown: Hopkins, Minn.

Position: Forward

Acquired, how?: Drafted 177th overall in the 2011 NHL draft

How you know him:

From last year, and the year before that.

Boyd enters his third development camp with the Capitals after being the youngest 2011 attendee and youngest pick in the 2011 NHL draft. Since then, he has steadily been improving his lot with the Minnesota Gophers. While he had only one goal in his first year on campus, it came during a NCAA West Regional championship game in Saint Paul, Minn. The Gophers would fall in the Frozen Four semifinals to eventual champions, Boston College. After amassing 14 points in his sophomore season (3g, 11a), Boyd and his teammates aim to improve on Minnesota’s first round exit from this year’s NCAA tournament.

Fun fact: Fellow prospect Nate Schmidt was also a fellow Gopher for the first two years of Boyd’s college career.

Andre Burakovsky making his mark at Kettler Iceplex. Photo by M. Richter.
Andre Burakovsky making his mark at Kettler Iceplex. Photo by M. Richter.

André Burakovsky (#65)

Age: 18

Birthplace: Klagefurt, Austria

Position: Left Wing

Acquired, how?: Drafted 23rd overall in the 2013 NHL draft

How you know him:

That Austrian/Swedish guy from June 30.

Burakovsky debuted this year with Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan Malmö Redhawks. Though his first season resulted in only 11 points (4g, 7a) through 43 games, the Austrian-born winger produced better stats on the international stage. Team Sweden didn’t earn a medal in this year’s U18 World Junior Championship (thanks to a 4-0 quarterfinal shutout by the Americans), but don’t blame Burakovsky. In five games, he accumulated five points, leading his team in goals (4) and tying Lucas Wallmark for the Swedish team’s scoring lead.

Fun fact: Never had macaroni and cheese before meeting Tom Wilson.

Connor Carrick (#58)

Age: 19

Hometown: Orland Park, Ill.

Position: Defenseman, shoots right

Acquired, how?: Drafted 137th overall in the 2012 NHL draft

How you know him:

Via Tom Wilson.

Carrick was named an alternate captain for the Plymouth Whalers in his first season with team, helping lead them to first place in the OHL’s West Division and second in the Western Conference, just behind the London Knights. Though the Whalers would fall to Dale Hunter‘s team in the Western Conference final, Carrick put up impressive numbers. Through 68 games, he collected 12 goals–most among the team’s defense–and was second in Plymouth’s defense scoring with 44 points. But the five-foot-11 Illinois native brought his best game in the playoffs. At the end of the Whalers run, he was third in overall team scoring (2g, 16a, 18pts) and topped the roster with a plus-18 through 15 games.

When all was said and done in the OHL, Carrick led the pack of playoff blue-line scorers and was 16th in overall points.

After Plymouth’s elimination, Carrick signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Hershey Bears who were bounced from their own playoffs eight days later.

Fun fact: Despite choosing the Whalers over a spot on the Michigan Wolverines roster, Carrick is working to complete a degree at the university.

Christian Djoos (#73)

Age: 18

Hometown: Göteborg, Sweden

Position: Forward

Acquired, how?: Drafted 197th overall in the 2012 NHL draft

How you know him:

Fellow prospect Riley Barber might recognize Djoos from their time in Russia. The latter was part of the Swedish team that passed their 2012 gold standing to the Americans in this year’s World Junior Championships.

Djoos, who is also on the roster of the Swedish Hockey League’s Brynäs IF, played with current Nashville center, Filip Forsberg. The defenseman provided depth for Team Sweden on the lower end of their defensive pairings, collecting three assists in six games–totaling nine points (2g, 7a) counting exhibition games. Back with Brynäs, Djoos ended the season with eight points (2g, 6a).

Fun fact:

 

Taylor Lewis

Taylor is a journalism student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Though she's covered everything from art to politics, her passion is hockey. Through her work with Capitals Outsider, Taylor has been in the locker rooms of the Washington Capitals and Reading Royals. The Maryland native also contributes to College Hockey News and started an arts and literature publication, The Writers' Bloc, on the College Park campus. A top-five finalist for The Goalie Guild's inaugural Redfield Internship Program, Taylor also enjoys writing creatively. Some of her poems have been published online and in addition to a book about hockey, she is in the process of writing a novel.

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