With the playoffs on the doorstep and the Capitals pushing for their chance at back-to-back cups, there has been plenty of movement with both Jonas Siegenthaler and Nathan Walker being recently recalled to the Capitals lineup from Hershey. From the prospects perspective, the Capitals have been keen to bolster their defensive stocks. With defensive prospect Chase Priskie opting to wait to become a free agent come August, the Capitals swooped to sign collegiate Notre Dame defenceman Bobby Nardella to a two-year entry level contact.
The son of Nardella (an international and Olympic player for Italy and AHL player for the Chicago Wolves), the 22-year old prospect from Rosemont Illinois has spent the last four seasons with the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame, playing 147 games and recording 103 points in his time at collegiate level.
After spending his early playing days in Chicago junior and bantam level teams between 2009 and 2011, Nardella was drafted at 8th overall in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft. He played 52 games with the Sioux City Musketeers in the 2013-14 USHL season before joining the Tri-City Storm for 2014-15 where he tallied 42 points in 56 games for the Storm. The same year he was named to the USHL Second All Star Team.
2014 proved a prosperous year for Nardellas as he lined up for Team USA at the 2014-15 World Junior Challenge in Saskatchewan at which the squad claimed the gold medal.
Nardella joined Notre Dame in 2015, recording 4 goals and 20 assists in his first season with the Fighting Irish. He was named to the NCAA (East) All-Star Rookie Team as well as being awarded the NCAA’s Rookie of the Year in his Freshman season for Notre Dame.
The last two seasons has seen Nardella part of the NCAA (B1G) Championship squads with Notre Dame and the defenceman has notched up some significant individual achievements, being identified as a Hobey Baker Award nominee (awarded to the top National Collegiate Player) this season as well as being named in the 2018-19 NCAA (B1G) First All Star Team.
Nardella signed a two year entry level contract with the Capitals on the 5th April and will most likely report to Hershey in the short term to join fellow recent Capitals prospect and signee Joe Snively.
Nardella was present at the Capitals recent game against the Canadiens meeting with Todd Reirden post game and is set to be an exciting addition to the Capitals system.
