Capitals build through the draft

Given the economics of the NHL, a scouting staff needs to find the next Alex Ovechkin because paying for those elite skills in the free agent market is both risky and expensive. Even trades require giving up assets. Only the NHL Entry Draft effectively pairs young talent and limited financial risk.

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis learned that lesson the hard way after the disastrous acquisition of star forward Jaromir Jagr in 2001. Eventually signed to a crippling seven-year, $77 million contract, Jagr proved incapable of leading an aging, limited roster. By the time the two sides cut ties during the 2003-04 season, Washington had nothing to show from the Jagr era except one Stanley Cup playoff appearance and a first-round loss.

So Leonsis directed general manager George McPhee to rebuild a barren roster using the NHL draft as the primary tool. And no team over the last decade has been more effective at that task.

Ross Mahoney, the organization’s director of amateur scouting, runs Washington’s drafts. Last season 12 Caps draft picks appeared in at least 35 games and 15 played in nine games or more. That’s out of 32 players used in 2010-11, including minor league call-ups and late-season trade acquisitions. All 15 of those in-house players were drafted between 2002 and 2009.

“I love the challenge of it,” said Mahoney, who himself saw 225 games in person over the last 12 months. “You’re an amateur scout so you’ve got to love being in the rinks and going to the games. But this is the exciting part. We’ve watched all these players, we’ve made our list. Who are we going to get?”

The scouting is a year-round endeavor now. Mahoney’s staff begins its work during the first week in July when the United States holds an evaluation camp in Rochester, N.Y., for 160 players. Canada hosts its own camp for top prospects in early August. From there are a handful of tournaments in Europe, where the Caps employ four scouts. By the end of summer, preparations begin to scout the three big junior hockey leagues in Canada — the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. That’s where the majority of elite teenage prospects in North America ply their trade. But there are also smaller junior leagues in the United States and, of course, NCAA hockey.

Washington’s top executives, including McPhee, will get a look at players in top international events, including the prestigious World Juniors tournament held every December and January, and again at the NHL Draft Combine in Toronto in May, where teams conduct fitness tests and interviews.

“It’s an entire year of work that comes down to a day-and-a-half,” Mahoney said.

Mahoney is based in Regina, Saskatchewan and his six North American scouts are regionally based from western Canada to the eastern United States. Mahoney and company fly into Washington several times a year for face-to-face meetings with the rest of the front office. They’ll also meet out on the road when possible and exchange plenty of phone calls, emails and texts throughout the year. By early June, the heavy lifting is done. But that communication network is critical. And having a stable staff — Mahoney has held his post for 13 years — helps when reviewing past successes and failures.

“We can go back in terms of accountability for all the scouts and pinpoint who was pushing for this and that and know exactly who delivered and how,” McPhee said. “That continuity is important. We have kept the same staff for a long time. While we change the way we do some things, the people haven’t changed. But the results have been terrific.”

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