The Capitals’ off-season blueprint remains unchanged. That means no lavish spending is planned for free agency. That means another season preaching patience — and extolling the joys of Alex Ovechkin.
That also means tonight’s draft takes on greater importance.
The Capitals have the fourth overall pick, where they should be able to fill a need at center, while not veering from their desire to take the best player.
“They can’t miss on this one,” OLN hockey analyst Bill Clement said. “They have to get a really good player. They still have to grow from within. By the time Alex is 25, the Caps should have two, three, four really good homegrown players around him. They’re not even in the organization yet.”
The Capitals also have the 23rd pick in the first round. Their biggest need remains a center, but it’s unlikely they’ll find someone who can help immediately.
“It’s hard to draft for need in hockey because most playerstake a long time to develop,” Capitals General Manager George McPhee said, “and you can’t fill that need that you have right [now].”
And there’s no set description for a center they’d like to eventually pair with Ovechkin; they’re also happy with Danius Zubrus.
“We could find someone we think is ideal, but the chemistry may not be there,” McPhee said. “If you get strong at one position, you can move guys around to fill other holes.”
Among the prospects:
» Phil Kessel. The University of Minnesota center led all freshman in scoring with 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists). Hockey Future’s magazine called Kessel a “marvel to watch” because of his moves and instincts. He’s ranked fifth by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service.
» Jordan Staal. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Staal played for Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League. His older brother, Eric, plays for Stanley Cup champion Carolina; another brother, Marc, plays in the New York Rangers organization. A fourth brother is a promising junior player. Jordan Staal had 28 goals and 40 assists in 68 games, adding another 10 goals and six assists in 19 playoff games. Hockey Future says of Staal, “he has the potential to be a dominant power forward.” He’s ranked second by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service.
» Jonathan Toews. He’s ranked third by the Central Scouting Service. The North Dakota freshman forward had 39 points in 42 games (22 goals, 17 assists). He also helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2006 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships this past winter, with two assists.
Courting new Caps
»The Capitals have 11 picks in today’s NHL Draft, including five in the first two rounds (two in the first and three in the second).
» From 2002-06, the Capitals have had 11 first-round picks — four more than any other team.
» Thedraft, held in Vancouver, begins at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised on OLN.
