The Capitals wrapped development camp on Friday with the kind of finish that usually brings out the best in young players: a 3-on-3 tournament for the team’s Caps Cup.
The prospects were split into four groups in Arlington, V.A., and the day quickly turned into a showcase for a handful of names who stood out over the week. Brett Hyland, Cam Allen, Joaquim Lemay and Lynden Lakovic were the captains, though all but Hyland were watching from the bench as they recover from various injuries.
Hyland’s red group set the tone. His team controlled the action, and Hyland was right in the middle of it with the kind of assertive play that has been building as he adds strength and keeps working on his skating and battle. He was hard in puck battles, opened up room for teammates and finished with several quality goals in a run that ended with his team on top.
Petr Sikora was just as noticeable. He kept showing the same traits that have made him such an intriguing prospect: quick feet, a relentless forecheck, physical edge and a willingness to drive the net. He wanted the puck, he wanted space, and he wasn’t shy about mixing it up, either, including a scrap of sorts with Will Gilson in the final.
Maxim Schäfer also made his presence felt for red. After his first season in North America in the QMJHL, he flashed speed, vision and stickhandling while scoring a couple of goals.
Jackson Crowder was the driving force for his side with Lakovic sidelined. He scored the shootout goal that pushed orange into the final, then backed it up with a strong all-around showing built on his shot, his awareness and his physical play. He finished checks when the chance was there, won battles and looked like a reliable two-way piece.
"That stuff's fun," Jackson grinned, adding, "I worked really hard and got bigger, stronger, faster."
There were plenty of other encouraging performances sprinkled through the tournament. Oliver Suvanto showed a real edge in the corners and made quick decisions with the puck, while his skating appeared to take a clear step forward during the week.
Tyus Sparks had his trademark shot working, and he and Terik Parascak found some chemistry by setting each other up for a couple of chances.
In goal, Nick Kempf and Antoine Keller both turned in strong outings, making big saves in tight, playing aggressively and shutting down multiple looks. Free agent invites Arvin Jaswal and AJ Reyelts also made their mark.
Another invite who stood out was Aiden VanRooyan, who scored a nifty goal and showed quick hands, speed and grit.
The teams were set up like this:
Team Red: Brett Hyland, Petr Sikora, Maxim Schäfer, Miroslav Satan Jr., Ty Higgins, AJ Reyelts
Team White: Cam Allen, Terik Parascak, Tyus Sparks, Gavin Lesiuk, Aiden VanRooyan, Antoine Keller
Team Navy: Joaquim Lemay, Jake Sondreal, Oliver Suvanto, Aron Dahlqvist, Brian McFadden, Arvin Jaswal
Team Orange: Lynden Lakovic, Jackson Crowder, Logan Stuart, Will Gilson, Zack Bleick, Nick Kempf
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