Washington Capitals End Of Season Prospect Report (Right Wingers)

By Jeff Charlesworth

Another day, another group of players to be picked apart. This time we will look at the right
wingers in the Capitals organization as we try to determine what the future holds for the Caps.

RIGHT WINGERS

Matthew Herr – Portland Pirates (AHL)

Matt spent the entire season in Portland after shuffling back and forth between the NHL and AHL
in his rookie year. He had a good offensive year -scoring 22 goals – but more importantly, he
had the time to work on rounding out his game. He will be given the opportunity to win a job in
training camp next year, and should be able to secure a third or fourth line winger spot. Matt
is an RFA this summer, but because of his limited NHL experience, he won’t get many significant
offers. 


               GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Portland (AHL) 77 22 21 43  51  12
AHL PLAYOFFS    4  1  1  2   4  -4

Roman Tvrdon – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Roman is quite possibly the biggest surprise of the season among the Capitals’ prospects. He
was a complete unknown on draft day and was assigned to Spokane to start the year. Not only did
he play outstanding two-way hockey, but he won the WHL rookie scoring race. His success is
carrying into the post-season as the Chiefs have made it to the WHL finals. Depending on the
direction the Capitals take in the off-season, Roman could get a chance to compete for a NHL job
in training camp. 

              GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Spokane (WHL) 69 26 44 70  40  18
WHL PLAYOFFS  11  4  7 11  12   6
              * still active in playoffs

Chris Corrinet – Princeton Tigers (ECAC)

Chris is a big, strong player who had a breakout offensive season. He led Princeton in scoring
most of the season, but slowed down near the end and finished third. He assumed a leadership
role this year, with the Tigers losing a few key veterans to the pros. It seems Chris will be a
good NHL player, and another year in college will only help him improve. He has just one season
left at Princeton and could make the jump directly to Washington after that. 

                 GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Princeton (ECAC) 30 10 14 24  41  NA
ECAC PLAYOFFS     2  1  0  1   0  NA

Charlie Stephens – Guelph Storm (OHL)

Charlie had an up-and-down season in which he had some injury problems to battle through. When
he was healthy, he played extremely well and showed glimpses of why he has been such a hot
prospect. Guelph barely made the playoffs and were beaten in the first round, giving Stephens an
early end to a rough year. He hasn’t played consistently during his career, and that is part of
the reason that many experts are down on him. He will be back in Guelph again next year, and
will get a chance to be a veteran leader on the Storm. 

             GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Guelph (OHL) 56 16 34 50  87   3
OHL PLAYOFFS  6  1  3  4  15   0

Mike Peluso – Portland Pirates (AHL)

When the season began, Mike was considered by some to be a depth player in Portland. But as the
year wore on, Mike became an integral part of the Pirates’ success. He led Portland in goals
scored and tied for second in points. He was also selected to play in the AHL All-Star Game.
After the season ended for the Pirates, Mike was invited to play for USA at the World
Championships in Russia. He probably isn’t ready for the NHL yet, and will hopefully be back in
Portland next season. 

               GP G A PTS PIM +/-
Portland (AHL) 71 25 29 54  86  11
AHL PLAYOFFS    4  2  0  2   0  -4
WORLD CHAMP.    6  2  2  4   0   2
             *still active in tournament

Kevin Caulfield – Boston College Eagles (HE)

Kevin has been very consistent over his college career. His numbers look very similar every
year, which isn’t all bad. He is not really an offensive player and prefers to play a checking
role. This commitment to team play helped Boston College get to the NCAA finals, eventually
losing to North Dakota. Now that he has graduated, he will be talking with the Capitals trying
to work out a contract. Although its not a guarantee that he and the Caps will come to terms, he
will be playing pro somewhere next season. 

                    GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Boston College (HE) 40  5 14 19  86  NA
NCAA PLAYOFFS        8  1  2  3  10  NA

Kyle Clark – Harvard Crimson (ECAC)

Kyle was definitely a project pick late in last year’s draft. He is very big and skilled, but
is by no means a complete hockey player. He was pretty much non-existent offensively throughout
the season, and was a healthy scratch for some games late in the year. Harvard had a mediocre
season and were swept away in the first round of the playoffs. Unless he shows great
improvement, there isn’t any room for him in the Capitals’ future plans. He will return to
Harvard for his junior year and will have to work hard to impress. 

               GP  G A PTS PIM +/-
Harvard (ECAC) 22  0  3  3  30  NA 
ECAC PLAYOFFS   2  0  0  0   0  NA
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