It has been the Capitals’ plan all along. Take internal draft picks and prospects, develop them in their minor league system and then add free agents only when necessary. But they are taking this building from within to a whole new level in 2010-11.
When Washington opens the season Friday night in Atlanta with young defensemen Karl Alzner and John Carlson in the lineup along with rookie center Marcus Johansson, they will have 11 first-round picks — their own or players they acquired and developed at Hershey of the American Hockey League — on the ice. The NHL average is four, according to Caps general manager George McPhee. The closest team this season is likely to have seven.
Recommended Stories
“We’re in a lot of ways lucky, I guess,” McPhee said. “We came up with this plan years ago, and fortunately ownership stood by it. Ted [Leonsis] stood by the plan. In a lot of cities and for a lot of teams, ownership does not have the patience.”
