The Washington Capitals have loaned two prospects to Switzerland and the Los Angeles Kings have loaned one of their top prospects back home to Sweden. We also take a look at a prospect who had a really solid season playing in the USHL for our Prospect of the Day.
Capitals Loan Two Prospects Overseas
Although the Capitals are focused on making a run to the Stanley Cup, that does not mean they aren’t planning ahead in making sure that their prospects continue to get much needed development.
It was announced on Tuesday that they have loaned forward Damien Riat to Geneve-Servette and defenseman Tobias Geisser to EV Zug of the National League (NLA). Riat spent this past season playing for EHC Biel-Bienne of the NLA where he scored 11 goals and added 11 assists for 22 points in 36 games. He also suited up for his native country of Switzerland where he collected an assist in two games. Riat was originally selected in the fourth round, 117th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Geisser spent this past season playing for EV Zug of the NLA and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). In seven games with the Bears, he was held pointless, but he did manage to collect 2 assists in 25 games with EV Zug. Geisser also suited up in two games internationally for the Swiss where he was unfortunately held pointless as well. He was originally selected in the fourth round, 120th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Kings Loan Prized Prospect to Sweden
The Kings are in discussion to loan their 2019 first-round pick Tobias Bjornfot to Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League for the start of the 2020-21 season.
The 19-year-old split this past season playing for the Kings and the Ontario Reign of the AHL. He was held pointless in three games with the Kings but did manage to make an impact down on the farm. In 44 games, he scored 6 goals and added 13 assists for 19 points to go along with 12 penalty minutes.
Bjornfot is going to play a big role in the future. A solid two-way puck carrier, he has the ability to make plays with the puck on his stick and does not panic when pressured. He makes a good first pass out of the defensive zone and can play a physical game when called upon. He could eventually end up playing top-pairing minutes with the Kings as he is that good.
Prospect of the Day – Sean Farrell
For our Prospect of the Day, we will be taking a look at USHL star Sean Farrell who spent this past season playing for the Chicago Steel. Ranked 62nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Farrell managed to score 15 goals and added 41 assists for 56 points in 44 games.
Although he only stands at 5-foot-8, Farrell plays a much bigger style than what some people may think. With the puck on his stick, he is able to create chances out of nowhere and is great at setting up teammates in the slot. When the puck goes into the corners, he is not afraid to battle against bigger opponents and is often hard to knock off the puck.
Our own Matthew Zator believes that Farrell has the skills to make an impact at the NHL level.
“Farrell has the skills to become a very productive player at the NHL level. He plays a lot like Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Alex DeBrincat, albeit he is a little bit bigger than him. However, DeBrincat came into the league as an undersized player and despite everyone’s doubts, already has a 40-goal season under his belt. So, it’s not out of the question to see a player like Farrell succeed at the highest level. I expect him to become a top-nine winger who can play on the power play and the penalty kill.”
The team that selects Farrell will be getting a solid prospect. He will no doubt get better with development and I would not be surprised to see him make the jump to the pros in a few years’ time.