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Washington Capitals poised to select Chinese beast in the first round of NHL Entry Draft
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
The Washington Capitals season is officially done, and fans are already looking ahead to the NHL Entry Level Draft. That said, the Caps' currently hold a first round pick and analysts around the NHL are predicting general manager Chris Patrick will be selecting Simon Wang, a defensive prospect from China.
I think it's safe to say the Washington Capitals already have one of the strongest prospect pools in the NHL.
With big up-and-comers like Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, Hendrix Lapierre, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ilya Protas, it's hard to think GM Chris Patrick will be interesting in drafting another forward.
Well, look no further to 6-foot-6 defenseman from across the pond, Haoxi «Simon» Wang.
Washington Capitals predicted to select Haoxi «Simon» Wang
Haoxi Wang is an athletic, rangy, left-shot defenseman with a rare physical profile and promising two-way upside. At 6'6» and 215 lbs, Wang moves exceptionally well for his size, showing strong skating mechanics, smooth pivots, and transitional agility that allows him to match with both speed-based and power-based forwards.
He plays a composed, efficient defensive game and has shown flashes of puck-moving ability and offensive vision that suggest untapped potential. Wang isn't a finished product and still needs to increase his physical engagement and edge in his own zone, as well as clean up shot selection and offensive execution.
-Neutral Zone
-Neutral Zone
Haoxi Wang will be just the second Chinese born player to be drafted to the NHL, and the Washington Capitals have an opportunity to bolster their line for years to come by adding a beast like Wang to their system.
Regardless, it should be very interesting to see what the Capitals decide in the coming weeks.
More details to follow.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 14 | 22 ANSWERS Washington Capitals poised to select Chinese beast in the first round of NHL Entry Draft Do you think the Washington Capitals should select Simon Wand in the NHL Entry Level Draft? | ||
| Yes | 15 | 68.2 % |
| No | 7 | 31.8 % |
| List of polls | ||