| 21 May 2009
There's been a lot of talk about the free agency period and whether the Capitals will be a major player. While the Caps might be digging deep in their pockets to find money for free agents, they may not have to break the bank because Hershey has a perfectly good crop of players to harvest.
Every few days we'll be taking a look at the farm team to see how future players might fight into the Capitals system now.So here are the top candidates, based on points, to help fill the secondary-scoring void:
Alexandre Giroux - 60 goals, 37 assists, 97 points
and
Keith Aucoin - 25 goals, 71 assists, 96 points
Giroux is one of the best AHL goal scorers, but unfortunately that hasn't translated to the NHL quite yet. We've seen it before: the Mike Grier special, a breakaway that doesn't light the lamp. Giroux has had numerous breakaways in his NHL play with the Caps, but in his 12 games with the Caps he's only notched one goal and one assist.
At 6'3, 201, Giroux is a perfect fit for the Capitals physical makeup size-wise, but he'll need to bring an element of grit and learn to finish at the NHL level if he wants to wear the red sweater. So basically, more score, less AHL-tastic dekes on NHL goalies.
Keith Aucoin was probably the most successful of all the callups this season. He had two goals and four assists in his 12 games with the Caps, but it's when those points came that really matter. He registered points in close games and proved to be "a little spark plug" for the Capitals offense. He might have earned some ice time in the playoffs if the Capitals weren't desperate for defensive centers against the Rangers.
Aucoin was signed as a depth forward with the thought that he could move to the Capitals after a season in the minors. Now that he's more than proved he's above the minor league level of play, it's up to him to make the jump. While he's one of the Capitals' smallest players, it's undeniable the edge and spark he brings to the team.
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