Who adds what?
Joined: Jul. 2017
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I think Johansen is progressing well in Hershey. Siegenthaler doesn't have much offense there, this year, or Hobbs, although maybe Hobbs' calling card is just toughness, in which case he and Lewington will challenge each other for a spot if Orpik leaves.
I remember around '04 on the Caps' message board, back when Cap Friendly didn't exist and people had to type out lineups by hand, everybody had Yonkman, Schultz and Pokulok pencilled in to their top four, because the game was shifting with the new rules from the lockout to reduce clutching and grabbing, and size was going to become much more important for defensemen. Big, mobile guys. That was going to be the thing. And of course Eminger and Morrison would stay good forever. That was about it. J.F. Fortin wasn't going anywhere. Then for a while Ivan Majesky wasn't going anywhere. Then Milan Jurcina wasn't going anywhere. And maybe one in five predicted Mike Green cracking the top six in the next five years.
I think whoever does the best at training camp will make the team, if spots are available, and whoever does well relative to their own expectations will stick around.
If you had asked this question last year, Schmidt and Alzner were definitely not going anywhere.
Until they sign a coach for next season, though, it's anybody's guess.