Quoting: timmyv38
I wouldn't be surprised or upset if they don't sign him. The more I look him over, the more I think he's not a good fit, except for Hershey.
On a two way deal, he would provide excellent depth, and if the Caps plan to trade Orpik to free up salary cap space, he'd be a great asset to have around, but if no one in the NHL offers him a one way contract, he can probably make more than an AHL salary, playing in Europe.
Of course, they play the game on the ice, not in a database. If Jokipakka shows up to camp in better shape, as spent the summer working on puck control, and outscores Djoos in the preseason, he's got himself a job, and Djoos keeps getting better in Hershey, so that's win-win for the Caps. I'd honestly be surprised to see either of them start the season playing more minutes than Brooks Orpik, and I think the Caps, an an organization, tend to promote internal candidates first, for the sake of building organizational knowledge. So it's a long shot. But I went digging for silver linings, and although his career zone starts make him look like a rookie, in the last couple years, Jokipakka has taken as many defensive zone shifts as Karl Alzner, and, on average teams, done an average job. Maybe if he's paired with a defensively sound right hander like Matt Niskannen, he can continue to build into a shutdown role in Washington.
What else do you guys make of this:
https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/j/jokipjy01.html