Marcus Shows Potential at Development Camp, But Not Enough

The Capitals just wrapped up their development camp this weekend with their final red vs. white scrimmage on Saturday. I was there and had my eyes fixed on Marcus Johansson. General manager George McPhee talked at the beginning of free agency about how his biggest target in the offseason was a second line center. Now, however, he has hinted that Johansson may be ready not only for a spot on the roster, but to move all the way up to the second line. As I watched him on Saturday the only conclusion I could make was that he was not ready for such a big NHL role.

Selected 24th overall by Washington in the 2009 draft, Johansson spent the 2009-10 season playing in the Swedish Elite League where he posted 10 goals and 15 assists in 49 games. He has not yet suited up for the Capitals, so development camps is really the first place I've gotten a chance to see what he can do. The first thing I noticed about his play was that he needs work on his faceoff. He either loses it out right or wins it too hard, meaning the puck shoots all the way down the ice. Any offensive zone faceoffs were useless because even on the rare occasion he did win, he would ice it for the defense. He does have tremendous stick handling capabilities. He was very good at avoiding the first one or two defenders that approached him. His major problem, however, was not being able to distribute. He held onto the puck for far too long. While he may have been able to skate around the first guys that came after him, he constantly skated himself into a hole he could not get out of. All of a sudden, when surrounded by three players, he would lose the puck because there was no where else for him to go. It was clear he was not looking for someone to pass too. He really needs help developing his hockey sense. He may have been avoiding defensemen, but he was not creating anything with his moves.

Compare this to a Nicklas Backstrom. What makes Backstrom so great at the center position is that he can see plays developing. Not only does he make just the right pass at just the right time, but he also gets himself in a position to score just because he knows how a play is going to develop. That was not evident with Johansson who was not looking to distribute the puck at all. Ok, so maybe he is destined more for the Ovechkin role of play making. Stick handle around everyone and either take your shot or draw everyone to you leaving a teammate open. The problem was that Johansson was not creating plays with his stick handling, he was merely boxing himself in. More importantly, this is not what we need for our second line anyway. The Capitals' second line is going to have Alexander Semin on the left and either Eric Fehr or Brooks Laich on the right. Semin is a playmaker, like Ovechkin. He can draw defensemen to him with his abilities and still score or leave open another player. Eric Fehr is really developing into this sort of style as well. Brooks Laich is more of a grind it out player. You will always see him in the crease ready to tap in rebounds and screen the goalie. This line does not need another stickhandling play maker. It needs a Backstrom type distributor. Johansson's game as of right now is simply not where it needs to be for him to move all the way up to the second line.

This of course brings me back to the major criticism I have had of McPhee this entire offseason. We have holes to fill at center and defense and I do not think prospects are the answer...yet. Eric Belanger, a trade deadline acquisition last season played tremendously for Washington. He needs to be re-signed. Johansson may be able to develop his game more during training camp with the help of fellow Swede Backstrom, but moving him to second line just seems to me like throwing him to the wolves. He might be NHL ready, but if he is then put him on the third line. Re-signing Belanger would give you Backstrom on first, Belanger second, Johansson third, and Steckel fourth. I think Belanger would be the right move, but if McPhee is determined to have his prospects there are other choices as well. I have been thoroughly impressed by Matthieu Perrault every time he was called up last season. Jay Beagle was also just re-signed by the team. Both of these players have NHL experience. Perrault especially seems like a much better fit for the second line than Johansson.

If the Capitals do not have the money for an expensive second line forward, there are other options other than just Johansson. I am not opposed to bringing him up this season, or even giving him a roster spot so he can cycle with Beagle and Perrault. Believing you can put him on the second line, however, is wishful thinking. The Capitals need to allow Johansson to develop his game without putting too much responsibility on his shoulders. They also need to find a lineup that will suit him better than Semin and Fehr/Laich. He can be a good player if he gets the right players around him. Second line? That just doesn't make sense.