Capitals Dev. Camp: Lemay, Hanelt Lead Drills, Miroshnichenko In Town On Day 4

ARLINGTON, V.A. — After a busy Wednesday filled with mini scrimmages and free agency, the Washington Capitals hit the ice again for Day 4 of development camp.

Forwards and defenseman shared two halves of one rink, while goalies Clay Stevenson, Mitchell Gibson, Chase Clark and Garin Bjorklund trained on the other rink.

The day started with 1-on-1 drills and training, as players worked on skating around the net and moving quickly in tight quarters. This, of course, will help when it comes to getting out from behind the net and starting the breakout or generating opportunities and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone.

There were also games of keepaway, and Joaquim Lemay was among the standouts in these drills. He used his edges well and showed great speed and puck control. The puck-moving blueliner is coming off a strong first season in the USHL, dishing nine goals and 37 assists in 58 games with the Lincoln Stars.

Some 1-on-1 drills in tight quarters pic.twitter.com/HGwYSYsIb5

— Sammi Silber (@sammisilber) July 14, 2022

Haakon Hanelt has also made quite a statement at this camp. The German forward is versatile and has good hands and speed. He also never gives up on the play.

Other names that have stood out: Bear Hughes and Benton Maass, who both signed to play with the AHL’s Hershey Bears this season.

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Prospects also had a lot of off-ice work and meetings. They also got a well-deserved break in before returning for an afternoon session of on-ice work. Players worked on skill development and positional skating and benefitted from video.

“There’s always things you can do better and where you can develop on,” Hanelt said. “Skating in general is a big part of it.”

The Capitals also saw 2022 first-round selection Ivan Miroshnichenko arrive in the District. Miroshnichenko got in on Wednesday and joined the prospects for a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. While he is around the facility, the Russian is not participating in on-ice activities. He is taking part in off-ice training, meetings and other activities.

After battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Miroshnichenko is in remission. He received clearance to return to regular practice in June. He expects to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season with Omsk back in Russia.

Washington will close out its development camp on Friday with a quick morning skate before taking part in a full game at Capital One Arena at 7 p.m. Fans can RSVP here.