Ah, hockey in the middle of the summer. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?

Sadly my Development Camp experience was limited to two days – but when mid-July rears it’s ugly head and we’ve been without hockey for over two months, even two days feels like a lifetime and can stave off those withdrawal pangs for just a little bit longer.

It was great to see hockey again, great to see excited hockey fans, great to get a look at some of our young prospects and imagine how they could impact this team for years to come.

Some observations in the brief time spent at Kettler:

- A lot of people had been gushing about John Carlson earlier in the week, although the sense was that he kind of leveled off in the final few days of camp. And while he wasn’t flashy, he was consistently good and steady, looking far more comfortable and mature than his 19 years. He was also resourceful, working with Kugryshev as a translator when needing to communicate with defensive partner Dmitri Orlov.

Dmitri Orlov

photo courtesy of www.capsinpictures.com

- Speaking of Orlov, the kid is pretty impressive in his own right. He’s not a towering defenseman but will take the body without fear and is also very adept with the puck, holding the blue line when needed and making the right breakout pass when needed.

- Should he eventually make the leap to the NHL, I’m predicting that Joe Finley will quickly become a fan favorite. He’s feisty and mean on the ice but has great hands and a long stride that makes up for his slight lack of speed (it helps that he’s 6′7″ when not on skates). And off the ice he’s a funny kid, very quick – not that we like personality here in DC or anything.

- The experiment of Finley as a forward appears to be a successful one, at least for now. Imagine opposing teams trying to move that big body out of the crease – plus add in the defensive ability that comes from his original position and GMGM and friends might just have something here. Time will tell.

- Good to see Brooks Laich and Brian Pothier wandering around the rink over the last few days – Laich even took a couple of the kids out to lunch after Friday’s drills, further proving his leadership ability and perfect fit as the team’s NHLPA rep. Oh, and of course his love of the Front Page.

- Special mention should be made of the tremendous job the Caps Media team did this week, working overtime to make sure that the development camp was an experience for both the prospects and the fans. Seeing the kids get a tour of DC, checking in with Trevor Bruess and Braden Holtby via Twitter, all of it added to the atmosphere and really gave us all an inside look at what goes into something like this. Great work, as usual.

- There was a buzz around the entire building…but it’s doubtful that there was anyone more excited than Bruce Boudreau to be around hockey again.

- You really have to feel for Anton Gustafsson. Word was that before his concussion he was one of the early standouts at camp – thankfully it was just a minor concussion, but he just can’t seem to catch a break. It does sound like he’ll be making a return visit to DC later in the summer to train with some of the returning Caps, though. Looking forward to seeing Baby Gus in good health once again.

- Michael Dubuc came into camp with the reputation of being a goal-scorer. He maintained that reputation and there’s no doubt that he made a name for himself – not just with the sheer number he scored in scrimmages (seven by the end) but with his play away from the puck, something he admitted to needing improvement in and an area in which I thought he did very well today.

Michael Dubuc

photo courtesy of www.capsinpictures.com

- There was no shortage of “heart” guys floating around camp this week, a sure sign of what the team is looking for down the road. Trevor Bruess was a little speedster out there and really had some great chances in today’s final scrimmage. Garrett Mitchell isn’t the biggest guy or the guy with the best hands but every shift he was flying around the ice trying to make plays.

- And finally, I caught up with Braden Holtby after today’s scrimmage; he was kind enough to share his thoughts on the week and where he was in his development:

Video’s a little new to us here in the Cheap Seats – we’ll get the audio sorted out next time the video camera is in action, I promise!