The right wing has been a tricky position to fill for the Caps over the last few years – owing in no small part to the fact that it takes a special kind of player to skate alongside two left-wingers named Alex. At times it’s been a role to be filled by whatever warm bodies were available, regardless of whether they actually fit there.

This year, however, there might actually be a hint of depth on the right side, collected through trades, savvy free agent signings and homegrown talent that’s just now starting to emerge. And because of that, this year’s camp is featuring some of the toughest competition we’ve seen for the right wing spots in a long time.

The Combatants
Keith Aucoin
30 years old
5′9″, 187 pounds (um…soaking wet and on stilts, maybe, but okay)

The Tale: An AHL journeyman who played his first NHL hockey with the Carolina Hurricanes, Aucoin signed as a free agent with the Caps in July 2008.

The Season: Racked up 25 goals and 71 assists in just 70 games with the Hershey Bears last season, as well as another 6 points (2g, 4a) in 12 games with the Caps…Played in his fourth career AHL All-Star game in 2009…Hershey’s second highest scorer in the playoffs behind only Alexandre Giroux, with 5 goals and 18 assists in 21 games…named to the AHL First All-Star Team

The Camp: Boudreau has already singled him out as a top performer so far, with two goals and a shootout marker through two scrimmages.

The Verdict: A bubble player; Aucoin made a strong statement in his short time with the Caps last season and impressed both the fans and his coaching staff. A continued strong performance in camp combined with someone shifting to left wing to fill Fleischmann’s spot could mean a place on the Opening Night roster. Barring that, he’s a first call-up for sure.

Jay Beagle
23 years old
6′3″, 207 pounds

The Tale: A strong performance in his first pro season with the AHL affiliate Bears led to an NHL contract with the parent club in March 2008.

The Season: Had an injury-shortened 2008-09 campaign but still managed to chip in 4 goals and 5 assists in 47 AHL games…added another goal and 3 assists in 18 playoff appearances with the Bears…made his NHL debut in February alongside fellow Bear and fellow first-timer Andrew Gordon at Madison Square Garden.

The Camp: Beagle’s held his own but hasn’t seemed to stand out all that much among the crowd of forwards fighting for spots – which probably isn’t a great sign for someone fighting right alongside them.

The Verdict: Another season in Hershey for Beagle. He had the scoring touch a year ago but was hampered by injuries and needs to get it – and his confidence – back before he gets a shot at the Caps’ lineup. Could be a call-up for a gritty, fourth-line role in the future.

Francois Bouchard
21 years old
6′0″, 180 pounds

The Tale: Drafted by the Caps in the 2nd round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft…completed his first full pro season last year with the Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears.

The Season: Appeared in 64 regular season games with Hershey, finishing with 15 goals and 20 assists as well as a +18.

The Camp: Bouchard was someone a lot of people felt needed to have a dominant camp this year or else risk falling out of favor with the team. So far he’s delivered, putting together a strong performance in Development Camp and drawing praise from Boudreau for his work in the intrasquad scrimmage.

The Verdict: Still Hershey-bound…for now. Bouchard’s got the potential and the offensive talents that make him a possible threat for the roster sooner rather than later. Should at least earn his first NHL appearance at some point this year.

Matt Bradley
31 years old
6′3″, 201 pounds

The Tale: Bradley came on board with the Caps as part of the “new wave” that joined the team right after the lockout. Currently in his 5th season as a Washington Capital; signed a three year deal in the summer of 2008.

The Season: Had 5 goals, 6 assists and 59 PIMs while appearing in all but one regular season game…formed part of a highly effective checking line with Dave Steckel and Brooks Laich in the playoffs, picking up his first 2 career playoff goals and adding another 4 assists in 14 games.

The Camp: Has scored a couple of goals in scrimmage and has shown a desire to find more of an offensive side to his game. Not necessarily a standout but hasn’t had to be – just needs to put together a strong camp and get ready for the season.

The Verdict: Obviously on the team, it would be nice to see him reunited with his postseason linemates for the full 82 – but he also has shown nice chemistry with similar players like Boyd Gordon and Chris Clark, and could be used on either the third or fourth line.

Chris Clark
33 years old
6′0″, 196 pounds

The Tale: Traded to the Washington Capitals the summer after the lockout, Clark began skating on a line with some Ovechkin kid and put up 50 goals in his first two seasons. He was named the 13th captain in franchise history in September of 2006 and signed a three year contract extension the following summer.

The Season: Clark played roughly half the season before finally having wrist surgery that would keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the year. He returned for Game 7 against the Rangers and appeared in all seven games against the Penguins, picking up a goal in Game 4.

The Camp: After having a full summer to train for the first time in two years, Clark seems to have returned to form and regained both the scoring touch and the gritty edge to his game that have been missing in recent injury-plagued outings.

The Verdict: Second- or third-line right wing, although there’s a chance he could flip to left wing should the need arise.

Eric Fehr
24 years old
6′4″, 212 pounds

The Tale: Drafted in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and finished his first full season with the Caps after appearing in games at both the AHL and NHL level. Played on the 2006 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears.

The Season: Despite being hampered by injuries, Fehr reached double-digits in both goals (12) and assists (13) for the first time in his career. He had an especially productive streak in the first half of February, scoring goals in 6 of 7 games during that period. A shoulder injury forced him out of the playoffs after appearing in Games 1 and 2 of the Pittsburgh series.

The Camp: Fehr’s still rehabilitating from a double shoulder surgery in the offseason but appears to be skating well and even has a little heat on his shot. He’s expected back sometime in October, possibly by the home opener.

The Verdict: It’s hard to say that this is a make or break year for Fehr, but at 24 he’s running out of time to make his mark on an increasingly young and talented Caps team. If he can stay healthy and find some consistency to his game, he could find himself as the big body on the second line – if not, he’ll be in the press box.

Andrew Gordon
23 years old
5′11″, 180 pounds

The Tale: Drafted by the Capitals in the 7th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, then played 3 seasons for St. Cloud State and made a name for himself in the WCHA. He spent his first pro season split between the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays before making the permanent jump to the AHL last season.

The Season: Scored 21 goals and 24 assists in his first full AHL campaign…made his NHL debut against the Rangers in February, in which he skated just over 7 minutes…had 6 goals (including 2 PPGs and 1 GW) and 4 assists in 22 playoff games for Hershey.

The Camp: Gordon’s put together a really nice camp for himself so far – he’s got serious speed and was praised by Boudreau for his work in the intrasquad scrimmage.

The Verdict: Needs another full season in Hershey at least before becoming a serious threat to make the team, and whether he gets another call-up will probably partially depend on his performance in whichever preseason game(s) he appears in. Could be one to watch this year, though.

Mike Knuble
37 years old
6′3″, 230 pounds

The Tale: Drafted by Detroit in 1991 (where he won 2 Stanley Cups), Knuble has made his way around the league with stops in Boston, New York and most recently Philadelphia. Has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last 6 seasons. Signed as a free agent with the Caps on July 1, 2009.

The Season: While appearing in all 82 games for the third time in four seasons, Knuble put up 27 goals and added another 20 assists during the 2008-09 campaign. He added another 2 goals and an assist in 6 playoff games en route to a first round loss against Pittsburgh.

The Camp: There will be a bit of an adjustment period for Knuble, but he’s already shown off some awesome moves and seems to have good chemistry with Backstrom in particular (although Backstrom’s passes can make anyone look good).

The Verdict: If the chemistry continues to grow with Backstrom and a certain #8, he’s a lock for that first line RW position. But don’t rule out some playing time alongside former Michigan teammate Brendan Morrison and/or Alexander Semin when the situation calls for it.

Second line center tomorrow…let’s get ready to rumble!