D-Camp Day 1: Tom Wilson, New Beast Mode

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We will be live at Kettler each day at some point for Development Camp.  So follow us on Twitter @Dru90 @Camcoco10 and @TheDugsSports for live-tweets and check back all week for coverage.

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The Washington D.C. area already has a Beast in the Washington Nationals' Michael Morse.  Well Morse may have some competition in town in a year or so with Beast Mode V2, the Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson.

Not many Caps fans knew much about Tom Wilson before he was drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League.  For most, the first look at Wilson was watching an enormous draftee tower over his accomplices on stage while announcer commentary compared him to an NFL or NBA player.

Those hundred or so fans who came out to Kettler Iceplex on Monday for the Washington Capitals first day of Development Camp now know something else.  Tom Wilson is a beast.

Wilson stood out among the 20+ other participants in Monday's intersquad scrimmage and anytime there was a big hit, the number 43 was close by.  With his large stature and unique wide open mouth look that he plays with, Wilson impressed the crowd that watched from the bleachers.

The NHL Draft Recap & Drinking Game

So yesterday I decided to switch back and forth between the Nationals game and watch this NHL Draft thing people on Twitter were so crazy about.  A bunch of old white guys in suits saying "ay" gathered around tables watching tv and whispering to each other while the crowd drank beer and booed.

The draft was on a Friday night, which is typically reserved for drinking draft beer at a local (or far-away DC) establishment.  However, because of the baseball game and my desire to get abs, I happened to be home on this particular Friday night.  It seemed that everyone I follow on Twitter was also home on Friday night as well, which has kind of made me lose confidence in my Twitter-Coolness factor.

Someone on Twitter suggested that since I don't know any of the players, since I know nothing about the OHL or WHL or college hockey or international hockey, that I should come up with a drinking game like the baseball or hockey games that I have done in the past.  Well I've done it, although way too late:

You drink every single draft pick, so every 10 minutes or so.  And you do the following:

College Player:  1 Drink Natty Light
OHL Player:  1 Drink LaBatt's

WHL Player:  Eat 1 Ice Cube
USHL Player:  1 Shot Butter

Swedish Player:  Eat 1 Swedish Fish
Russian Player:  1 Shot Vodka

Anyways, The Caps drafted Niklas Backstrom's brother and an NFL player, so I think the draft went well.  On day 2 of the draft I have no idea what happened because I was sleeping off the 6 shots of butter I had the night before and by the time I woke up it was all over.

You all probably read other sites and know who those people are, and quite frankly if they are not first rounders they are all going to be playing in random leagues for the next several years (right?). I'll pay attention when they come up to the real team, or when they decide to stay in Russia and play their whole career there which I hear happens in this city.

Tom Wilson, Built Like An NFL Player

The Capitals weren't finished in the first round with Filip Forsberg.  They also had a pick just 5 slots later, and they drafted some white dude named Tom Wilson, a winger from the OHL.  His parents were big Castaway fans, naming him after Tom Hanks and Wilson the volleyball.

According to the announcers, he is a real MANG!

"He looks like a 25 year old man"


"Built like an NFL player"


"That's like an NBA player!"


"Big, Strong, Physical, Hard-working"

Well then.  Can he maybe play for the Wizards and the Redskins too.  Because those teams also need some guys who are built like NFL players and who are "like" NBA players.  Half the guys on the Wiz I would describe as "like" D-League players.

Can you believe I watched the NHL Draft?  (at least some of it).  That is something I didn't think I would ever do, and can't believe that I just did...

Thank You Pittsburgh, We're Touched

As the Pittsburgh crowd booed, Washington Capitals GM George McPhee walked to the podium and addressed the heckling.  "Thank you Pittsburgh, we're touched."  Seconds later the Capitals had selected Filip Forsberg, a center from Sweden.

Lots of fans were calling for some guy named Gredenko, but he tried to kill Jack Baur, so there was no way the Caps were drafting him.  And with KKoKKoookyKK already drafted by the Lightning, there was only one choice for the Capitals, Peter Filip Forsberg.


The best part about this pick is obviously that this guy is going to have a simple nickname, Flip.

According to the people covering the draft (who I hate but probably know more than me), Forsberg was the #3 ranked player in the draft pool.  However, he fell all the way to the 11th pick.  NFL players have fallen in drafts due to character issues, injuries, combine results...so no explanation for Filip's fall was interesting to me.


Pierre bald annoying guy says "The Capitals have had success drafting swedish players" in a tone that suggested that Forsberg was being passed on by teams because of his nationality.  Is there a certain style associated with Swedes?  Do they "flop" more?  Are they too blonde?  Is this racist/nationalist?

More Questions:

• Why is the draft in Pittsburgh?
• Why is the draft on a Friday night?
• What the hell was Pierre talking about with the Swede comments?
• When will Forsberg make an impact with the Caps (estimated time-frame)
• Why did Filip fall down to #11 if he was the 3rd best player?
• Why did the draft go off air at 9pm?
• Where does Filip play next year?  Hershey?
• The #1 pick in the draft's name is Nail!?

I Want My Babyback....

Cappy's Mikey C Ribz...Cappy's Mikey C Ribz...


According to an explosion that happened on Twitter, the Capitals now have a 2nd line center.  They traded Clay Eakin & a 2nd rounder for Dallas (I'm assuming starting?) Center Mike Ribeiro.  As someone who knows nothing about hockey positions, it was my understanding that this was a position that needed to be upgraded.  Also by looking at statistics and comparing Marjo to Mikey, this was apparently accomplished.

The reaction of fans on Twitter was mixed.  The "lover" fans immediately purchased their jersey's, changed their computer background to Ribeiro, and started their Ribz Shirtless Tumblrs.  The "medium" fans were happy to have an upgrade at a needed position.  The "want mores" are a little upset that Ribeiro is older and not the player they wanted.

According to the stats, Ribeiro scored 63 points last season.  To compare to the 2nd round game 7 losing Caps, top scorer was Alex Ovechkin with ... 65 points.  2nd place was Semin with 54.  I really don't see the problem here.

Well like it or not he is on the team...Oh and you can follow him on Twitter too...