ARLINGTON, V.A. — After another strong camp and making noise in the preseason, Andrew Cristall came close to a roster spot, but once again, fell just short of making the Washington Capitals.
Cristall was assigned to the AHL's Hershey Bears on Friday as part of another round of cuts for Washington. It will be his rookie campaign at the pro level and his first taste of the American League after not getting a game in his call-up at the end of last season.
The 19-year-old is coming off an impressive preseason, where he picked up four goals and excelled in his role on the power play. However, he was only "okay" at 5-on-5 in his final exhibition game, a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, and there were areas of his game that needed more work. All the while, there aren't many vacancies on the Capitals roster, and the competition was only getting fiercer down the stretch.
"You never want to count anybody out, but the path for (him) to make the opening night roster was a difficult one, because at that age and experience level, to come in and beat out the likes of Ethen Frank, (Ivan) Miroshnichenko, like these guys have been at it for a long time, and so it was a tall, tall ask," coach Spencer Carbery said.
Hendrix Lapierre Back At Center, Ready To Keep Thriving With Capitals: 'Mentally, It's The Best I've Felt'
ARLINGTON, V.A. — When it comes to Hendrix Lapierre, Washington Capitals teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois wants you to keep his hockey IQ in mind.
Carbery added that it takes another level to not just play in the NHL, but succeed in the league, and believes that more reps, games and playing time at the AHL level will work wonders for Cristall.
"It's a process to develop and play at this level, and it's the best league in the world for a reason and it's not easy. I don't care if you're drafted in the first round, top-10 pick or a second-round, doesn't matter, or had the most successful junior season or college season. It's a hard league," Carbery said. "So some time in the American League for (him), I think, will be a huge benefit for (his) long-term development and for (his career) and success one day in the NHL."