ARLINGTON, V.A. — Wendy Marco wasn't done just yet with the Washington Capitals prospects. On Tuesday, she and the Capitals put their prospects through a full, rigorous day of skating, and that'd continue on Wednesday as she got to work with forwards and defensemen separately on different skating drills. Marco started off with the forwards, stressing edge work again by having players skate on one leg and kick the puck down the ice at the same time. There was no cheating and no shortcuts, as she had Miroslav Satan Jr. start over his drill while Terik Parascak was encouraged to keep pushing through, and then got applause from his teammates when he finished. Marco Skating Drills Parascak has been making progress in this camp. I have a feeling that he'll end up paying off big time in the future for D.C. He has good hands and good hockey instincts, and he moves the puck incredibly well. The second half of the day, where he got to work with the PEP circuit, was his bread and butter. The edge work goes a long way for the rising prospects and, though edges are a basic part of the game, it's difficult for even the pros to master and becomes second nature as time goes on. Andrew Cristall continued to look strong on his edges, as well. Prospects also spun their way down the ice, with Ryan Leonard moving fluidly. His skating continues to get closer to the professional level. He's taking another year at Boston College, but he looks closer to being NHL-ready each time he takes the ice in D.C. Another player who I think has significantly improved his skating: Haakon Hanelt, who had left the CHL to play overseas last season and also got a stint with the AHL's Hershey Bears. He's no stranger to Marco's methods and is one of the veterans at camp, and he always has a smile on his face, too. Fun to watch "Hank," who also headed out to a Nationals game tonight with a handful of fellow prospects. Sammi Silber — The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NjAwMzI2Njk2NTExMTI5/hank.jpg] Sammi Silber — The Hockey News Marco also had another drill where prospects partnered up and were tethered together with Velcro; one player was skating with the intent of breaking the makeshift tether, while the other was staying with him and trying to remain connected. Ilya Protas stood out to me in particular on this one — and also received some nice congrats from Haakon Hanelt. Good to see the younger Protas advancing in skating, an area where his older brother struggled a bit coming onto the scene but has since improved in tremendously. Protas Velcro Skating On the other rink, the defensemen got started with skill work and were going through the PEP circuits while shooting on the goaltenders the team had at camp. Joaquim Lemay was one of the stronger skaters, as was Brent Johnson, who finished first in the team's race car tire session on Day 1. Leon Muggli, the team's second-round selection at this year's draft, showcased his poise, skating and stickhandling ability, moving fluidly down the ice sniping home a quick shot on the fly. Leon Muggli Skating The defensemen were put through some different drills than the forwards, emphasizing backwards crossovers and tight turns. Lemay again shined here and deserves a lot of credit for how far he's progressed, as has Johnson; neither are strangers to Marco's methods, and they continue to thrive there. As the blueliners took their time skating, the forwards got to get in some stickhandling and shooting work. Leonard, Cristall and Hanelt all showcased their quick hands and scoring ability as they scored on nice breakaway moves in a mini-game near the end of practice. Alexander Suzdalev also looked strong. Two more players to keep an eye on: Eriks Mateiko, who was taken in the third round of this year's draft, and Petr Sikora, D.C.'s fifth-round selection. Both have some sneaky good skill. Overall, it was a solid day of work, and the team saw several players take some steps forward. The next few days will include more positional play and attention to skills, as well as on-ice testing before getting into gameplay.
