Atlanta Capitals entered Tuesdays draft with excitement and anticipation, and were ready for the twists and turns that the draft normally brings. The Capitals decided to make moves first, trading up to get a second 1st round pick, giving the capitals the 16th overall and 25th overall.
With the first pick in Atlanta Capitals history, they used it on Michigan Defensemen Anthony Harris from Jeffers HS. “Anthony is someone who can come in right away and help our hockey club, he is a smooth skating, young defensemen who we look forward to working with and help develop for the next level” said GM/Head Coach Anthony Bohn.
Overall the Capitals, who had 11 picks in the annual NA3HL draft, used 6 picks on Defensemen and 5 picks on Forwards. “We had a plan going into the draft and got the players we were targeting, now we are excited to start the next step in the process” said Bohn.
Below is a quick scouting recap of each player selected:
RD1 25th pick- Brendan Murphy, D Turo Bearcats
Brendan is a two-way defensemen with some high offensive instincts. He spent parts of last season with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL and Turo Bearcats of the Maritime Junior hockey league in Canada.
RD2 59th pick- Colin Bilek, F Brighton HS MI
Colin is a big body, who isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas. He has a high compete level with a good blend of skill.
RD3 93rd pick- Ross Bartlett, F Providence, Capitals U16
A very young and talented player, Ross has tremendous upside with great offensive abilities. Ross has a good knack around the net scoring 35 goals in 29 games last season.
RD4 126th pick- Aaron Murray, D Anaheim Ducks U18
Aaron is a smooth stay at home defender with good offensive instincts. Aaron has the ability to defend very well and his skating is an asset.
RD5 159th pick- Ian Drexler, D TPH Thunder U18
A strong player who uses his body to his advantage, Ian is a tough defender to play against with his strength and skating ability and high compete level.
RD6 193rd pick- Quinn Robelle, D Wilks-Barrie Knights U18
Standing 6’1 and 215lbs is a big player with major potential. A big defender who can skate for his size, tough to play against and competes at a high level. The sky is the limit for Robelle.
RD6 198th pick- Paul-Taylor Trinkwon, F Ontario (CA) Avalanche U18
Trinkwon is a high-energy player. Good offensive skill and skating ability that can bring another layer to the Capital offensive attack.
RD6 202nd pick- Hunter Lovdokken, F Lake Tahoe Blue
Hunter is an extremely strong skater with offensive ability. His compete level, communication and leadership skills will be a welcomed addition to the Capitals next season.
RD7 225th Brandan Ferguson, F Atlanta Jr. Knights
A local Atlanta talent, Brandan is a young competitive player who wants to contribute every shift. His offensive touch and grit is what separates Brandan from the pack and has a bright future in front of him.
RD8 259TH Ryan Dumond, D East Coast Wizards
Another local talent, Dumond is a talented offensive defensemen. He has the ability to join the rush and be part of the offensive attack.