{"id":38917,"date":"2025-07-04T20:08:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T20:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/38917\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T20:08:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T20:08:28","slug":"capitals-first-round-pick-lynden-lakovic-wants-to-develop-his-physical-game-after-having-4-pims-last-season-i-do-need-to-add-a-little-bit-of-nastiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/38917\/","title":{"rendered":"Capitals first-round pick Lynden Lakovic wants to develop his physical game after having 4 PIMs last season: \u2018I do need to add a little bit of nastiness\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the Washington Capitals drafted winger Lynden Lakovic<\/strong> 27th overall<\/a>, Caps asistant general manager Ross Mahoney turned to his boss, Chris Patrick, and whispered into his ear that the team\u2019s first rounder \u201cskates well, can score, makes really good plays in tight spaces.\u201d At no time did he say he was physical. And for good reason.<\/p>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

The 18-year-old spent the last three seasons in the WHL as a member of the Moose Jaw Warriors, posting an impressive 58 points (27g, 31a) in 47 games during the 2024-25 campaign. Lakovic credits his disciplined play as a major reason for his offensive success. He spent just four total minutes in the penalty box all last season and hasn\u2019t earned more than 14 in a single season going back to 2019. Despite that, he hopes to develop more physicality into his game as he works towards the NHL.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s something I could add, just maybe a little bit of nastiness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Though he mentioned wanting to add a grittier aspect to his game, Lakovic distanced his style of play from that of his uncle Sasha, a physical NHL player in the late 1990s. In 37 career games with the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils, the elder Lakovic racked up a whopping 118 penalty minutes. He also had a career-high 416 (!!) penalty minutes during the 1995-96 season<\/a>\u00a0as a member of the IHL\u2019s Las Vegas Thunder.<\/p>\n

Sasha, who died in 2017 at age 45 after a brief battle with brain cancer, was known by fans as the \u201cHitman,\u201d \u201cPitbull,\u201d and \u201cSascha the Basha\u201d for embracing his role as a team\u2019s enforcer. He famously tried to jump up and over the glass behind Calgary\u2019s bench during a game on November 23, 1996 to rough up a fan who dumped beer and popcorn on then-Flames assistant coach Guy LaPointe. He served a two-game suspension for the incident.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you expect me to be like (my uncle) completely, I don\u2019t think Washington would have drafted me,\u201d Lakovic added jokingly. \u201cBut no, I think I do need to add a little bit of nastiness, but I think it\u2019ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll have plenty of opportunities to learn from some of the Caps\u2019 best bruisers like Tom Wilson \u2014 one of several players who have already welcomed him to the Capitals.<\/p>\n

\u201cPierre-Luc Dubois, TJ Oshie, Tom Wilson, and Logan Thompson, those are a few guys that reached out to me and welcomed me with open arms,\u201d Lakovic said. \u201cAnd that goes to show the character of the guys in this organization. And it really goes a long way for a kid like myself or any other kid, right? And it\u2019s kinda awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a towering six-foot-four and weighing in at 200 pounds, Lakovic has the build to potentially make some opponents regret being on the ice with him. His NHL comparison on draft night was former Capital Anthony Mantha (six-foot-five, 234 pounds). Lakovic believes the team\u2019s staff will help him take advantage of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just rounding out my game and using my body more efficiently, obviously, I think you see I have a big frame,\u201d he said of his development goals. \u201cAnd I think using it to my advantage is only going to make me a better player. Just rounding out my 200-foot game, I think it\u2019s something I\u2019m improving on. And that\u2019s what\u2019s going to make you stay in the NHL. You need to learn how to play both sides of the puck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynden said he\u2019ll be\u00a0keeping lessons from his uncle taught him in mind as he navigates his future professional career.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne lesson (he taught me) is you have to work for it,\u201d Lakovic recounted. \u201cHe\u2019s told me stories how hard he worked and the things he would do to make it. And talent can only take you so far. So I think if you put in the work over time and stay consistent with it, your dreams are going to come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lakovic is among the 31 prospects in town for the Capitals\u2019 Development Camp, telling reporters Wednesday he\u2019s having a blast in his \u201csurreal\u201d first week as a pro.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came at me fast but I\u2019m really enjoying Washington and the organization right now,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re treating me amazing and I couldn\u2019t be happier.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s been taking inspiration from fellow Caps prospect Andrew Cristall, the Caps\u2019 second-round pick in 2023 (40th overall).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s really smooth and he\u2019s one of the most skilled players I\u2019ve seen,\u201d Lakovic said of Cristall. \u201cI think he\u2019s a hell of a player. He\u2019s developing really well right now and he\u2019s kinda been tearing up (the WHL) for a bit now. And I think the most important thing is winning hockey games at that level and developing as a player and person. And to take that path, I think is going to be huge for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lakovic added that he\u2019s enjoyed meeting other Development Camp attendees he\u2019s played against in juniors, including Terik Parascak and Alex Suzdalev, as well as reuniting with former Moose Jaw teammate Jackson Unger.<\/p>\n

Many of the newbies have bonded over the Caps\u2019 unorthodox skating drills, led by coach Wendy Marco. Lakovic called Marco\u2019s training sessions a major \u201cWelcome to the NHL\u201d moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe power skating yesterday. That humbled me quite a bit,\u201d he said. \u201c[Marco] knows what she\u2019s doing and you can see it works for the best players in the world. So if I get better at that, it\u2019s going to be a recipe for success, I would say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Off the ice, Lakovic and a group of fellow prospects have already explored Georgetown in their time off, though DC\u2019s summer humidity took some getting used to, especially compared to his hometown of Kelowna.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weather was kind of a rude awakening for myself,\u201d he said. \u201cBut where I\u2019m from, it\u2019s pretty hot. And I come here and it\u2019s still 30 degrees [Celsius], but it\u2019s got 90% humidity. I\u2019m like, what\u2019s going on here? I feel like I\u2019m in Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told reporters he was looking forward to seeing DC\u2019s Fourth of July celebrations, though he \u201cdidn\u2019t get the memo\u201d from the group of prospects trying to snag tickets to Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d tour this weekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From attending the draft in LA to getting his first taste of Capitals hockey in DC, Lakovic\u2019s been plenty busy over the past week, but he\u2019s still hanging on and enjoying the ride.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you kind of hear your name called, you\u2019re doing a bunch of things and it\u2019s all happening really fast all at one time,\u201d he explained. \u201cNext thing you know, you\u2019re on a flight the next morning out to Washington, a place you\u2019ve never been to before and you\u2019re meeting all these good players. So it is kind of coming at me fast, but I\u2019m really enjoying it and I love it here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t