ESTERO, Fla. – The idea came to Troy Mann this summer before Washington Capitals development camp, when he scanned the roster of attending prospects, plucked out three in particular and seized an opportunity.
Center Chandler Stephenson had adopted a primarily checking-line and penalty-killing role under Mann with the Hershey Bears last season, but the coaching staff believed he had more firepower lurking beneath. Right winger Riley Barber was headed to the AHL this year, fresh from the collegiate ranks at Miami (Ohio) University, viewed by the organization as a top-six forward on an offensive line. And everyone understood the potential of left winger Jakub Vrana, the former first-round draft pick with the slick hands and bullet-train speed.