The Madison Capitols struggled this past season. Plain and simple. There were several games where the Capitols were right there but just couldn’t hold on until the end or ended up falling short by just one goal. They traded away some of their better players throughout the shortened USHL season in hopes of a brighter 2020-21 season. Although they traded away some players, there are still two who will be selected in this year’s NHL Draft.
Carson Bantle – Left Wing
Described as a potential steal in this year’s NHL Draft, Carson has huge upside for a projected third-round pick. This past season in the USHL, he scored 49 points in 49 games which led to him being ranked #75 by McKeen’s Hockey and #104 by the NHL Central Scouting Combine for North American Skaters.
The 6’4″ left winger is a big, physical player who understands the ins and outs of shooting lanes and loves putting the puck on net. At the moment, scouts are hoping he gets a better first step and faster, but they love that even in fast-paced situations, he was still able to compete at a high level. He is projected to be taken in the third round but could be taken as high as the second due to his huge upside.
Ryan Kirwan – Left Wing
Another big winger from the Madison Capitols is Ryan Kirwan. Although he didn’t light up the scoring column last year in the USHL, he’s a big, physical player with above average puck skills. Similar to his teammate Carson, scouts are also hoping he can improve his first step and explosiveness. He’s ranked as a “C” skater and #194 by McKeen’s Hockey. He will likely be a late fifth to sixth-round pick on draft night.
In a longer USHL season, the Capitols may have been able to turn things around slightly to get out of the last place position. Next year is another year and the future is bright for this young team.
Follow me on Twitter @NwinansW along with @JRHockeyPodcast for more hockey information.
