Capitals Development Camp Day 1 Notebook: Leonard Shines, Cristall's Progress, A Lot Of Skating, New Kids In Town & Holtby Returns

ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals prospects knew they were in for an intense first day of development camp when they saw Wendy Marco take the ice, carrying tires and agility ladders made of hockey sticks.

No nets. No pucks.

Unless you were a goalie, it was all skating, all day. And the kids were up to the challenge.

And after a five-minute skate around, Marco and the kids got to work on the Capitals rink.

Washington's prospects started off with some edge work, working on using just one leg to get from end to end. They went around tires strategically placed around the rink and showcased their skill, and though several players wobbled, stumbled or even fell, Marco encouraged them to continue to push their limits while players cheered one another on.

Experienced campers Brent Johnson, Joaquim Lemay, Ryan Chesley and Haakon Hanelt earned a lot of credit here, as they led their respective lines. Lemay also looked exceptionally strong over the course of the day.

Ryan Leonard also shined when it came to his edge work, while Andrew Cristall took a big step forward. One player who was all smiles during the strenuous session: Leon Muggli, whose spirits remained high despite losing an edge.

The players then took those tires and each held one on their stick, pushing it along as they skated as hard as they could from one end of the ice to the other. Leonard again shined, leading the pack and showcasing his speed and strength.

Then, it was time to test agility, as agility ladders got sprawled across the rink with players going to work on different stations. It tested lateral movement and an explosive first stride.

Leonard again stood out here, but 2024 first-round selection Terik Parascak also looked strong on his blades.

Zac Funk, who openly admitted that it was a tough but fulfilling first day with Marco, also looked solid in his first on-ice session in D.C. since signing with the organization.

Players like Miroslav Satan Jr., for being 6-foot-7, showed promise as he continues to work on fine-tuning his skating.

Then, things ended with the metronome test, where players time their stride with the sound of each beep that plays over the speakers.

Players did well when it came to skating with pace, especially Cristall, who Marco acknowledged has improved tremendously since first arriving in D.C. last season.

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While all this was unfolding, the goaltenders were on the other rink working with a number of goaltending coaches, but one stood out among the others: Braden Holtby.

Holtby is a guest coach for this week's camp, working closely alongside Scott Murray and the netminders, who worked on facing shots, lateral movement and much more.

Day 2 includes skills work and will kick off at 9:15 a.m. on Monday.