The Washington Capitals just had two consecutive picks in the middle of the second round: the 46th overall selection which the Caps acquired from the Marcus Johansson trade and the 47th overall pick from the Colorado Avalanche that they received in the Philipp Grubauer/Brooks Orpik trade Friday.
The Capitals used pick number 46 to select Slovakian defenseman Martin Fehérváry from the SHL’s Husqvarna Vätterstad 1971. With pick number 47, they selected Kody Clark from the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.
With the 46th Pick, the Washington Capitals select defenseman Martin Fehervary. With the 47th Pick, the Washington Capitals select right wing Kody Clark. #ALLCAPS #CapsDraft
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 23, 2018
Fehérváry, who was originally born in Bratislava, Slovakia, is a six-foot, two-inch, 194-pound player who was ranked as the 15th best European skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Fehervary and Caps brass pic.twitter.com/QrV8gvRCY0
— Chris Gordon (@bychrisgordon) June 23, 2018
Fehérváry played one game for Husqvarna Vätterstad 1971 on loan from IK Oskarshamn of the Allsvenskan or Sweden-2 league. The 18-year-old Slovak had seven points in 42 games there, including one goal. He also had a goal and three points in eight playoff games.
The prospect is signed with Husqvarna Vätterstad 1971 until 2020.
According to Elite Prospects, the defenseman also played seven games for Slovakia during the World Championship, making him one of the country’s best defensemen already at age 18. He also was on Slovakia’s U20 World Junior Championship team, tallying two points in five games.
Here’s Fehérváry’s interview with Caps media.
#CapsDraft pick (2nd Round, 46th Overall) Martin Fehervary talks to the media from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/JeAo9juoX7
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 23, 2018
Kody Clark, who the Caps took with pick number 47, is the son of former Leafs great Wendel Clark, who was picked first overall in 1985 and recorded 564 points in 793 NHL games.
Clark had 18 goals and 39 points in 56 games last season for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.
The NHL’s scouting report said this about Clark (in #ALLCAPS).
- CLARK COLLECTED 18-21—39 WITH THE OTTAWA 67’S IN THE 2017-18 REGULAR SEASON (56 GP), INCLUDING 7-5—12 THROUGH THE OPENING 15 GAMES TO ECLIPSE THE POINT TOTAL FROM HIS ENTIRE 2016-17 ROOKIE CAMPAIGN (7-4—11 IN 57 GP).
- HE HAS BEEN A PART OF CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS THROUGHOUT MINOR HOCKEY. IN 2014-15, HE CAPTURED GREATER TORONTO HOCKEY LEAGUE AND OHL CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH THE TORONTO MARLBOROS MINOR MIDGET AAA TEAM. IN 2015-16, HE CAPTURED A CONFERENCE OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS OF ONTARIO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CISAA) TITLE WITH ST. ANDREW’S COLLEGE.
- HIS FATHER, WENDEL CLARK, WAS SELECTED FIRST OVERALL BY THE MAPLE LEAFS IN 1985 AND RECORDED 330-234—564 IN 793 CAREER NHL GAMES WITH THE MAPLE LEAFS, NORDIQUES, ISLANDERS, RED WINGS, LIGHTNING AND BLACKHAWKS.
- MODELS HIS STYLE OF PLAY AFTER MAPLE LEAFS FORWARD CONNOR BROWN.
The Capitals went slightly off the board to take Clark. Clark was ranked the 34th overall North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and was ranked the 73rd overall player by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
The Capitals traded away their original second-round pick, the number 62 overall selection, to the Montreal Canadiens for Lars Eller.
Washington picks Martin Fehervary (2nd Round, 46th Overall) and Kody Clark (2nd Round, 47th Overall)! #ALLCAPS #CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/5TGbYksN6K
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 23, 2018
Chris Gordon contributed to this article from Dallas.
Headline photo: @Capitals
