Siegenthaler Settling into His Role with Caps

During the Capitals training camp and while suiting up in four preseason games for the Washington Capitals, rookie defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler impressed the Caps brass with his play. And while the 21-year old didn't make the 23-man roster on Opening Night, he left a positive impression on the Caps management and coaching staff.

Siegenthaler, who was sent down to Hershey on Oct. 2, was disappointed at first, but used his opportunity with the Hershey Bears to his advantage, playing in all situations and logging heavy minutes as one of the Bears top defensemen. In 14 games with Hershey, Siegenthaler recorded two assists
"He's continuing to grow right in front of our eyes," coach Todd Reirden said of Siegenthaler. "What he did in preseason was impressive, but this is at a different level, a different intensity. He's definitely earning more ice time and responsibility."
Reirden praised the Capitals front office and the Hershey coaching staff for finding and developing talent, respectively. He believes Siegenthaler's maturation has embodied that process, especially over the last few games as he's been paired with Madison Bowey, a fellow recent Hershey prospect.
"I don't think he's looked out of place at all," Reirden said. "It's great to see a player be patient, spend time in the minors and continue to refine their game. It's unfortunate that [his promotion to the Capitals] comes at the expense of injuries, but elite teams have to be [deep]."
Siegenthaler has skated in three of the Capitals last four games as the team's dealt with more injuries and corresponding roster shakeups. He's logged at least 14 minutes on the ice in that span, with a career-high 21 shifts in each of the last two outings.
Most memorably, he registered his first career point in Carolina on Dec. 14, nudging a short swift pass to Alex Ovechkin for a one-timer in the eventual 6-5 shootout win.
"When I got the puck on the blue line, I saw him opening up for a (one-timer)," Siegenthaler said. "I was like, yeah, I don't think there's a better guy to pass it to. Setting up Ovi for a (one-timer) doesn't feel bad … it's pretty amazing."
But perhaps not shocking. Siegenthaler's biggest stride, coaches and teammates said, was not so much from his NHL debut to now, but from training camp last year versus this year. He arrived in top physical condition this summer and looked comfortable in exhibition games.

In four preseason contests Siegenthaler recorded 15 hits, tied for 11th in the NHL, while adding seven blocked shots and two takeaways. He seemed to gain confidence from that stretch and use it in Hershey, only to arrive in Washington more prepared.
"He wasn't stressing things as much, just adding a little more urgency to his game," Braden Holtby said of Siegenthaler's performance in camp. "The NHL happens quicker, you have to make quick reads, and he has that ability. I think he realized that, practiced it in Hershey and came up here and played really well."
"I thought he looked comfortable right away," Matt Niskanen said. "He moves the puck with confidence, strong in the corners in his battles, and he's been in the right position in all situations."
Siegenthaler is not taking anything for granted, watching tape and finding areas to improve as he settles more into his role. He said he's less nervous before games now, less worried about making mistakes and looks to be more physical on opponent's forwards. He wants to play more physical and add to his collection of eight hits. But for the most part, he's just focused on doing all of the little things right to stay on this trajectory.
"If you keep working on the details, and getting in better habits, you'll notice the improvement in the game," Siegenthaler said.