Development camp 2018 has come and gone, and with that it’s time to unveil our Penalty Box Radio development camp awards.
Obviously, Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro were the clear-cut standouts, and with good reason. However, several players made an impact throughout the week and we narrowed down our winners to the best of the best.
Standout of the week: Tyler Moy
Photo credit: Michael Gallagher / Penalty Box Radio
Moy is one of the “veteran” players at camp, having been through this process before. Last year, he turned some heads with some moments of offensive brilliance. This time around, Moy wowed the entire week. His shot looks more accurate and he has taken a step forward offensively.
Moy appears to have turned the corner in his development, and heading into his second full season with the Milwaukee Admirals, he can really take the next step forward as one of the top prospects in the organization. Moy scored six goals and 16 points last year and should easily surpass those numbers in 2018.
Breakout player: Zach Magwood
Future Filip or Magwood? #PredsDevCamp pic.twitter.com/02fc2AWyhC
— Lauren Colbert (@LaurenColbert_) July 1, 2018
Raise your hand if you knew who Zach Magwood was before the future stars game. You’re lying. Magwood was a relative unknown, that is until he scored a hat trick in the future stars game Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
Every year a player or two takes full advantage of a camp invite, turns some heads and eventually earns a pro contract. Last year, Tyler Kelleher came in on a tryout and impressed everyone at development camp. Magwood is this year’s Kelleher. His performance could possibly earn a contract with the Admirals as they are working to find bodies to fill out a roster.
Best forward (not named Eeli Tolvanen): Patrick Harper
Photo Credit: Michael Gallagher / Penalty Box Radio
Although he missed the first two days of development camp, Patrick Harper turned some heads when he was on the ice. After missing the last half of Boston University’s season due to illness, Harper looked great in his return to the ice.
During forward drills on Thursday, Harper showcased world-class stick handling and puck skills and showed that he hasn’t missed a beat despite seeing extended time away from the ice. Speaking to reporters after the on-ice sessions, he exuded confidence and determination to raise the bar even higher for himself in 2018.
Best defenseman (not named Dante Fabbro): Frederic Allard
Photo Credit: Michael Gallagher / Penalty Box Radio
Allard was someone who looked impressive all week. His offensive numbers improved every year in the junior leagues and he scored eight goals and 24 points in his first year in Milwaukee.
Defending offensively-gifted players during the week such as Tolvanen, Harper, Grant Mismash and Yakov Trenin, Allard held his own. He often gets overlooked with the likes of Fabbro, Alex Carrier and Jack Dougherty in the pipeline, but he now has an opportunity to take a jump to the top of the defensive depth chart.
Milwaukee is going through an organization face lift and now might be the best time for Allard to become not only a leader in Milwaukee, but its top defenseman.
Best goaltender: Tomáš Vomáčka
This must’ve been from the children’s class. Start ‘em young. pic.twitter.com/LNXWw4OGcX
— Lauren Colbert (@LaurenColbert_) June 29, 2018
Vomáčka gets the nod here not just because of how impressive he was on the ice, but of everyone at development camp, Vomáčka stood out because of his personality. For example, he was spotted wearing sunglasses under his goalie helmet before warmups (which we learned was part of a drill). Then, he army crawled out of the goal to catch a puck during drills. He is always laughing and has never met an interview he wouldn’t take.
On the ice, he looked sharp, quick and much improved from last year. During the future stars game, he stopped several shots and made quite a few acrobatic stops that would make Pekka Rinne smile. Although he is only 19, Vomáčka has the makings of a future star.
View highlights from the Future Stars game.
