Next in our annual Washington Capitals review and forecast series is… Martin “Hugo”, defenseman for the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL., defenseman for the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. (You can access all of the Capitals’ prospects reports and player analysis on our “Prospects” page here.)
Vitals
Has, 6′-4, right defense from the Czech Republic, was selected 153rd in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Capitals (Has was traded by Capitals). The 22-year-old was not signed by the Capitals in 2022 but signed a one-year contract with the Hershey Bears on October 8, 2022.
Career summary
A senior two-way defenseman, he spent 2014-2017 with the HC Sparta Praha program, appearing in 88 games, tallying 15 goals and 24 assists, all while often competing against players two and three years older than him. For the next two seasons, he played for the Tappara U20 team of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, playing in 84 games and scoring 32 points.
After a strong 2018-2019 season with the Tappara U20, he’s headed to Vancouver for the 2019 NHL competition. While traveling to the West, he ran into a little problem.
“I was there to enlist in Vancouver, but I didn’t bring my luggage, so I had to borrow a suit,” he said, laughing.
Dressed appropriately for the occasion, he waited until the fifth round when the Washington Capitals finally called his name and made him an NHL prospect with the 153rd pick.
The 2019-2020 season was a whirlwind for her. After being selected 153rd in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Capitals, Has was then selected by the OHL’s North Bay Battalion in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2019 CHL Import Draft. (Existing clubs allowed in the OHL has two import players on their roster). He was one of only 12 players selected by CHL teams, who were actually drafted by NHL organizations.
He started the 2019-2020 season with the Tappara U20 team, scoring a goal in two matches, but was later called up to the Liiga with Tappara for five matches. He had a goal and an assist before being loaned out to Koovee in the Finnish league Mestis where he played in 13 matches scoring a goal and was +4.
Kouve then left for the World Junior Championships where he played in the Czech Republic’s top defensive duo, scoring a goal and three points in five games. After the World Junior Series, he was loaned out by the Capitals to the North Bay Battalion, where he played one game before being traded to the Guelph Storm.
His time with the Storm lasted only twenty games before the league closed due to the pandemic, but it was a valuable time to learn the differences between the European and North American ices.
“I had to get used to the smaller rink and the physical games,” said Haas. “The game is more physical in North America; in Finland, there was a lot more tactics, and here it’s more about playing hockey.”
The 2020-21 season was a relatively uneventful one for Has. Due to the pandemic, he was only playing in nine games in the calendar year. He reported to the Czech Republic U-20 team’s training camp in late November and played in five matches at the 2021 World Junior Championships. Before making the switch to his national team, he played four matches with HC Benatky nad Jizerou in the Czech second division.
He played a full season in 2021-22, including 57 regular season games and 16 postseason games for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL. He played the entire season on the right side of Shawinigan’s top defensive duo. Offensively, he scored 8 goals and 12 assists in 57 games.
Haas and Schwinnigan eventually won the QMJHL title on June 11. He recorded two goals and four assists in 16 post-season games.
The Capitals did not sign him before their rights expired, but Ears Hershey signed him to a deal before the start of the 2022-23 season. She had a solid start to the season, but was in and out of the squad at times in the second half of the season. He scored three goals, nine assists and was a plus-3 in 50 games played for the Rays. He participated in four of the Stingrays’ five postseason games, recording two assists on four shots and was a plus/minus score.
Monthly summary and analysis of trends from 2022 to 2023
Below is a compilation of our monthly odds roundup for Martin Haas during the 2022-2023 season. Also includes his monthly grades (0-5, with a 2.5 on average). You can find all of your monthly leads on the “Prospects” page in the top menu.
October
He suffered an injury in the first period of the first preseason game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 5, and would not play again in the preseason.
According to Bears radio, Martin has not been on the ice since the first period. Possibly dealing with an injury. #HBH # the capper
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) October 5, 2022
Hershey reassigned Has to South Carolina on October 26. The move was made to get him playing time. The former Shawinigan Cataracte was fit in one game with the Stingrays, and made an immediate impact, offensively. Scored the first goal of the game for South Carolina in the second period at Greenville Stadium.
Martin Hash, welcome to Rays 👊 pic.twitter.com/O7l9c3zDKK
– SC Stingrays (SCStingrays) October 30, 2022
He was a minus in that game, but the Stingrays lost the game 9-3 and there were players who were -3 and -4 in the contest. He will remain in the ECHL for the time being to gain experience. He could see time with the Bears later in the season.
Monthly score: 3.0
November
He was intact in eight games with South Carolina for the month. He’s been seeing time in the top defensive duo with Chaz Reddekop. It received a plus/minus rating for the month of November.
Monthly score: 3.0
December
He received his first call-up to the AHL, but did not participate in a game while in Hershey and was then sent back to South Carolina.
The Czech defender has three points this season and has appeared in 19 matches. He has more than just a defensive lineman at home. Some nights, he plays in the top defensive duo and some nights, he plays in the second duo.
Monthly score: 3.0
January
He entered the month of January with three points for the season. It exceeded that total in the first month of 2023. The upward blue line I collected four points in January. Scored a powerful goal on January 20th in Jacksonville.
The Czech-born defender then had a two-point game against Atlanta on January 21. In that game, he had a minor assist on Carter Turnbull’s second and third inning runs off Alexandre Fortin. He added an assist on Bear Hughes’ second-period goal against Jacksonville on January 2. Defensively, the Czech Prague native plays in the top four every night.
Monthly score: 3.0
February
The Czech defender spent most of February in South Carolina’s second defensive double and saw penalty time. He was also a healthy scratch in several games.
He hit a powerful third period touchdown against Greenville on February 10. This was his third tally this season. Ex Shawnigan Cataracts He also had the key assist on Jackson Leppard’s first goal of the first half at Atlanta on February 14 he have Six assists in the campaign.
Monthly score: 2.5
He walks
He was out of the Stingrays’ lineup for most of March. It’s not clear if he’s dealing with an injury or just a healthy scratch. When he was in the lineup, Has floated around the defensive doubles played on all three.
He has appeared in 41 games this season for the Stingrays, scoring three goals and eight assists.
Monthly score: 2.0
April
He scored three goals, nine assists and was a plus-3 in 50 games played for the Rays. He participated in four of the Stingrays’ five postseason games, recording two assists on four shots and was a plus/minus score.
Monthly score: 2.5
Summary of monthly results
player expectation
The Capitals organization is once again facing a decision regarding Has. Did they sign him to another year with Hershey?
One look at his Elite Prospects table (above) and you can easily see he has a lot of valuable hockey experience under his belt, all by the age of 22. His 22 years include a full season away from the game due to COVID.
He should get another year to try and work his way up to the Bears roster. He has the perfect physique for a defenceman and is a solid defensive lineman who can be trusted with two shutout minutes. He will never score a lot of points, this is not his game.
Written by John Sorensen
Related reading
Martin Hugo being interviewed by CHL
The Capitals get Martin Has with the 153rd overall pick
Martin Hugo scored three points in the Czech Republic’s 4-3 loss to Germany at the World Junior Championships
Jarrett Bailon has a three-goal weekend; Aliaksei Protas returns to the WHL; Conor McMichael and Martin Hugo score points in World Juniors: Week 15 Prediction Report
Capitals defensive prospect Martin Hugo made an official transfer to the OHL’s North Bay Battalion
Capitals Defensive Prospect Martin Hugo has moved to the OHL Guelph Storm
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