With the Kamloops Blazers down 3-1 in their WHL playoff series, at least one of their players has something to write home about. The Washington Capitals have signed Garrett Pilon to a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract will start in the 2017-18 season, and Pilon will report to the Hershey Bears whenever Kamloops is eliminated.
Garrett is the son of former NHL defenseman Rich Pilon, who played 631 games in his career and registered 1745 penalty minutes. The younger version plays center and has much more skill than his father, scoring 65 points in 67 games this season for the Blazers. Pilon came into the WHL later than most, mainly because of his 5’2″ frame at the Bantam draft in 2013. Kamloops let him mature into his body—which now stands at 5’11” 188-lbs—before bringing him in last season.
The second-generation player was selected in the third round last summer, and has apparently impressed enough to earn an entry-level deal already. Pilon centered the Blazers’ best even-strength line for much of the year between Deven Sideroff (Anaheim) and Rudolfs Balcers (San Jose), racking up a +26 rating. He also was part of the second powerplay unit and killed penalties, showing off his two-way game in all situations. With an excellent shot and no fear of physical play, Pilon looks poised to make an impact at the professional level when he finally gets there.
Just 18, he’ll certainly return to Kamloops for next season and be moved into an even more important role. While Team Canada is a tough nut to crack at the World Juniors, he’ll try to earn a spot at the training camp next fall. For now, he’ll try to keep the Blazers alive tomorrow night against Kole Lind and the Kelowna Rockets.