Jonas Siegenthaler
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my
ship.”
-- Louisa May Alcott
When the 2015 NHL Central Scouting final rankings of international skaters was released, Jonas Siegenthaler of Switzerland was ranked 12th among all skaters and fourth among all international defensemen, behind Gabriel Carlsson (second overall), Jacob Larsson (third), and Oliver Kylington (sixth). As things turned out, Siegenthaler would be the 19th defenseman taken in the 2015 Entry Draft, 57th overall by the Washington Capitals. That he did not go higher might have been a product of what were perceived as his offensive limitations. Whatever those limitations were, however, the Caps saw something in this prospect, trading the 62nd and 113th overall picks in the 2015 draft to the New York Rangers to move up and select Siegenthaler (in an historical footnote, the Rangers selected Robin Kovacs and Brad Morrison with the picks they received).
Siegenthaler then moved up the organizational ladder, wrapping up his apprenticeship in Europe, and then with the Hershey Bears, before joining the Caps for the 2018-2019 season. He played in 26 games in his first season in Washington, posting a 0-4-4, plus-6 scoring line in the regular season and no points with an even rating in four postseason games.
His playing 26 games last season prevented Siegenthaler from carrying rookie status into the 2019-2020 season, but his first full season in the NHL was a solid one, nevertheless. He dressed for 64 of the Caps’ 69 games (fourth most among defensemen), posted nine points (fifth), a plus-11 rating (fourth), averaged 15:44 in ice time (sixth among defensemen playing in more than ten games), 3.03 hits per 60 minutes (third among defensemen appearing in more than ten games), and 6.25 blocked shots per 60 minutes (first).
Fearless’ Take…
Jonas Siegenthaler has completed two NHL seasons at age 23. In the span of Capitals history, his beginnings stack up rather well with his predecessors on defense for the team at a similar stage of development. He has played in more games (90) than did Nate Schmidt (68) or Christian Djoos (63) at similar ages and development. He has more points (13) than Schmidt (10) or Ken Klee (4) had. He has a better plus-minus rating (plus-17) than Djoos (plus-13), Dmitry Orlov (plus-5), or Schmidt (plus-2) had. And, he was not a liability, at least in terms of the balance of shot attempts. His own shot attempts-for percentage at 5-on-5 (50.0) allowed the Caps to have nine defensemen at or over 50 percent for the season. He was not intimidated in road games, either, going 1-2-3, plus-9 away from Capital One Arena (1-5-6, plus-2 at home).
Cheerless’ Take…
Siegenthaler has not yet displayed much in the offensive end of the rink, but he went without a point in his last 20 games of the regular season. He went without a goal in his last 28 games. And, he had only one point in 24 games against Metropolitan Division teams (a goal against the New Jersey Devils on December 20th in a 6-3- win).
Odd Siegenthaler Fact… The Caps were 19-4-5 in the 28 games in which Siegenthaler did not record a shot on goal.
Odd Siegenthaler Fact II… Washington was 10-4-1 in the 15 games in which Siegenthaler was not credited with a blocked shot.
Odd Siegenthaler Fact III… Siegenthaler had five points against Atlantic Division teams this season, four against the other three divisions combined.
Game to Remember… November 9, 2019. On November 9, 2018, Jonas Siegenthaler made his NHL debut, skating 12 minutes in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a game in which he did not record a point. The first anniversary of his NHL debut would prove to be a happier occasion. The Caps were hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena, and they got off to a hot start. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored less than a minute into the contest, and Tom Wilson added a goal five minutes later for a 2-0 Caps lead. Max Pacioretty got one back for the visitors, but the Caps took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
The teams skated most of the second period to a stand-off, but the Caps broke through late. Travis Boyd knocked down a clearing attempt by Shea Theodore and settled the puck along the right wing wall. With time and indecision by the Vegas defense to step on him on his side, Boyd found Siegenthaler darting down the left side in open ice. He hit the defenseman in stride, allowing Siegenthaler to step up and wrist a shot past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for his first NHL goal to give the Caps a 3-1 lead. Vegas got it back less than two minutes later, but Nicklas Backstrom scored twice in the third period, once into an empty net, to give the Caps a 5-2 win and make Jonas Siegenthaler’s first NHL goal a game-winner.
Game to Forget… February 2, 2020. Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins is always a big deal, for veterans and youngsters alike, and no one wants the occasion to go by without making a difference. Unfortunately for Jonas Siegenthaler, this was not a night on which he would get much of an opportunity to make a difference, and what opportunities he did have went by with little worthy of notice. The Caps scored first, thanks to a Lars Eller goal, but the Penguins tied the game just over a minute later (earning Siegenthaler a “minus”). Then they scored again a minute later, and again midway through the second period to take a 3-1 lead. The Caps closed to within a goal twice more but could not get the equalizer in a 4-3 loss. Siegenthaler finished without a point, minus-1, took a penalty, recorded two shots on goal, and was credited with one blocked shot in 11:28 of ice time, six minutes fewer than any other defenseman and third lowest total for his season.
Postseason…
Seven games, no points, minus-7, four giveaways and only one takeaway, averaging 13:54 in ice time (more than two minutes less than he averaged in last season’s playoffs). He was not alone in having a forgettable performance, but forgettable it was, save for the experience of it a young player might build from.
Looking Ahead…
Jonas Siegenthaler wrapped up a three-year contract with a cap hit of $714,166 this past season. He is now a restricted free agent without arbitration rights. It seems unlikely that renewing his service with the club will be much of an issue, which is a good thing for the club. He is six or more years younger than any of the Caps defensemen regulars this season. Renewing him gives him a chance to serve as part of the next generation of young defenders that the Caps need in the short term.
In the end…
Jonas Siegenthaler might never be a go-to contributor at the offensive end of the ice, but he has shown an ability to play responsibly in his own end with a level of maturity greater than his 23 years and two seasons of experience might suggest. The Caps have a group of defensemen returning, or who could return, at roughly the same age (John Carlson and Michal Kempny at age 30; Dmitry Orlov, Nick Jensen, and Brenden Dillon at age 29). Siegenthaler, along with Martin Fehervary, could be a critical element in keeping the defense fresh and effective as the Caps try to remain competitive over the next few years.
Grade: B
Photo: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post
