With Michal Kempny out to start the season the Capitals had to find someone to pair with John Carlson on the top D pairing until he returned. The man that won that job was Jonas Siegenthaler. The 22-year-old did fine in that role, but top defensive pair minutes and responsibilities were probably a little too much for him.
That’s not a knock on him. There are very, very few players in the game that can jump right in and play top line or top pair minutes. To expect a young player to come in and play against top competition and excel is wishful thinking.