The Washington Capitals remain focused on Alex Ovechkin's record chase, but they have started to add some interesting prospects to their pipeline.
The NHL prospect pool overview series is nearly over, continuing today with the Washington Capitals.
Tony Ferrari examines the Capitals' strengths and weaknesses, gives a quick overview of their latest draft class, shows their positional depth chart and examines who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for these exercises, except in very specific cases.
The Washington Capitals snuck into the playoffs last year, but make no mistake, this team is on the decline.
The most important thing for this team right now is getting Alex Ovechkin to the all-time goal-scoring record. Just 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, Ovechkin is poised to break it as soon as this season if he can play the way he did in the second half of the year.
That said, let’s look at who in the pipeline can help Ovechkin reach the record and who could be on the team after the record chase.
One player who will surely be ecstatic to be a part of Ovechkin’s record chase is Ivan Miroshnichenko. Over the last three years, the young Russian has gone from a top prospect in his draft year to a late first-round pick, battled and beat cancer, made his NHL debut and looked quite solid in his NHL stint to end last season.
Miroshnichenko has been through a lot, but he’s ready to take the NHL on in a full-time role next season. He plays with some physicality, winning pucks along the boards and then driving to the middle of the ice. His shot is wicked, bursting off his stick and picking corners.
The team’s top prospect is Ryan Leonard, the Boston College star who was a pivotal member of the best line in college hockey. His bull-in-a-china-shop style is a handful for defenders as he barrels toward them with the puck on his stick. He plays hockey like a running back in the NHL. He attacks defenders head-on, lowering his shoulder to go through them while being able to stickhandle around them. He could be a legitimate top-line player for this team in a couple of years and could join them at the end of the upcoming NCAA season.
After absolutely torching the WHL in each of the last two seasons to the tune of 206 points in 116 games, Andrew Cristall is heading into his final season of junior hockey. That kind of production would be typical of a top-10 pick, but Cristall was taken 40th overall a year ago because his skating is a concern. There were some marked improvements this past season, but he still has some work to do. With that said, Cristall is an incredible playmaker who can feather passes through the smallest of passing lanes. He has a wicked snap shot as well, scoring from all angles. Cristall’s potential is sky-high, but he must get a bit quicker to reach it.
Alexander Suzdalev is a highly skilled forward who excels when playing off a driver. He has great hands and uses his reach to protect the puck as he works through traffic. Suzdalev is a playmaker at heart, constantly looking to hit teammates in prime position to score. He started last season in the Allsvenskan, but after things didn’t quite work with Mora, he returned to the WHL and helped make the Saskatoon Blades even more dangerous.
Since being drafted in 2022, Ludwig Persson has struggled to find consistent success, especially at the pro level. Last season, however, he moved from Sweden to Finland to play in the Mestis and had a very successful season, putting up more than a point per game. The Finnish second level is quite a low-paced league, and racking up points isn’t particularly impressive, but it was a nice bounceback. He will look to replicate that success in the Liiga with Jukurit this season.
Vincent Iorio has played two pro seasons at the AHL level, and in each of them, he’s found his way into a handful of NHL games. His game isn’t exactly dynamic, but he always seems to find a way to break the puck out. Iorio uses his length defensively to dislodge possession and regain control of the puck. He projects as a bottom-pair defender but a solid one if he can continue to work the puck up ice in transition.
Although he’s never been an offensively gifted player, Ryan Chesley has done an excellent job of defending at the NCAA level. He’s been on the last two American world junior squads, providing a steady presence on the blueline just as he has at the University of Minnesota. He’s not the biggest defender, but he plays physically and always seems to know where the play is going, getting himself into position ahead of time.
Brent Johnson spent two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where he struggled to get playing time, which inspired him to transfer to Ohio State. He finally took the step many thought he would at the college level. Johnson reads play, gets to his spots and always seems to have a plan at both ends of the ice. Defensively, he’s always looking to cut play off in the neutral zone, stepping up and closing the gap before the attacker even gets to the offensive blueline. Another strong season at Ohio State should get him back on track developmentally.
It has been a rough go for Cam Allen. His draft year was plagued by injury and inconsistency, taking his stock from a potential top-15 pick to a fifth-round pick. Last year, after just 25 games, his season was cut short by an injury he couldn’t play through as he did the year before. In short, the last two years of development have not been kind to Allen. A once-promising offensive defenseman, Allen will look to get back on track this upcoming season, which will be important as he heads to the pro level the following year.
2024 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 17th overall - Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George (WHL)
Round 2, 43rd overall - Cole Hutson, LD, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Round 2, 52nd overall - Leon Muggli, LD, Zug (Swiss)
Round 3, 75th overall - Ilya Protas, LW, Des Moines (USHL)
Round 3, 90th overall - Eriks Mateiko, LW, Saint John (QMJHL)
Round 4, 114th overall - Nicholas Kempf, G, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Round 6, 178th overall - Petr Sikora, C, Trinec Jr. (Czech)
Round 7, 212th overall - Miroslav Satan, C, Bratislava Jr. (Slovakia)
The Capitals must nail their draft picks while they continue to find their way into the post-season. The Capitals must start looking toward the future as Ovechkin’s career is beginning to wind down.
The reception to this year’s draft picks was mixed when it came to finding value, but nonetheless, they made eight picks, including five in the top 100.
With the first-round pick, Washington took Terik Parascak, one of the most highly productive players in the draft class. His quick, one-touch offensive game was put in the perfect situation, playing with the top players of the Prince George Cougars. Parascak is at his best when he is the second- or third-best player on his line, allowing others to do the heavy lifting while he finds space, bumps pucks to his linemates and gets himself into scoring position. Parascak is a great support player, but his skating and pace of play are often areas of concern. If he can learn to drive play a bit more on his own and become a more effective player outside of the offensive zone, Parascak could be a very good complementary forward.
The Capitals had two second-round picks, with Cole Hutson being the first player selected. The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Lane Hutson, Cole is a dynamic offensive defender, but he’s not the same player as Lane. Cole Hutson is a bit more of a traditional passer from the blueline who activates when the opportunity arises. His brother is the wild child, the rover who carries the puck all over the offensive zone like a fourth forward. Cole’s defensive game is a bit more refined at this age as well. While he may lack the game-breaking element that his older brother has, he plays a slightly more projectable game that doesn't rely on being a top-end defenseman.
The second player Washington took in the second round was Swiss defender Leon Muggli. After appearing at the world juniors with Switzerland, Mugglu captained the U-18 team and put himself on the map. His fluid mobility immediately stands out when you see him play, but his instincts at both ends of the ice are what attracted the Capitals to his game. He must refine some of his puck skills and passing, but he has a solid base to work with.
Third-round pick Ilya Protas is the younger brother of Capitals’ forward Alexei Protas. The younger Protas has plenty of size and does his best around the net as a goal-scorer or around the slot as a playmaker who can make passes off his forehand or backhand. Protas has excellent skill as a one-touch passer as well. After a successful year in the USHL, Protas is heading to Windsor in the OHL for the upcoming season.
Later in the third round, the Capitals drafted Eriks Mateiko, a 6-foot-5 power forward who loves to engage physically with and without the puck. Mateiko must work on his mobility if he wants to play his game at the next level. The hulking Latvian attacks defenders head-on and uses his reach to draw them one way before passing out of pressure. His offensive game isn’t all that dynamic, but he can help generate offense with simple plays to the middle.
The USA Hockey National Team Development Program has developed some very good goalies over the last few years. Although Nicholas Kempf wasn’t quite as well-rounded and statistically successful as former NTDP netminders Spencer Knight and Trey Augustine, Kempf is a solid bet in the fourth round. His best stretch of play last year was his run at the U-18s, where he helped Team USA to a silver medal with a .919 save percentage. Adding a goalie to the system is always a good idea when you don’t have a solidified goalie of the future in the pipeline.
Petr Sikora plays a solid pro-style game with a high level of effort. When playing at the junior level in Czechia, the forward shows some dynamic passing and puckhandling, but when he plays at the pro level, he understands he must simplify things. With some patience, Sikora could be a solid bottom-six forward.
When the Capitals picked Miroslav Satan in the seventh round, they drafted one of the most raw and interesting forwards in the draft class. Satan is massive, standing 6-foot-7, but he needs to add some weight to his frame as he is only about 200 pounds. He can fly up the ice and create some havoc because of it. He is good defensively because of his length and ability to pick pucks off his opponents' sticks. If Satan can refine his puck skill, he could be a late-round steal.
Strengths
It’s fitting that the team with arguably one of the best left wingers of all-time, Alexander Ovechkin, has a strong pipeline of left wingers coming to the NHL.
Miroshnichenko has made it known that playing with Ovechkin is a dream come true, and this season should see him get that opportunity full-time.
Cristall is one of the most talented players in all of junior hockey, and we could see him light the WHL on fire statistically this upcoming season.
Suzdalev has become an interesting complementary player who connects plays and makes life easier on linemates. Persson is set to play at the Liiga level this year after tearing up the Finnish second level on loan last year.
Along with Protas and Mateiko, who were added at June's draft, the Caps have quite a few prospects on the left side up front.
Weaknesses
Center depth has long been an issue for the Caps. Now that Hendrix Lapierre has graduated to the NHL roster, it goes back to being their biggest weakness.
They don’t have any high-end prospects down the middle unless you buy into the theory that Leonard will move to center. Even if he does succeed in his effort to play center, the Caps have a bunch of long-shot prospects behind him. They need to find a long-term answer down the middle in upcoming drafts.
Next Man Up: Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW
After everything he’s gone through, Miroshnichenko will be pushing for an NHL spot in training camp, and even if he doesn’t lock down a spot to start the season, he will likely be the first call-up among forwards.
His versatile game will allow him to play a checking role in the bottom six, using his physicality and competitive level to play effective minutes. If they need someone to play up in the lineup, he has a lethal shot and loves to play to the inside, where he can draw defenders and open up space for teammates.
It would come as no surprise if Miroshnichenko was a pivotal piece of the puzzle by the end of the season.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Ivan Miroshnichenko, Alexander Suzdalev, Andrew Cristall, Ludwig Persson, Ilya Protas, Eriks Mateiko
C: Ryan Hofer, Petr Sykora, Patrick Thomas, Miroslav Satan, Haakon Henelt
RW: Ryan Leonard, Terik Parascak, Patrick Dube, Henrik Rybinski
LD: Cole Hutson, Leon Muggli, David Gucciardi, Joakim Lemay
RD: Vincent Iorio, Ryan Chesley, Brent Johnson, Cam Allen,
G: Garin Bjorklund, Nicholas Kempf, Antoine Keller, Chase Clark
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Future Watch and upcoming Yearbook print editions in The Hockey News. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.