The Washington Capitals have taken Ryan Leonard No. 8 in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The Washington Capitals decided to take Ryan Leonard with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Leonard, a 6-0, 190-pound forward, plays the game with power and brings versatility, grit and talent to the table. He can get to the dirty areas of the ice, log heavy minutes and possesses an impressive shot. He is also a dangerous player with quite hands and impressive skating ability.
He has also been compared to Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and some scouting reports have also cited that he plays a similar game to J.T. Miller and Olivier Bjorkstrand.
The right winger comes from the U.S. National Team Development Program and had 51 goals and 43 assists for 94 points in 57 games this season, along with a plus-minus rating of plus-77. He had 20 points in 17 USHL games to boot. He is committed to play at Boston College in the fall.
There was intrigue as to whether Michkov, the draft's most enigmatic prospect, would make it all the way down to Washington, who was reportedly "seriously aimed" at taking him. There were concerns that led to him falling, including his KHL contract through 2026, alleged character concerns and the difficulty meeting with him over the course of the regular season, led his draft stock to drop. Philadelphia took him, though, at No. 7.
There were rumblings that the Capitals were exploring avenues to move up, but the team ended up staying pat to take Leonard.