"It's everything I could ask for," Cristall said of being taken by the Capitals.
When the Washington Capitals called Andrew Cristall's name at No. 40, several believed that it was one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NHL Draft so far. Cristall's ready to make that belief a reality.
The winger was one of the higher-ranked North American skaters in this year's draft, prominent for his elite playmaking ability, creativity and ability to make the most out of the time and space available to him.
Though he could have arguably gone higher, he's happy that the landing spot turned out to be the nation's capital, where his good family friend, Vincent Iorio, is making waves.
"It's everything I could ever ask for," Cristall told reporters in Nashville.
Cristall is coming off a stellar year with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets, where he put up 39 goals and 56 assists for 95 points in 54 games. His high hockey IQ and incredible plays took the league by storm and also impressed former teammate Connor Bedard.
"He's probably the smartest hockey player I've gotten to play with... he's a special player, and he's going to make a team really happy," Bedard told reporters at the 2023 NHL Combine, via colleague Matt Weyrich.
Cristall fell in love with the game growing up, while also watching hockey nonstop and practicing for hours on end in the backyard and on the ice. He has tried to model his game after Nikita Kucherov and Mitch Marner and also draws inspiration from Nicklas Backstrom and his playmaking ability.
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When it comes to what he brings to the table, Cristall explained that he's exactly what teams want: a top-6 contributor who can make the highlight reels and be an X-Factor on a nightly basis.
"I'm a highly-skilled offensive player. I can produce at a high rate, I like to bring people out of their seats and most importantly, win hockey games," Cristall added.
The 5-10, 167-pound forward said that there's still work to do when it comes to his skating and adding to his frame, but otherwise, is confident that he can make an impact and make his mark in the Capitals organization.
“I feel like when I’m at the top of my game, I always have the puck on my stick and I’m making plays and I can find the right spots to make a pass or take a shot and score," he said, adding, "I'm ready to prove Washington right."