Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie — Imagn ImagesThe Washington Capitals enter the 2025 NHL Draft in a good spot, with five selections to pick and some items to check off on their to-do list.
Washington has one pick in each of the first five rounds, selecting 27th, 37th, 73rd, 123rd and 155th overall. There are a number of names that the Capitals will consider, and as is usually the case, they will select the best player available rather than going by positional needs.
Here's The Hockey News' writeups on some of the top prospects available for the Capitals at No. 27:
Capitals Potential Picks
Forward Milton Gästrin
Forward Bill Zonnon
Defenseman Blake Fiddler
Washington could also choose to trade the 27th overall pick and remain open to that possibility, though it depends on what other teams have to offer. The Capitals remain in the hunt for another scoring winger, and if the right deal presents itself, D.C. could potentially move that pick or package it to make something happen.
Looking back at last year, Washington was among the more active teams at the draft, acquiring Logan Thompson and also trading up to take Cole Hutson as part of the retool on the fly. D.C. also traded back in later on to select Miroslav Satan Jr. in the seventh round.
The Capitals are thrilled with how their 2024 picks, including Hutson, Terik Parascak and Ilya Protas, among others, have played out and are looking forward to what 2025 holds, though D.C. admits this may be a "lighter" class.
The 2025 NHL Draft kicks off with the first round on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the final six rounds on Saturday starting at 12 p.m. ET.