ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals aren't ruling anything out concerning their first-round pick entering the 2025 NHL Draft. Washington will select 27th overall after being eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and there could be more flexibility when it comes to what to do with that selection. "I think you have to be open to all options," general manager Chris Patrick said. Washington has put itself in a good position over the last handful of seasons with its prospects, bringing on Andrew Cristall, Terik Parascak, Ilya Protas, Cole Hutson and a number of other names that have been making noise and proving to be ready to make the jump sooner rather than later. The team also has built impressive goaltending depth with Clay Stevenson, Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund and Antoine Keller coming up the pipeline. That said, it may be easier to part with that first-round pick for a piece that can possibly slot in right away. "Given the prospects we have, does it make it a little more palatable? Potentially," Patrick said. Ultimately, though, the Capitals have been scouting and have names on their radar, and their decision may come down to the wire depending on who's left to choose from. "I think you also get a sense for what might be there when you're picking, and that can also factor into it as well," Patrick said. "What might be there maybe is something that's kind of duplicative with what you already have. So, yeah, we'll try to be creative with what we can do." The 2025 NHL Draft will be from June 27-28 in Los Angeles at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater.
