The Washington Capitals are in a dogfight in the Metropolitan Division standings with 56 points in 52 games played. The Carolina Hurricanes, Washington’s second-round opponent last spring, are the only team to emerge from the bracket with 67 points in 51 games. As the team battles to return to the NHL playoffs, a well-stocked cupboard of Capitals prospects continues to develop and provide an optimistic future for the red, white and blue.
Capitals’ 2025 NHL Draft Report
Jackson Crowder, op fifth-round pick at the 2025 NHL Draft appears to be on track to be a potential late-round steal for Washington. The 18-year-old center scored 21 points in 24 games for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL), up from 14 points in 25 games in 2024-2025. Crowder will transition to the college scene to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA) in the 2026-2027 season.
Lynden Lakovic, Washington’s top draft pick last summer, is currently captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The 19-year-old has recorded 29 points in 22 games in his final season in the league. With the Western League trade deadline having passed, Lakovic will see out the remainder of the 2025-26 season in pursuit of a postseason spot with Moose Jaw.
Maxim Schafer, a third-round pick out of Washington, has collected 30 points in 32 games for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The 18-year-old winger recorded three points in five games for Germany at the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC).
Hutson Inbound after his second NCAA season?
Cole Hutson, a second-round selection at the 2024 NHL Draft, could have made Washington’s roster had he not returned to Boston College to chase an NCAA championship that Ryan Leonard and friends missed last spring. The 19-year-old has produced a point-per-game pace with 23 points for the Eagles in 23 NCAA games.
Huston scored four points in three games for Team USA at the 2026 WJC, in which the blueliner’s scary-looking injury was as big a story as the team’s disappointing quarter-final exit on home soil.
Terik Parascak, the Capitals’ 17th overall pick in 2024, continues to dominate in the WHL. The 19-year-old has recorded 49 points in 39 games with the Prince George Cougars. He’s ahead of the pace a 78-point season in 2025-26.
Related: Meet New Capitals Draft Pick Terik Parascak
Three players from Washington’s draft class two years ago are developing with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL). Ilya Protas leads the way with 31 points in 38 games to start the 2025/26 season, which secured a place in the 2026 AHL All-Star Classica message with which he was surprised by a familiar face in Washington:
The Pro Bros 🫶🏻
There’s no better way to find out you have one @DeAHL all-star than from your big brother! pic.twitter.com/Sm8pL5pMVw
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 15, 2026
Eriks Mateiko, a 2024 third-round selection, has six points in 27 games. Leon Muggli, a second-round pick in that draft, missed a 20-game stint for Hershey after suffering an upper-body injury in October. The 19-year-old collected five points in five games for Switzerland at the 2026 WJC.
Nick Kempf, Washington’s fourth-round pick, is coming off a tough season at the University of Notre Dame (NCAA) with a 4-16-1 record, 3.79 goals-against average (GAA) and .889 save percentage (SV%) in a vastly improved college hockey scene. Kempf played in four games for Team USA at the 2026 WJC with a 1-2-0 record, a 2.57 GAA and an .895 SV%.
Hershey is coaching the remainder of the 2022 and 2023 draft classes
While the first-round selections of the 2022 Draft (Ivan Miroshnichenko) and 2023 Draft (Leonard) have emerged at the NHL level in 2025-2026, the rest of the prospects from those two draft classes are developing at Hershey.
Andrew Cristall, Washington’s second-round pick in June 2023, has recorded 32 points in 38 games for the Bears. Cam Allen, a fourth-round selection, has recorded seven points in 22 AHL games. Ryan Chesley, the 37th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has recorded 10 points in his first 38 professional games after a successful career at the University of Minnesota and the USA Hockey Team Development Program (NTDP).
Important decisions for Washington in the next six weeks
Even as questions arise surrounding the status of top forward Alex Ovechkin for a 22nd NHL season next fall, the future looks very bright for Washington. The Capitals’ most important decision in the coming weeks will be whether to buy an extended postseason run from this current Washington group or mortgage some of the enticing prospects in the system for the chance to bring additional talent into the lineup.
In any case, keep an eye on it general manager (GM) Chris Patrick as the NHL heads toward its roster freeze for the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, the choices he makes will have a huge impact on the direction of the Capitals’ franchise, especially if Washington’s GM decides to move a prized prospect for NHL reinforcements.
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