The Washington Capitals are steadily building their new core of players for the post-Nicklas Backstrom/Alex Ovechkin era; particularly a new group of forwards they will rely on, led by Ryan Leonard.
Key addition: Terik Parascak
Key graduates: Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas
2023 ranking: 22
NHL Draft grade: B-
Player Ranking
1. Ryan Leonard, RW
January 21, 2005 | 6 feet | 192 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 8 in 2023
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Leonard was one of the best forwards in Hockey East last season. He’s a very easy player to like, due to the lack of a clear weakness and a clear pro-style game. He’s a fast winger with a tremendous motor. He throws the body around constantly and hunts down opponents on the forecheck. Leonard has a ton of skill and can break shifts open with his puckhandling, and often takes pucks to the net with his skilled plays. He sees the ice well enough, but Leonard’s playmaking doesn’t stand out like his skill and goal scoring do. He projects as a quality top-six wing with a chance to be a top-line wing.
2. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW
February 4, 2004 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 20 in 2022
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Miroshnichenko had a promising 19-year-old season between the AHL and NHL and scored a lot in the AHL playoffs. He’s a well-rounded winger who has a pro-style game. He’s a strong skater with a high skill level and is a natural goal scorer. He has a big one-timer and is a threat to score from the dots. Miroshnichenko competes hard and doesn’t shy away from physical play. His vision isn’t his selling point but it’s good enough. In the background of any analysis of Miroshnichenko is his recent diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He projects as a top-six wing.
3. Vincent Iorio, D
November 14, 2002 | 6-foot-4 | 200 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 55 in 2021
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Iorio helped Hershey be an elite AHL team for the second year in a row. Iorio has a clear NHL toolkit. He’s a big right-shot defenseman who skates quite well for his size and has shown some offense in junior and the pros. I don’t think he’s full of skill, but he can make some tough plays from the offensive blue line and a good first pass in the NHL. His length and feet allow him to make stops even if he doesn’t play the body much. He hasn’t excelled in the AHL, but he plays on a deep team and I like how his tools project. He could have an NHL career.
4. Hendrix Lapierre, C
February 9, 2002 | 6-feet | 180 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 22 in 2020
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Lapierre had one of his best and most consistent seasons in years. He held his own in the NHL over 50 games with the Capitals. He also helped lead Hershey to an AHL title and was named playoffs MVP. Lapierre has always had a ton of skill and hockey sense. He’s a premier playmaker who can run a power play. It was the pace and consistency of his game that had caused some issues in his development. He’s not a blazing fast skater by any means, but I’ve had no issues with his compete of late, and I may be underrating his feet a bit too as I’ve seen him get by NHL defenders. He’s tracking like a middle-six forward, potentially down the middle.
5. Terik Parascak, RW
May 28, 2006 | 5-foot-11 | 179 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 17 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Parascak had a monster first WHL season as a top scorer in the league after playing U18 hockey the season prior. He has a ton of skill and offensive sense. He beats defenders often with his puckhandling and makes a lot of plays to teammates. He’s not very big, but Parascak works hard. He makes high-end skilled plays at the net, can kill penalties and gives a good effort every night. The big issue in his NHL projection is his skating. He has a heavy stride that lacks any kind of NHL footspeed. He’s overperformed a lot to date and while he doesn’t fit the athletic profile, his hockey sense is so good he could potentially be a middle-six wing.
6. Eriks Mateiko, LW
November 18, 2005 | 6-foot-4 | 216 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 90 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Poor
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Mateiko was a point-per-game player in his second QMJHL season and played a large role on Latvia’s U20 team. He is a big, strong winger with some scoring touch. He creates chances at the net and can score from range. He plays a very heavy game, competing at a high level and often laying his big frame into opponents. His pure skill and playmaking will never dazzle, but he can create in traffic. The issue with Mateiko will be his skating. He has a heavy stride that lacks footspeed for the higher levels. I think there’s enough to his game to be a potential bottom-six wing despite the skating concerns, though.
7. Cole Hutson, D
June 28, 2006 | 5-foot-10 | 165 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 43 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Hutson, the younger brother of Montreal’s Lane Hutson, was the U.S. NTDP’s best defenseman this season. He’s very offensively skilled and an outstanding puck-mover with a high-end offensive brain who can run a power play like a pro. He makes many tough plays from the offensive blue line due to his skill and the shiftiness in his feet. He’s about 5-10 and while he has some physicality, he’s not a strong defender, even though he’s a great defender. Scouts aren’t as sold on his offense becoming as elite as his brother’s, even if Cole is bigger and a better skater. He will get NHL games due to how talented he is but he will need to prove he can have a long career and earn a coach’s trust defensively.
8. Andrew Cristall, LW
February 4, 2005 | 5-foot-10 | 167 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 40 in 2023
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Cristall continued to be a dominant WHL player, scoring a little under two points per game for Kelowna this season. He’s a super creative offensive player with excellent hands and vision. Inside the offensive zone, Cristall makes a ton of positive things happen. His small-area play is high-end, and he runs a power play like a pro due to his playmaking and finishing abilities. He gets to the net often enough to create chances, too. Cristall’s issues have never been with the puck; it’s all about his skating. He has a powerful enough stride, but he is a technically odd skater who is naturally knock-kneed. This could cause issues in the NHL; he can get by junior defenders but it may not work at the highest levels. He projects to play in the league due to his skill but he will need to prove his feet can translate in order to have an NHL career.
Has a chance to play
Ryan Chesley is a mobile, physical defenseman who can make a lot of stops. He’s average-sized and isn’t a natural puck-mover, though. Leon Muggli skates well, has very good hockey sense and has looked solid versus men in Switzerland. His game is a bit vanilla, but does have some NHL elements.
Ryan Chesley, D
February 27, 2004 | 6-feet | 195 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 37 in 2022
Nicholas Kempf, G
March 1, 2006 | 6-foot-2 | 189 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 114 in 2024
Leon Muggli, D
July 9, 2006 | 6-feet | 177 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 52 in 2024
Bogdan Trineyev, RW
March 4, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 198 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 117 in 2020
* Listed in alphabetical order
Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2024, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.
Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.
Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.
(Photo of Ryan Leonard: Andrzej Iwanczuk / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
