MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #11 Washington Capitals – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 11th (Last Year - 7th)
GM: Chris Patrick Hired: July 2024 (Also Senior Vice President)
COACH: Spencer Carbery Hired: May 2023

After a surprising turnaround in 2024–25, when the Washington Capitals finished second in the Eastern Conference with 51 wins, the organization is now beginning to feel the effects of an aging core. With the team slipping outside the playoff picture, Washington has already begun its purge, moving long-time defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick. That acquisition helps offset a depleted draft outlook, as the Capitals currently lack both second- and third-round selections in the upcoming draft. Luckily, the organization has drafted well in recent years, providing optimism that this may be more of a quick retool than a full rebuild under Chris Patrick. They now carry most of their picks post 2026, and there’s a decent expectation that they could add more to that pile.

Ryan Leonard has already graduated to the NHL and has established himself as a legitimate scoring threat in his rookie campaign, while prospects such as Andrew Cristall (46th), Ilya Protas (39th), and Ivan Miroshnichenko (125th) have continued to show well at the AHL level. On the back end, 2024 second-round pick Cole Hutson (16th) is coming off an explosive NCAA career at Boston University, where he produced at over a point-per-game pace across two seasons. Now transitioning to the NHL, Hutson already appears on the verge of graduating from our list in short order.

With speculations that this could be Alexander Ovechkin’s final season, the Capitals find themselves at a crossroads. However, the good news is that they are supported by a promising group of young players who could help usher in the next phase of competitive hockey in Washington quicker than expected.

1. Cole Hutson, D, Boston University (NCAA) (Currently with Washington Capitals, NHL)

   Both Boston University and the U.S. World Juniors teams have been underwhelming overall but luckily they’ve had Cole Hutson as one of the lone offensive brightsides. He’s had to do it all for the Terriers this season, top pairing offensive defenceman, top power play quarterback, top penalty kill. Hutson is all ready to jump into the Capitals blueline next season, seeing as how he can elevate the game of those around him with his playmaking and space creation. He is more conservative than his older brother with the puck and when pinching, which has made him way more defensively responsible and able to take hits at his young age. Hutson’s dynamism comes from his IQ and stickhandling, which has been very unpredictable no matter where he is on the ice, as long as he has the puck, he’s going to make a move. It may take longer for him to make the impact that Lane did in a lineup, but Cole Hutson will be an impact player for the Washington Capitals in the near future.

2. Ilya Protas, LW, Hershey Bears (AHL)

   Washington’s use of a third-round pick on Ilya Protas is looking better and better every year. As a 19-year-old rookie, Protas has been the heartbeat of this Hershey Bears team. Protas has been the team’s first-choice center in nearly every situation from the jump. Being on the first line, first power play unit, and occasionally the penalty kill, he is easily the leader in ice time among the forward group. In his first 69 pro games, Protas put up 66 points and leads the team. Everything that made him a standout in Windsor has translated almost seamlessly in Hershey. Protas’ unique blend of size and skill is causing problems in the AHL. Protas has incredible vision and play anticipation for someone his age playing against men. He’s developing as a center in all the right ways in all three zones. It’s not a matter of if he will play alongside his brother in the NHL, but when. If Washington can’t find a way into the playoff picture, Protas will likely get a late-season call-up and work toward making the opening-day roster next season.

3. Andrew Cristall, LW, Hershey Bears (AHL)

   Both in points and on the ice, the one player to have gone step for step with Ilya Protas thus far has been fellow rookie and linemate Andrew Cristall. In 72 games this season, Cristall put up 60 points and put his playmaking on full display. Cristall is at his best when he gets the puck on his stick and before you know it, he’s already dished it out. His style of slowing the play down, changing the angle and making a play has carried to the AHL level. Cristall’s offensive prowess wasn’t the largest area of concern when making the jump to the pros, but rather his pace and defensive capabilities. This season has shown these are still areas of growth for him. On the forecheck and in his defensive zone, Cristall is never grinding along the boards to get possession of the puck but rather hovering near the play to grab the loose puck and turn it into a scoring opportunity. It’s a style that limits him to a top six role, which he can reach but might delay his road to the NHL.

4. Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jay Warriors (WHL)

   You truly have to feel bad for Lakovic due to the season-ending injury that he suffered in November. Not only was he playing the best hockey of his career at that point in time (the game he got injured in snapped a 14-game point streak for him), if he had stayed healthy he surely would have been traded from the rebuilding Moose Jaw Warriors to one of the WHL's championship-chasing clubs. It also causes some concerns about his overall development, because he's still a very raw prospect who needs plenty of reps to refine some areas of need, but after already signing his entry-level contract, he won't be able to make a stop in the NCAA before going to the pro leagues. Either way, the Capitals are probably still sufficiently content about drafting Lakovic in the first round in 2025, because it's hard to find forwards at his size who are also such superb skaters and puck handlers. If everything unfolds just right for him in the coming years he could turn into a pretty rare kind of player at the NHL level.

5. Milton Gästrin, C, MoDo (Allsvenskan)

   Gästrin’s DY+1 has gone swimmingly. He’s playing big minutes in all situations down the middle at the HockeyAllsvenskan level and producing at a solid clip as well. Helping win a gold medal at the WJC doesn’t hurt either. The strongest tools in Gästrin’s arsenal have translated well to the pro level. His high-end skating, his strong motor, and his hockey sense have allowed him to make an immediate impact as a two-way center for MoDo. His skills with the puck and his playmaking ability look like they’ve taken a step, and he’s shooting the puck with more oomph as well. What his exact NHL role will be is still a bit unclear. He’s got a solid NHL floor, but where he plays in the lineup will be defined by the next steps in his development. If he can bulk up a bit more and play with a harder physical edge, he could easily slot into a bottom six role. If he learns to accept more puck responsibility and stops deferring so much in the offensive zone, he could play higher up in the lineup. Hopefully that clears itself up after another year or two of development in the Swedish pro ranks.

6. Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

   A lot of eyebrows were raised when Washington selected Parascak at 17th overall in the 2024 draft. He cracked the 100-point plateau that season as a 17-year-old with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, but questions were asked and debates were held about whether his production was a genuine reflection of his talent and potential, or whether it might have been a bit of a mirage. Nearly two years later, all the signs are pointing towards it being the latter of the two, evidenced mainly by the ongoing decline of his scoring pace despite the consistency of his environment. He’s certainly not a bad prospect, by any means. He works hard and thinks the game well in all three zones, he’s effective on both sides of special teams, and he has an innate nose for the net. The problem is that that description is better suited to a prospect taken 57th or 67th overall, as opposed to 17th. There’s still time for Parascak to turn into a contributing NHL player, but the Capitals will need to do more to help him get there.

7. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW Hershey Bears (AHL)

   Out of everyone who has played at least two games for Hershey this season, Ivan Miroshnichenko leads the way in points per game. In 41 games, Miroshnichenko had 34 points for the Bears. In each of the past two seasons, Miroshnichenko has played roughly 30 games with the NHL club. This season, he has played five to date. Has he fallen out of favor with head coach Spencer Carbery, or is it just bad luck? More likely the latter. Miroshnichenko missed 12 games early in the year due to injury and during that time inked a two-year extension. Although he isn’t afraid to play along the boards and rough some people up, Miroshnichenko is more of a goal scorer than a depth player. With several forward contracts coming off the books next season in Washington, Miroshnichenko should get his shot as a full-time top nine forward with the Capitals.

8. Bogdan Trineyev, RW, Hershey Bears (AHL)

   In his first two full seasons with Hershey in the AHL, Bogdan Trineyev hovered around the 20-point mark. This season has been a different story. Something has clicked offensively for the Russian and he has now eclipsed his career high in points in 39 games. It’s a remarkable jump in production from the 2020 fourth-round pick. Trineyev’s calling card has always been as a grinder. He works hard on the forecheck and is finally getting a share of the points he’s helping create. In his own end, he is stalwart defensively. He consistently positions himself well and actively uses his stick to disrupt play. He’s been a mainstay on the penalty killing unit for a while now. With the scoring ability finally there, Trineyev now looks to be capable of battling for a bottom six role in Washington. He’s already been called up once this season for two games and will likely be the first choice if a depth option goes down again.

9. Ryan Chesley, D, Hershey Bears (AHL)

   Coming over from the University of Minnesota at the end of last season, Chesley had three points in four games. Through 64 games this season, Chesley only had 16. His offence has cooled recently and his defence hasn’t been on fire either. Chesley posted a team-worst +/- of -19. As a stay-at-home defenceman type, Chesley’s effectiveness has been reduced with a step up in play. The pace of play in the AHL puts more pressure on defencemen to make the correct decision quickly and Chesley is cracking under it. Under pressure, Chesley is not making the right reads quickly enough, which is leading to frequent turnovers. He hasn’t been a big feature of either special teams group, thus limiting his value. Chesley may not be as close to NHL-ready as once thought, but that shouldn’t really change his long-term projection. He still has plenty of time left to adjust and still projects as a dependable third-pairing defenceman.

10. Leon Muggli, D, Hershey Bears, (AHL)

    Leon Muggli has suited up 19 times for Hershey this season, earning five points in the process. He missed 20 games early in the season due to an upper-body injury and then also spent time away from the Bears to participate in the World Junior Championships with Switzerland. In five games, he tallied one goal and four assists. During the handful of games Muggli has played, he’s been largely in a sheltered role, averaging a little over 16 minutes a game. He’s gotten more looks on the power play than the penalty kill. Muggli’s pro experience in Switzerland is showing up as he doesn’t look as out of place as you would expect for a 19-year-old defenceman in the AHL. He’s getting his stick in the right spots a lot of the time and his skating is solid for this level. Muggli has so much runway left in his development that it’s hard to project him at this point. It’s reasonable to think that Muggli will be a bottom-four NHL defenceman of some variety. A lot of it will depend on how much of his offensive game he can develop in Hershey.

11. David Gucciardi, D, Hershey Bears (AHL)

    An underrated player in the Capitals system who impressed in this year’s NHL preseason. Gucciardi is a strong skating two-way defender who has been solid for Hershey so far this season. He could be a potential bottom pairing option for Washington in a year or two.

12. Eriks Mateiko, LW, Hershey Bears (AHL)

    Mateiko was a breakout star last season at the WJC’s, helping Latvia find success. However, the big winger has struggled at the AHL level as a rookie, battling ineffectiveness and injury. He’ll need to adjust to the pace of the pro game.
    

13. Cam Allen, D, Hershey Bears (AHL)

    A classic jack of all trades type defender, Allen will need to find an identity as a pro if he wants to be an NHL defender. His mobility is his best asset.

14. Maxim Schafer, LW, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

    The big German winger remains a big project. Playing in the QMJHL this year, he does a good job of getting to the net and using his size. However, does he have the skill to be an NHL player down the line? Staying in the QMJHL for another year would be extremely beneficial.

15. Petr Sikora, C, HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech)

    Sikora really popped off at this year’s World Juniors, captaining the Czechs to a silver medal. He brings great energy and effort and is starting to gain confidence as a playmaker. Could continue to rise in the ranks of Washington’s system.