The Washington Capitals have had a tremendous run in the Alex Ovechkin era. The team has enjoyed numerous Chiefs honors and won the Stanley Cup.
While Ovechkin chases the title of all-time goalscorer Wayne Gretzky, the team continues to shrink and the time to look to the future approaches.
The odds pool is shallow but it’s getting better. The Caps were quick to trade away first-round picks when they were a Cup contender, but they’ve been reluctant to do so lately. Their draft record is questionable as only one player (Martin Vivary) has played in more than 100 games out of the past seven draft picks. This has to change and is likely to change soon with some improved potential depth going down the tube.
1. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW – Avangard Omsk (KHL)
Age: 19
Weight / Weight: 6-1 / 194
Drafted: 2022 First Round, 20th overall by the Washington Capitals
Early in his draft year, there was buzz that Miroshnichenko might be a top ten finisher. When he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in February, the sock draft fell through. Washington capitalized by being selected 20th overall.
The Russian senior is a powerful winger with a powerful shot. He uses his size effectively and aggressively to win battles. He combines his size with his skiing skill to lead pucks into the goal or players into the boards. His ice time in the 23 KHL games he’s played in, has sometimes ranged from 0 to 14 minutes in a limited role, so his aggressive stats are disappointing.
Miroshnichenko has another year left on his KHL contract and will play next year in Russia. Then the Capitals could try to sign him to their ELC center and bring him in for a year of AHL development. The powerful winger may have the roof of a third-line winger with the upside of playing as a net forward presence, but he definitely envisions as an NHL player.
2. Conor McMichael, C-Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 22
Weight / Weight: 6-0 / 187
Drafted: 2019 First Round 25th overall by the Washington Capitals
The former London Knight missed his final year in the OHL as a result of the pandemic and was an early entry into the AHL hitting the floor with 14 goals and 27 points in 33 games. He followed that up as a full-time NHL rookie who played in 68 NHL games and posted 18 points.
In a surprise move, the 22-year-old returned to the AHL for the majority of the season to wrap up his career. In what appears on the surface to be a step back, he’s been given more playing time and a starting role and regained some confidence. Moving forward the Capitals will hope he can play his part in the second-line position sooner rather than later.
3. Hendrix Lapierre, C – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 21
Weight / Weight: 6-0 / 185
Drafted: 2020 First Round 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals
Ranked 10th overall by Craig Button in this year’s draft, injuries limited him to just 19 games. The nature of the injury, another concussion, worried the teams and allowed Lapierre to fall to the Capitals in the 22nd.
Lapierre enjoyed two full seasons of health including playing six NHL games to start the 2021-22 season before being sent back to the QMJHL. This year was his rookie campaign in the AHL as he scored 30 points in 60 games.
Like McMichael, the decision to play in the AHL may seem like a step back, but development time and quality minutes played often pay off down the road. Between McMichael or Lapierre, the Capitals will hope to secure their future in the middle.
4. Ryan Chesley, RD – University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Age: 19
Weight / Weight: 6-0 / 201
Drafted: 2022 37th Second Round by the Washington Capitals
Chesley was a rookie prospect in his draft year and was rated a first-round prospect by many outlets. The Capitals have good value picking him 37th overall and continuing the upward trend.
As a freshman at Minnesota with a blue line filled with veterans including Jackson Lacombe, Brock Faber, Rian Johnson, Luke Mittelstadt and Mike Koster, Chesley racked up good minutes, scored two goals and ten points. With many of these players graduating, Chesley will see a greater role with the Gophers as a sophomore and should continue to progress.
In the long term, the Capitals hope Chesley can develop into a two-forward quarterback with mobility, size, and offensive elevation.
5. Alexander Alexeyev, LD – Washington Capitals (NHL)
Age: 23
Weight / Weight: 6-4 / 214
Drafted: 2018 First Round 31st by the Washington Capitals
The 23-year-old Russian has been developing in North America for seven years now. Last year, his exemption status expired, and he played 32 games in the NHL. In his professional career his offensive game has never exploded and at this point he is on the rise as a two-bottom defensive tackle.
It has good volume, reads plays well but the skidding could still see improvement. RFA who will need a new contract, the terms of which should make clear how much the Russian defender is in the capitals’ long-term plans.
6. Alexander Suzdalev, LW – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 19
Weight / Weight: 6-2 / 176
Drafted: 2020 Third Round 70th overall by the Washington Capitals
The Russian-born forward, who was raised in Sweden, had a solid draft in the Swedish J20 Nationell where he HV71 scored 51 points in 45 games. Drafted in the CHL import draft by Regina and modified to North America he dominated the WHL well with 38 goals and 86 points in 66 games with the Pats on a line with Conor Bedard.
Suzdalev has a quick hand, and his calling card is puck skills. He has silky soft gloves and good vision. Despite his height, he doesn’t play a physical game. He has good passing and play-making ability, but his general sense of hockey may not translate to higher levels. With little to do at the rookie level, and the fact that he was drafted outside of Europe, the Capitals have the option of sending him to the AHL for next season.
7. Mitchell Gibson, G – Harvard University (NCAA)
Age: 23
Weight / Weight: 6-1 / 187
Drafted: 2018 Fourth Round 124th overall by the Washington Capitals
Despite not having a full, defining season of development during the pandemic, Gibson has posted three solid seasons at Harvard. After posting career stats of 2.32 GAA and a record of 47-25-6, Cap’s recently signed the future goaltender to the ELC to avoid the possibility of becoming a UFA.
The goaltender is 6-1 on the shortstop by NHL standards, and lacks international experience on his resume. Despite this, he is the best player on the team and will stand a great chance of playing big minutes at Hershey next season.
8. Vincent Iorio, RD – Hershey Bears (AHL)
The age is 20
Weight / Weight: 6-3 / 201
Drafted: 2021 55th Second Round by the Washington Capitals
After a senior year with the Wheat Kings where he scored 44 points in 60 games, Iorio turned pro this year and had a solid rookie season in the AHL. He finished second in team scoring to the Defenders with 22 points in 63 games, playing a key role.
His offensive game is driven by his passing ability. He makes good outlet passes to start the offensive transition, and is a sneaky puck distributor in the offensive zone, but lacks the shooting department. His skating and shooting could use some improvement, and he likely needs at least another year of AHL development, but he’s enjoying the rise of the NHL as a six quarterback in a support role.
9. Ryan Hofer, C – Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
The age is 20
Weight / Weight: 6-3 / 181
Drafted: 2022 181st Sixth Round by the Washington Capitals.
The late star seemed to have come out of nowhere to become one of the top ten players in the NHL. He was limited to just 22 games as a starter in the shortened pandemic season and scored nine points. As a rookie in his 19-year-old season, he had an amazing 25-goal, 58-point performance in 67 games with the Everett Silvertips and caught the eye of Washington scouts. He returned to the WHL for an additional year and moved to Memorial Cup host Kamloops Blazers. The 20-year-old will finish his junior career at the Memorial Cup and move up to the AHL for next season where he will continue to attempt to move up the prospect depth chart.
10. Ethan Frank, C – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 25
Weight / Weight: 5-11 / 185
Drafted: Signed as a free agent in 2023
Frank played five seasons in the NCAA with Western Michigan University with a career statistical streak of 70 goals and 118 points in 158 games. He signed an AHL contract with Hershey and in his first full season finished third in team scoring with 49 points.
His solid play in the AHL earned him a one-year contract with the Capitals. The 25-year-old Frank likely returns to the AHL and could have a decent professional career in the AHL but some time with the big club could see injury relief.