The Washington Capitals have had a tremendous run in the Alex Ovechkin era. The team enjoyed several Presidents Trophies and won a Stanley Cup.
As Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring title, the team continues to diminish and the time to look to the future is getting closer.
The prospect pool is shallow but getting better. The Caps had been quick to trade away first-round picks while they were a Cup contender but have been reluctant to do so recently. Their draft record is questionable with only one player (Martin Fevhary) playing in over 100 games from the past seven drafts. That needs to and likely will change soon with some improved prospect depth coming down the pipe.
1. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW – Avangard Omsk (KHL)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 6-1/194
Drafted: 2022 round one, 20th overall by Washington Capitals
Early in his draft year, there was buzz that Miroshnichenko could be a top ten pick. When he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February, his draft sock fell. Washington capitalized selecting him 20th overall.
The big Russian is a power winger with a hard shot. He uses his size effectively and aggressively to win battles. He combines his size, skating and skill to drive pucks to the goal, or players into the boards. His ice time at times in the 23 KHL games he played, ranged from 0 – 14 minutes in a limited role and as such his counting stats are underwhelming.
Miroshnichenko has one more year on his contract in the KHL and will play the next year in Russia. Then the Capitals can try to sign him to his ELC and bring him over for a year of AHL development. The rugged winger may have a ceiling of a third-line winger with power play upside as a net front presence, but he certainly projects as an NHL player.
2. Connor McMichael, C – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 22
Ht/Wt: 6-0/187
Drafted: 2019 round one 25th overall by Washington Capitals
The former London Knight missed his senior year in the OHL as a result of the pandemic and was an early entry into the AHL where he hit the ground running with 14 goals and 27 points in 33 games. He followed that up as a full-time NHL rookie playing in 68 NHL games and posting 18 points.
In a surprising move, the 22-year-old was returned to the AHL for the majority of the season to round out his game. In what on the surface appears as a step backward, he received more playing time and a primary role and regained some confidence. Moving forward the Capitals are hoping he can play his way into a second-line center role sooner than later.
3. Hendrix Lapierre, C – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 21
Ht/Wt: 6-0/185
Drafted: 2020 round one 22nd overall by Washington Capitals
Ranked as high as 10th overall by Craig Button in his draft year, injuries limited him to just 19 games. The nature of the injury, another concussion, gave teams cause for concern and allowed Lapierre to fall to the Capitals at 22.
Lapierre has enjoyed two full seasons of health including playing six NHL games to start the 2021-22 season before being returned to the QMJHL. This year was his rookie campaign in the AHL where he posted 30 points in 60 games.
Like McMichael, the decision to play in the AHL may seem like a step backward, but the development time, and quality minutes played often payoff down the road. Between either McMichael and or Lapierre, the Capitals hope to have their future down the middle secure.
4. Ryan Chesley, RD – University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 6-0/201
Drafted: 2022 round two 37th overall by Washington Capitals
Chesley was a rising prospect in his draft year and was ranked as a first-round prospect by several outlets. The Capitals have good value in selecting him 37th overall and he continues to trend in an upwards trajectory.
As a freshman at Minnesota with a loaded veteran blue line including Jackson Lacombe, Brock Faber, Ryan Johnson, Luke Mittelstadt and Mike Koster, Chesley carved out good minutes and posted two goals and ten points. With several of those players graduating, Chesley will see a larger role with the Gophers as a sophomore and should continue to trend up.
Long-term, the Capitals are hoping Chesley can develop into a middle six pairing defender that has mobility, size, and offensive upside.
5. Alexander Alexeyev, LD – Washington Capitals (NHL)
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 6-4/214
Drafted: 2018 round one 31st overall by Washington Capitals
The 23-year-old Russian has been developing in North America for seven years now. Last year his waiver exemption status expired, and he played 32 games in the NHL. In his pro career, his offensive game has never really popped and at this stage his upside projects as a bottom-pairing defensive defender.
He has good size, reads plays well but his skating could still see improvement. An RFA that will need a new contract, the terms of which should be telling of how much the Russian defender is in the long-term plans of the Capitals.
6. Alexander Suzdalev, LW – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 6-2/176
Drafted: 2020 round three 70th overall by Washington Capitals
The Russian-born, Swedish-raised forward had a strong draft year in the Swedish J20 Nationell with HV71 recording 51 points in 45 games. He was drafted in the CHL Import Draft by Regina and adjusted to North America well dominating the WHL with 38 goals and 86 points in 66 games with the Pats on a line with Connor Bedard.
Suzdalev has fast hands, and his calling card is his puck skills. He has silky smooth mitts and good vision. While he has height, he does not play a physical game. He has good passing and playmaking ability, but his overall hockey sense may not translate to higher levels. With little more to do at the junior level, and being drafted out of Europe, the Capitals have the option to send him to the AHL for the coming season.
7. Mitchell Gibson, G – Harvard University (NCAA)
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 6-1/187
Drafted: 2018 round four 124th overall by Washington Capitals
Despite missing an entire and critical season of development during the pandemic, Gibson posted three solid seasons at Harvard. Posting career stats of 2.32 GAA and a 47-25-6 record, the Cap’s recently signed their future goalie to his ELC to avoid the potential of him becoming a UFA.
The 6-1 goalie is on the short side by NHL standards, and he lacks international experience on his resume. Despite that, he is the team’s top prospect in goal and will be given plenty of opportunity to play big minutes in Hershey in the coming season.
8. Vincent Iorio, RD – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 20
Ht/Wt: 6-3/201
Drafted: 2021 round two 55th overall by Washington Capitals
After a breakout senior year with the Wheat Kings where he posted 44 points in 60 games, Iorio turned pro this year and had a solid rookie season in the AHL. Finishing second on the team scoring for defensemen with 22 points in 63 games, he played a key role.
His offensive game is driven by his passing ability. He makes good outlet passes to initiate offensive transition, and he is a tricky distributor of the puck on the offensive blueline, but lacks in the shooting department. His skating and shooting could use some improvement, and he likely needs at least another year of AHL development, but he has NHL upside as a middle six player in a support role.
9. Ryan Hofer, C – Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Age: 20
Ht/Wt: 6-3/181
Drafted: 2022 round six 181st overall by Washington Capitals.
The late bloomer has seemingly come out of nowhere to become an NHL team top ten prospect. He was limited to just 22 games as a rookie in the pandemic short season and scored nine points. As an undrafted player in his 19-year-old season, he had a breakout performance of 25 goals 58 points in 67 games with the Everett Silvertips and caught the eye of Washington scouts. He returned to the WHL for his overage year and was moved to the Memorial Cup host Kamloops Blazers. The 20-year-old will finish his junior career in the Memorial Cup and transition to the AHL for the coming season where he will continue to try to rise up the prospect depth chart.
10. Ethan Frank, C – Hershey Bears (AHL)
Age: 25
Ht/Wt: 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 stat line 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 strong play in the AHL has earned him a 1-year contract with the Capitals. Already 25-years-old Frank is probably heading back to the AHL and could have a nice pro career in the AHL but could see some time with the big club in injury relief.
