WASHINGTON CAPITALS

BY BEN RABY

B+ | RANK: 9TH THE CAPITALS ARE CONTENDERS again, and it didn’t come at the expense of their prospect pool. Rather, they’ve been able to retool on the fly. Since March 2023, Washington has acquired 11 draft picks via trade, some of which were later flipped for young NHLers or prospects. Last year’s draft was the Caps’ first in 16 years with five picks in the top 100. A younger roster now surrounds Alex Ovechkin, with pipeline graduates Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas emerging as 20-goal scorers. More youth is on the way, with an expected spring debut for Ryan Leonard. The Caps’ turnaround could become an anti-tanking model. 1 RYAN LEONARD RW, 20, 6-0, 200 Boston College (HE) 29–25–14–39–32 2023 draft, 8th overall OVERALL 2 Embracing the role of the villain at the WJC, Leonard ultimately got…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Future Watch 2025

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