The Washington Capitals selected defenseman Aron Dahlqvist in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. The Capitals acquired the sixth-round pick in their earlier trade that saw Declan Chisholm come over from the Minnesota Wild.
Dahlqvist, 18, is a big Swedish blueliner who played 16 games for Brynäs IF in the SHL last year. He will likely be teammates with Capitals legend Nicklas Backstrom next season, as well as former Caps players Christian Djoos, Michal Kempny, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and Johan Larsson.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound, left-handed defender also played 37 games at the J20 Nationell level, recording 12 points (2g, 10a) in 37 games. Dahlqvist is from Gävle, Sweden, which is also notably Backstrom’s hometown, where Backstrom owns a home.
NHL Central Scouting had Dahlqvist ranked as the 48th-best international skater in this year’s draft class. Dahlqvist has represented Sweden internationally at the Under-18 level, posting two points (1g, 1a) and accumulating 30 penalty minutes in 13 games for the team.
Dahlqvist and the Capitals’ second-round pick, Milton Gastrin, have been teammates on many different Swedish national teams since the Under-16 level.
