With the start of official on-ice activities rapidly approaching, Washington Capitals players are making their final preparations for both Rookie Camp and Training Camp, which start on September 12 and September 18 respectively.
During this morning’s informal skate, Capitals players ran drills with skills coach Kenny McCudden, and competed in a three-on-three mini game to conclude the session at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, where Ryan Leonard combined with Andrew Cristall for a goal to give Team Green the victory.
The clip begins with Cristall skating around the net. He dishes to Leonard, who immediately sends a pass back to Cristall for a stopped one-timer. After a rush down at the other end, Cristall makes a steal and gets the puck to Leonard, who dekes on his backhand and tries to tuck the biscuit into the net. Cristall finishes the play as he crashes the net. He then jumps into the glass to celebrate.
Other participants at the skate included Capitals regulars Aliaksei Protas, Martin Fehervary, and Charlie Lindgren.
The video gives Capitals fans a potential glimpse into the future, as Leonard and Cristall are arguably the Capitals’ top two forward prospects in the organization. Leonard, the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is likely to a win a top-9 forward spot out of training camp, while Cristall, a 2023 second-round pick (40th overall) could challenge for an NHL roster spot as he did last season.
Leonard, who scored his first NHL goal in front of Wayne Gretzky last season, is entering his second NHL season, though he’s still considered a rookie and would be eligible to compete for the Calder Trophy. Cristall will be making his professional debut for either the Capitals or Hershey Bears in the AHL.
