The Washington Capitals didn’t have one of their rookies finish on the 2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team, but they were still well represented in the voting.
Ryan Leonard, Justin Sourdif, and Cole Hutson all netted votes at their respective positions. The Capitals have not had a rookie receive the honor since John Carlson was one of two defensemen on the 2010-11 team.
Leonard led the way with 19 votes, Sourdif followed him with 7 votes, and Hutson garnered one vote.
2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team voting
Leonard finished fifth in overall rookie scoring with 45 points (20g, 25a) in 75 games. He became just the eighth Capitals rookie to ever score 20 goals in a season and the first since Alex Ovechkin (2005-06). Leonard’s 45 points rank 10th all-time among Capitals rookie skaters in a single season. The only two Caps rookies after the 1982-83 season to record more points than Leonard are Ovechkin (106) and Nicklas Backstrom (69).
Sourdif finished tied for eighth in rookie scoring with 35 points (15g, 20a) in 78 games. The 24-year-old forward began the season as a winger on the team’s fourth line and ended the campaign as one of their most dependable centers. With Sourdif on the ice at five-on-five, the Capitals outscored their opposition 47 to 28, the second-best goals-for percentage (62.7 percent) on the team.
Hutson, 19, is a very surprising vote-getter, as he played only 14 games for the Capitals after signing his entry-level contract in March. However, those 14 games were very impressive, as Hutson recorded 10 points (3g, 7a) and averaged 17:27 of ice time per game. After making his NHL debut on March 18, only one rookie in the league, Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud, recorded more points (16) than Hutson.
2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team
Forward – Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens
Forward – Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim Ducks
Forward – Jimmy Snuggerud, St. Louis Blues
Defenseman – Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
Defenseman – Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes
Goaltender – Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens
