The Washington Capitals are scheduled to draft 18th overall in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The draft is being held at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, starting with the first round at 7 pm on Friday, June 26.
The Capitals’ first-round pick originally belonged to the Anaheim Ducks, as they traded their own (#16 overall) to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday in a deal for Jordan Kyrou. The pick is their only selection in the first three rounds of the draft, and they will make four total selections across the seven rounds. This year’s event will be the second non-COVID-impacted draft to be held in a decentralized format, meaning teams will not be physically present at the venue to make their picks.
Just a few days before he’s set to command yet another draft for the Capitals, assistant GM Ross Mahoney relayed that he’d like to see the Caps add a big center or defenseman after using many of their recent high picks on wingers. Mahoney also mentioned that the team is open to moving up or back in the first round.
The Capitals have picked 18th overall in the first round three times before in franchise history, taking Alex Forsyth in 1975, Tim Coulis in 1978, and Eric Fehr in 2003.
Here’s a list of 10 names at all positions that the Capitals could consider selecting this year.
JP Hurlbert – LW, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
#12 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Hurlbert was one of the top offensive forces in the WHL this past year, his first year in the league after spending the 2024-25 campaign with the US National Development Team program. The 18-year-old played some center but will likely settle in the pros as a winger. He recorded 97 points (42g, 55a) in 68 games for the Kamloops Blazers, finishing fourth in the league in overall scoring and third among draft-eligible players.
The Texas-born forward is one of the most talented offensive players in the draft and has seen his stock rise sharply after an impressive WHL season that earned him the league’s Rookie of the Year trophy. He is incredibly crafty with the puck, scores some impressive highlight reel goals, could be a fantastic power-play weapon, possesses an NHL shot, and is one of the most intelligent prospects in his class. While his skating is considered just average, he has no trouble playing at a modern-day pace, given how gifted he is, hands and hockey-brain-wise.
As with most players ranked around this part of the first round every year, Hurlbert does have a few question marks in his game, primarily regarding his play without the puck. His effort level in all three zones seems to vary from shift to shift, period to period, game to game, etc. He is also not the biggest player in the world, which naturally leads to him being pushed to the outside sometimes.
Chris’s take: As you can probably tell from my glowing review, Hurlbert is one of my favorite prospects in this entire draft class. If the Capitals don’t choose to add the center or defender that they apparently want, and Hurlbert is still left on the board at 18th overall, I would love for them to add him to the organization. Yes, he’s another winger, but I think he could have the biggest “boom” potential of the forwards that are slated to go in the middle of the first round. They will also know his game well, given he played in the WHL, and we all know what that means.
Ryan Lin – RHD, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
#16 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Lin was one of the better offensive defensemen in the WHL, playing his second full season with the Vancouver Giants. The 18-year-old, right-shot defenseman notched 57 points (14g, 43a) in 53 games, improving on the 53 points (5g, 48a) he recorded in 60 games during the 2024-25 campaign. Vancouver, of which Lin was the captain, was one of the worst teams in the WHL this past year, finishing last in the Western Conference, so his production output may even be more of an underrated feat.
The Richmond, BC native has all of the tools needed to become an elite defender in today’s NHL. He is incredibly smart with the puck and loves to get up and down the ice, leading the rush. He has developed a good shot at the junior level as he’s gotten stronger and shown the ability to quarterback a power play. What separates him from some of the other offense-first-leaning defensemen in this class is that his intelligence with the puck translates to his game without the puck. He’s a true, two-way blueliner who seems to be figuring the game out more and more as he matures.
Lin sounds like the full package, but stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Some are concerned about his size for an NHL defender. He stands at “just” 5-foot-11 and weighs 178 pounds, and isn’t going to be blowing up bigger NHL forwards with big hits. Some scouts also don’t love his skating, which could be seen as a no-go given his already smaller stature.
Chris’s take: I’ll put this bluntly. The six or so NHL teams right in front of the Capitals in the draft order will be making a mistake if they don’t take Lin before the Caps get on the clock. Given that, I think the Capitals would make an even bigger mistake if they also pass on him. Think about all the stuff you love about Cole Hutson, but now he’s right-handed. Well, that might be too far, as Lin isn’t as dynamic as Hutson, but he’s a better defender. He’s my favorite player you’ll read about in this post, and I think he could play and excel in NHL minutes as a teenager. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll last until the Caps are on the clock.
Juho Piiparinen – RHD, Tappara (Liiga)
#6 ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
Piiparinen is one of a few Finns (gasp, shock, horror) who could come off the board in the back half of the first round. He played 29 games at the pro level in Finland this past year for Tappara, notching three assists. He has shown more offense at the junior level, evidenced by his 13 points (1g, 12a) in 15 games in Finland’s under-20 league. Piiparinen will not turn 18 until August 10 and featured for his country at the last World Junior Championship, recording an assist in four games.
Picture the prototypical Finnish NHL defender, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what Piiparinen does best. He has a fantastic engine that lets him easily eat through big-time minutes, is very smart with the puck, is a smooth, mobile skater, and always seems to be in the right spot. Piiparinen is right-handed, which immediately shoots him up boards, and to go with that, he’s 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds. Despite already filling out his NHL-sized frame well, he still seems to be growing.
The big knock on Piiparinen is that he probably won’t ever give you too much offensively. His shot isn’t going to wow anyone, and he is not a high-level thinker in the offensive or zone or when he’s carrying the puck up the ice. While he does have that big frame, he doesn’t really use it enough from a physicality perspective.
Chris’s take: If the Capitals go into this draft looking to select someone who may be the perfect defense partner for Cole Hutson in the future, this might be their guy. However, he is also Finnish, and we know the Caps quite literally do not think that country actually exists. Overall, I think if the Caps really want Piiparinen — given Mahoney’s comments, they might — they could probably trade back from 18 and snag him later in the first or even in the early second round. I would not be upset with that at all.
Tommy Bleyl – RHD, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
#17 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Bleyl is a late-rising defender who led all QMJHL rearguards in scoring with 81 points (13g, 68a) in 63 games and led the league outright in assists. The Moncton Wildcats blueliner finished eighth overall in scoring among all players, 11 points better than the next defenseman, and was named the league’s defensive rookie of the year. Bleyl burst onto the scene after mostly starring at the US high school level before stepping into Canadian major junior this past season.
The first thing that jumps out at you about Bleyl is that he’s an effortless skater and a transition and breakout machine. Almost everything in his game starts and ends with his skating, as he uses it to impact games across all three zones, pairing it with great offensive instincts and legit individual playmaking ability. He also showed that he doesn’t shy away from high-pressure moments, adding 28 points (6g, 22a) in 21 playoff games for Moncton, including a two-goal game in a Game 7 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Bleyl’s weaknesses are much like Ryan Lin’s: he’s just a shade under 6-foot and weighs 170 pounds. While his compete level isn’t in question, he certainly can be pushed off the puck by bigger players, particularly when battling in his own zone. The Wildcats were also an incredibly deep team, so there are questions about whether his elite offensive production will really translate to the next level.
Chris’s take: If Lin is off the board, Bleyl would be very high on my list after him. I think Lin is already more of the full package, but Bleyl could get there as he is clearly a late bloomer. He is also right-handed, and we all know NHL teams are very fond of right-handed defensemen, especially those who can impact games offensively. Bleyl is committed to Michigan State, so we should soon be able to compare him to other highly-touted college defenders.
Alexander Command – C, Örebro (U20 Nationell)
#11 ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
Command is another player who has steadily risen up draft boards all the way into the middle of the first round range. The 18-year-old center was the top-scoring, under-18 player in the Swedish under-20 junior league this past year, notching 44 points (17g, 27a) in 30 games. Among all 17-year-olds to play at least 20 games in the league, Command’s 1.47 point-per-game rate ranks 17th all time, ahead of names like William Karlsson, Lars Eller, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Joel Eriksson Ek, and William Eklund.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound centerman is an adept two-way player, as good in the defensive zone as he is in the offensive zone. Command plays bigger than his frame would indicate, is an ace in the faceoff dot, never gives up on pucks, and is a pain to deal with down low and along the boards. All of that comes with what is already an NHL-level shot and some snarl that isn’t too common with younger Swedish players. He’s a good candidate to keep improving his overall game as another late-blooming prospect.
The big question with Command will be whether his ceiling is just a middle-six center at the next level or if he could potentially be an impact player down the middle. His skating is just okay, but given how strong he already is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an unlockable “boost” in his stride. Unlike some other European players in this range of the draft, he has yet to play a ton against men, going pointless in six SHL games in 2025-26.
Chris’s take: There really is not much to hate about Command, and I love prospects that scouts seemingly missed on to start the year and then skyrocket throughout the season. The Capitals took a similar player to Command in Milton Gastrin last year, which suggests they like the profile despite including Gastrin in the trade for Kyrou. I think Command has another gear to his game that Gastrin doesn’t, and I would be incredibly happy if he’s still on the board when the Caps pick.
Nikita Klepov – LW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
#8 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Klepov played his rookie season in the OHL this past year and immediately produced, leading the league outright in scoring with 97 points (37g, 60a) in 67 games. The Saginaw Spirit winger was consequently named the OHL’s Rookie of the Year, becoming only the third player in league history to win both Rookie of the Year and lead the league in scoring in the same season. He is committed to playing college hockey at Michigan State starting next year.
The American-born, Russian-raised forward is one of the most clearly gifted offensive players in this year’s draft class. There aren’t many players in this draft that have his level of passing sense, high-end overall playmaking, heavy shot, nasty hands, and ability to slow the game down. Klepov also seems to be on an upward trajectory defensively, showcasing strong two-way play both in the USHL in 2024-25 and with the Spirit this past season.
Klepov’s primary issues are with his skating, where he has a somewhat weird, choppy stride. He also has some trouble with consistency, seeming more engaged on some shifts than others. Another knock on him would be his size, as he could definitely use more muscle on his 6-foot, 186-pound frame.
Chris’s take: You can’t go wrong with someone as talented offensively as Klepov is. There is a lot to love in his game, and much of it reminds me of what Andrew Cristall brings in terms of shiftiness and unpredictability when he has the puck. They also share some of the same skating worries, but I think Klepov is a little further along than Cristall was in his draft year. I don’t know if the Capitals will love taking another winger, but you can’t be unhappy if Klepov is too intriguing offensively for them to pass up.
Brooks Rogowski – C, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
#21 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
If you want a big center, there is quite literally none bigger than Rogowski, as the 18-year-old is 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds. The tallest forward ranked by NHL Central Scouting in this draft class played his second season in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals this past year, recording 42 points (15g, 27a) in 46 games. The Michigan native went straight from high school hockey to the OHL and will play one more season for the Generals before starting at Michigan State in 2027.
Rogowski is one of the more interesting players in the draft because, as often happens with players of his size, his true potential is really tough to read. First things first, he moves well for his size, though it takes him a bit to get up to top speed. He obviously has tremendous reach and uses it effectively in both the offensive and defensive zones. His hands are also good enough to make plays in tight, and his shot is hard.
For such a big rig, he doesn’t use his size nearly enough to impose himself physically on games. If you’re taking him, he’s a project pick, but a really, really enticing project. The development process will be very important for Rogowski, so he’s best off ending up with a team that can wait a few years for him.
Chris’s take: I don’t know if there is a better team in the NHL right now than the Capitals at taking huge, toolsy forwards and turning them into legit top prospects. The upside is clearly there with Rogowski and the Caps love overbaking their prospects, so he could be a perfect fit from an organizational standpoint. I worry that he hasn’t shown enough offensive ability yet, and there’s a risk that he just never produces at the level you’d expect from a first-round forward. He will likely still be on the board late in the first round and potentially in the early second round, so trading back and picking him could be an effective strategy.
Maddox Dagenais – C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
#15 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Dagenais is another big center, which will be a theme to end this post. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound pivot recorded 62 points (30g, 32a) in 62 games for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts during the 2025-26 campaign, his second with the club. He featured for Team Canada at the most recent under-18 World Junior Championship, spending some time on the top line as a winger and recording two points (1g, 1a) in five games.
The Montreal native is a natural goal scorer who is on the rise after some injuries and inconsistency plagued his two predraft seasons in the QMJHL. Dagenais has a lethal shot and can score with it from nearly anywhere in the offensive zone, uses his size well, and is an instant burst of energy whenever he comes off the bench for a shift. He has a good amount of skill in his game and seemed to be really figuring out how to be more effective in transition in the second half of last season.
Some scouts don’t know if Dagenais will have the full package at both ends of the ice to stick as a center. For a player his size, he doesn’t get to the front of the net enough, instead preferring to lean on his elite shot, which may work in junior, but will need to change as he hits the next level. His ceiling is probably a very good second-line center, but he’ll need to keep his current upward trajectory of development to reach that ceiling.
Chris’s take: I had Dagenais quite high on my list toward the end of the QMJHL season as he was absolutely lighting up the league once the calendar flipped into 2026. However, I really didn’t love his playoffs as he looked much more like the very inconsistent forward from the first half of the year. He showed some of that same inconsistency with Team Canada. Overall, Dagenais remains a very intriguing prospect, as he was highly regarded at the outset of his junior career. I just have some worries about centers that may actually be wings at the pro level, as the Capitals have dealt with that a few times with recent draft picks. Unlike Hendrix Lapierre, though, Dagenais is 6-foot-4 and is more annoying to play against. He could be another trade-back, wait-and-see candidate.
Oliver Suvanto – C, Tappara (Liiga)
#3 ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
Suvanto is another Finn (shock, awe) and another big center, checking in at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds. The 17-year-old forward played the majority of his 2025-26 season (48 games) with Tappara against men in Liiga, Finland’s top pro league. He recorded 11 points (2g, 9a) in those games, the top mark from any under-18 player. At the most recent World Juniors, he was named one of Finland’s top three players after posting two goals in seven games.
The Turku native, one of the youngest players in the draft class, has all the tools to become an elite, two-way center. Suvanto is about as surefire a future NHLer as there comes at this range in the draft, as he’s already very comfortable playing within a structured professional environment and has enough skill to separate him from the other large centermen mentioned in this post. He has great hands for a big man, loves to battle for pucks, lays the body, and drives the net.
Where things kinda come off the rails with Suvanto is first with his skating, where he needs work. He’s also not a very cerebral offensive player, preferring to make the safer, oftentimes shift-ending dump-in play, which could really limit his production potential. Is he just a bottom-six center, or is there a world where he’s more than that? He’s so young that it’s hard to tell, but some scouts don’t think that next step will ever come.
Chris’s take: Suvanto is one of the hardest players for me to understand in this draft. When I’ve watched him, everything screams late second-round pick to me, but there are some people who believe he could flirt with even a top-15 selection. I just don’t see the offensive brain worth spending a mid-first-round pick on, but I do have to check myself with his age and the fact that he was playing in an incredibly tough, defense-first pro league. Suvanto is a pick that I think I could come to love, but there is enough that worries me that I almost hope he gets drafted before the Capitals have to decide on him.
Ilya Morozov – C, Miami University (NCAA)
#10 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Morozov is, yes, you guessed it, another big center, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 205 pounds. The 17-year-old pivot played his freshman campaign at Miami University this past year, notching 20 points (8g, 12a) in 36 games. He finished second in scoring among all 17-year-olds to play in the NCAA last season, playing at all strengths for the RedHawks. Morozov was the youngest player in college hockey until Oscar Hemming, a likely top-15 first-round pick, joined Boston College midseason.
The Moscow native has a great motor and works his tail off whenever he’s on the ice. Morozov immediately took to playing center in the NCAA and was truly one of Miami’s top players throughout the season, positively impacting games in all three zones. His two-way game is legit, and he was already being leaned on to help close out games in crunch time. There is very good reason to believe he may also have some untapped scoring potential, especially with better linemates to play with.
Whether that scoring potential actually exists is a big question mark, though. Next season in Miami will be very, very telling for Morozov as he will no longer be an unknown quantity and play an even bigger role for the RedHawks. However, NHL teams don’t have the luxury of seeing if he sinks or swims before then. The risk is that Morozov ends up more of an energy-line-type forward than a middle-six talent, which is a risk normally taken outside the first round.
Chris’s take: The NCAA was already a great place to see prospects test their games against a wide range of players at different stages of their development, and I think that’s only become even more interesting with the influx of talent from the CHL. Morozov was legitimately a delight to watch at such a young age for Miami, and I think he is another guy definitely trending up. I’d be very happy with the Capitals taking a chance on Morozov, especially considering I think he’s another guy definitely destined to play some sort of NHL role, even if that’s on a third or fourth line.
Honorable Mentions
- Tomas Chrenko – C, HK Nitra (Slovak Extraliga)
- Ryan Roobroeck – C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
- William Håkansson – LHD, Luleå HF (SHL)
- Mathis Preston – RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
- Elton Hermansson – RW, MoDo Hockey (HockeyAllsvenskan)
- Lavr Gashilov – C, JHC Avto (MHL)
- Maksim Sokolovskii – LHD, London Knights (OHL)
- Marcus Nordmark – LW, Djurgårdens (U20 Nationell)
- Jack Hextall – C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
- Adam Novotný – LW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
- Xavier Villeneuve – LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
After the first round is completed on Friday, Rounds 2-7 will begin at 11:00 am ET on Saturday, June 27.
