The Washington Capitals are scheduled to draft 27th overall in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. The draft is being held at LA Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, starting with the first round at 7 pm on Friday, June 27.
The Capitals’ first-round pick is their first of five selections in the first five rounds this year. This year’s event will be the first non-COVID-impacted draft to be held in a decentralized format in NHL history, meaning teams will not be physically present at the venue to make their selections.
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick did not rule out trading the 27th pick in the right deal, but the Capitals have made a first-round selection in six of the last seven drafts. “Yeah, I think you have to be open to all options…we’ll try to be creative with what we can do,” Patrick said last month.
The Caps have picked 27th in the first round three other times in their history, with the latest time coming in 2008 when they selected John Carlson. Carlson was preceded by two other defensemen, Joe Finley (2005) and Jeff Schultz (2004).
Here’s a list of names at all positions that the Capitals could consider selecting this year.
Blake Fiddler – RHD, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
#26 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Fiddler’s last name should be familiar to some fans, as he’s the son of longtime NHL forward Vern Fiddler, who played 14 seasons with the Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. The younger Fiddler played 64 games for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings this past year, recording 33 points (10g, 23a) in his second junior season.
The six-foot-four-inch, 209-pound defenseman is one of the strongest right-handed rearguard options in this year’s class after Radim Mrtka and Logan Hensler, and one of two righties projected to go off the board around the Capitals’ pick in the first round. Fiddler moves well, despite being such a large defender, and uses both his long reach and physicality effectively to protect the net and secure center ice.
Fiddler’s size and the fact that he’s a right-shot defender likely make him jump off the page to some, but his offensive game needs a lot of work, and it may never get to the point where he’s considered a true two-way threat. Despite that, players of his build don’t grow on trees, making him a guy that could even go off the board before the Capitals are on the clock.
Chris’s take: The Capitals took two defensemen in the second round last year, hitting a home run with Cole Hutson and getting a pro-ready Leon Muggli. However, both are left-handed, and the Capitals have a shallow pool of right-handed defensemen in their system. Fiddler isn’t the most exciting option, but I definitely wouldn’t mind the club taking him just for his NHL projectability alone.
Daniil Prokhorov – RW, Dynamo Saint Petersburg (MHL)
#18 ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
As usual with an NHL draft, there is a ton of dispute and discrepancy in rankings with almost every single Russian prospect in the class, and that’s no different with Prokhorov. He certainly has one thing going for him, though, and that’s having an absolutely massive six-foot-six-inch, 218-pound frame. He also scored 20 goals in 43 games for Dynamo Saint Petersburg’s junior MHL team.
The 18-year-old winger, who only turned 18 this past April, is a bit of a late riser, jumping from 27th in Central Scouting’s International midterm rankings to 18th in their final rankings. He has a deadly release, can more than keep up with play despite his size, throws crunching hits (particularly on the forecheck), and loves getting to the net.
Despite the glowing scouting report, there is a reason Prokhorov is projected anywhere from a first-round talent to an early third-round pick. Some scouts are concerned about his ability to think the game at a high level, especially without the puck, and others don’t love that he only posted 27 points (20g, 7a) in his draft year.
Chris’s take: If I’m in charge of making the Capitals’ pick this year, Prokhorov is top two on my list. Not only do the Capitals have recent success developing players of his build, for example, Aliaksei Protas, but I also think Prokhorov is even further along in terms of skating than someone like Protas was. If they can help him put it all together, they could have quite the army of giant offensive threats on the way.
Cole McKinney – C, USA U18 (USNTDP)
#32 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
McKinney was one of the leaders for the U18 USNTDP team this past season, recording 61 points (27g, 34a) in 60 games. He added 26 points (15g, 11a) in 23 USHL games. The six-foot, 201-pound center is committed to the University of Michigan to play college hockey in the NCAA.
The 18-year-old Illinois native is defensively responsible, a natural penalty killer, wins faceoffs, and throws his body around. All of the base skills are there for a team to build around, and if he can find an offensive niche at the next level, he could be a solid middle-six, right-handed centerman.
The downside with McKinney is that his offensive game isn’t there yet and may never come. While his shot is good and he uses his aggressiveness in all three zones, the playmaking ability isn’t there for a typical first-round draft selection. Whether that takes him out of the first or not is yet to be seen.
Chris’s take: I think, at best, you hope for McKinney to find a scoring spark in college and become a great third-line center in the NHL. I’m not sure if a “maybe” third-line center is what you aim for in the first round of drafts, but like I said above, the foundation of his game is excellent, and he’ll be a player that coaches love to coach.
William Moore – C, USA U18 (USNTDP)
#29 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Moore is another USNTDP product, recording 59 points (27g, 32a) in 64 games during the 2024-25 campaign. He added 21 points (10g, 11a) in 25 USHL games. The six-foot-two-inch, 180-pound center is committed to Boston College, where he’ll start in the fall.
The New York native is another late riser, primarily due to a strong second half that saw him record 36 points (15g, 21a) in 32 games after posting just 23 points (12g, 11a) in the first half. Moore, like McKinney, has an excellent baseline of skills for the team that drafts him, but really needs to grow into his big frame more during his college career.
There isn’t something that Moore does that obviously stands out when you watch his highlights, but he did display some great offensive instincts on a shift-by-shift basis in some games this season. However, there are other shifts of his that leave you a bit puzzled and wanting more when he has the puck, which is likely why he is more of a second-round talent.
Chris’s take: I’m not sure if Moore is actually a center or whether he’d be better off moving to the wing and staying there. I think that would cover up some of the holes in his game and let him develop more offensively as he gains more muscle. Do I love the idea of him at 27th overall for the Capitals? Not entirely, but I also don’t think he lasts until their high second-round pick (39th overall) either.
Sascha Boumedienne – LHD, Boston University (NCAA)
#18 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Boumedienne is another familiar last name on this list and should especially ring a bell for any early 2000s Capitals fans or even mid-2000s Hershey Bears fans, as Sascha is the son of former NHL defenseman Josef Boumedienne. The elder Boumedienne played 43 games for the Caps from 2002 to 2004 and 52 games for the Bears during the 2007-08 campaign.
Sascha will be a sophomore at Boston University next year, where he’ll again be teammates with Capitals prospect Cole Hutson. During his freshman season, Boumedienne recorded 13 points (3g, 10a) in 40 games. The six-foot-two-inch, 184-pound defender is a tremendous skater for his size, one of the best skaters in the draft overall, possesses a hard shot, and has shown flashes of untapped offensive potential.
Where things went a little south for him in his big jump to the NCAA last year as a 17-year-old was on the defensive end. While he improved as the season progressed, he was inconsistent at best in his own end and never really found an offensive rhythm. The hope is that he takes a big leap this upcoming year on another great BU team.
Chris’s take: I watched nearly every single game that the Terriers played last season, and Boumedienne’s growth, game by game, was truly noticeable. You simply can’t teach the skating ability he possesses, and I think the rest of his game can be refined as he ages and becomes more confident. I’m a fan, but I’m not sure the Capitals want to take yet another left-handed defender high in a draft.
Joshua Ravensbergen – G, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
#1 ranked North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting
Ravensbergen is the top goaltender in this year’s class, serving as the Prince George Cougars’ starter for the past two WHL seasons. The 18-year-old backstop has appeared in 89 total games over the past two seasons, posting a 2.78 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and six shutouts.
The North Vancouver native is a huge goalie, standing six feet five inches tall, and is one of the rare netminders, like the Capitals’ duo of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, who catch with their right hand. Despite his height, he is still a very athletic puckstopper when called upon, although he’s at his best when he’s tracking the puck well and not having to make any desperation saves.
The question marks on Ravensbergen include that he can get a little lost in traffic despite being so tall, which leads to poor tracking and then more rebounds than you’d like to see. His numbers last season also weren’t particularly impressive, but a lot of that can be attributed to Prince George not being an especially stout defensive unit.
Chris’s take: I have watched a whole ton of Ravensbergen’s junior career because he was teammates with Capitals prospects Zac Funk and Terik Parascak. While the Capitals tend to take at least one goalie in each draft, they haven’t selected one higher than the fourth round since taking Ilya Samsonov in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft. I think Ravensbergen’s timeline fits perfectly with the Capitals’ current goaltending situation, so he’s definitely an option at 27th overall.
Benjamin Kindel – RW, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
#21 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Kindel was one of the top offensive forces in the WHL this past season, his second full year with the Calgary Hitmen. The 18-year-old played center, although he’ll likely be a pro winger, recording 99 points (35g, 64a) in 65 games. He added 15 points (8g, 7a) in 11 playoff games.
The Coquitlam, BC native is one of the most complete forward talents in the draft, matching creative playmaking and problem-solving with a great shot. He’s also no slouch defensively, is a great skater, and has a very high compete level, making him effective in all three zones.
All of that analysis sounds like a complete package, lottery pick, but Kindel happens to be of a smaller frame, which tends to force players like him down draft boards. He stands five-foot-ten and weighs 180 pounds, nearly the same measurements as Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall.
Chris’s take: Kindel is another prospect in this draft about whom seemingly no one can come to a consensus, in part due to disagreements about his skating. He could go as high as the late teens in the first round, or he could even still be available at the Capitals’ pick high in the second round. I said in my take on Prokhorov that I have a top two players that I’d like to see the Capitals pick, and Kindel is the other. I think it would be a mistake to pass on him if he’s there.
Ivan Ryabkin – C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
#35 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Ryabkin is the most interesting and, for lack of a better term, the most controversial player in the entire class. He was the third-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting at the midterm, but fell to 35th after a rough start to his 2024-25 campaign in Russia led to him joining the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.
The 18-year-old center, who is a Dynamo Moscow product and met Alex Ovechkin last summer, is a top-ten player in the draft based on potential talent alone. As a 16-year-old, he set a Russian junior record with 58 points (24g, 34a) in 44 games, beating Matvei Michkov by two points. He possesses incredible skill with the puck, is not afraid to throw his body around, and is an elite playmaker in his age group.
However, there are significant concerns about Ryabkin’s defensive game and some questions about his willingness to get in tip-top shape. He did not impress athletically whatsoever at the combine, leading some to believe he may even fall into the third round after being completely taken off some teams’ boards. He’s also a bit of a choppy skater and may need to move to the wing as a pro.
Chris’s take: I don’t think Ryabkin falls out of the second round, and he’s a gamble that I’d love for the Capitals to take. Like other prospects in the past, they can help him work on his skating to hopefully make it a strength, and his potential offensive ability is a gift that cannot be taught. There is a lot of Evgeny Kuznetsov in his game, and he’s a much more physical player than Kuzy ever was. I think that combo would be very dangerous if he pans out.
Henry Brzustewicz – RHD, London Knights (OHL)
#19 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Brzustewicz is the second right-handed defender on our list and won the 2025 Memorial Cup with an absolutely stacked London Knights team. During the regular season, he recorded 42 points (10g, 32a) in 67 games for Dale Hunter’s Knights. He added five points (1g, 4a) in the team’s postseason run to become OHL champions and overall CHL champions.
The Michigan native has good size, standing six feet two inches tall and weighing 203 pounds. He is a two-way defender who skates well and has a really nice wrist shot. The first-pass ability is there, and so is his willingness to start rushes on his own when the opportunity presents itself. The Capitals did quite well when they last took a right-handed London-bound defender, John Carlson, in the first round.
The defensive side of his game isn’t yet refined, and he occasionally makes a mistake or two, but so do most defenders at his age. There might be some worry that he was hidden behind an extremely good London team, but I actually think that’s a positive, more than a negative, as he has only played better with more responsibility.
Chris’s take: Big, big fan of Brzustewicz. I loved his game in the OHL playoffs despite the lack of a wow factor. London had a very good, veteran defense corps this past season, with four NHL draft picks, including Sam Dickinson, Oliver Bonk, Jared Woolley, and Caps prospect Cam Allen. I think Brzustewicz blossoms even further once he’s more of the go-to guy and could end up being a steal with a late first-round pick.
Cameron Schmidt – RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
#43 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: elite forward talent falls down draft boards because teams think he is too small. That’s the story with Schmidt, who stands just five-foot-eight and weighs 160 pounds. The Prince George native played 61 games for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants this past year, recording 78 points (40g, 38a).
Schmidt has everything you would ask for in a smaller player that ends up being very effective in the NHL. He’s one of the best skaters in the draft, has an absolutely deadly wrist shot, is a tenacious forechecker, and is not afraid to get to the front of the net. The Capitals just played two players in the playoffs in back-to-back rounds, Cole Caufield and Logan Stankoven, who share a similar build and have those traits.
In a perfect world, Schmidt is four inches taller and weighs 25 more pounds, but not every hockey player can be built the same. He does have some defensive issues, but he progressed on that side of the puck as the last season went on, and by all reports, has a tremendous off-the-ice work ethic.
Chris’s take: Another player that I’d love for the Capitals to take a chance on if they can, especially if he falls to their second-round pick and they’ve either taken a defenseman, goalie, or a giant forward like Prokhorov in the first round. Schmidt has had zero elite offensive talent to play with in Vancouver, so some selfishness and “trying to do too much” has crept into his game, but I think that can be resolved at higher levels. Great upside bet.
Honorable Mentions
- Bill Zonnon – RW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
- Jakob Ihs-Wozniak – RW, Lulea HF (SHL)
- William Horcoff – C, University of Michigan (NCAA)
- Cullen Potter – C, Arizona State University (NCAA)
- Milton Gastrin – C, Modo Hockey (J20 Nationell)
- Haoxi Wang – LHD, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
- Shane Vansaghi – RW, Michigan State University (NCAA)
- Ryker Lee – RW, Madison Capitols (USHL)
- Jacob Rombach – LHD, Lincoln Stars (USHL)
- Jack Murtagh – LW, USA U18 (USNTDP)
After the first round is completed on Friday, Rounds 2-7 will begin at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, June 28.
