3 Players the Capitals Could Trade a 1st-Round Pick For

With a pair of selections in the middle of the first round at the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26, the Washington Capitals have several different paths to explore. The consensus choice would be for Washington to use their opening-round draft capital to address organizational needs and add young talent to a developing roster. However, if the Capitals want to leverage assets to add another veteran presence to the 2026-27 NHL roster, there are several players outside of the organization that Washington could target as worthwhile additions. 

Alex Ovechkin’s playing status still looms as a major factor for the Capitals this offseason; however, the Russian star did not give the impression that he was done with NHL life earlier this summer. Therefore, it would be prudent for general manager Chris Patrick to invest in pro-ready players over developmental prospects. The Capitals’ first-round choices at 16th and 18th overall could hold tremendous value for another NHL franchise looking to climb up the draft board in Buffalo, New York. The return cost is a player who is expected to jump directly into Spencer Carbery’s lineup next fall. 

Filip Hronek – Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks likely don’t want to sell off Filip Hronek, but it might be the best course of action for a franchise embarking on a full-scale rebuild. The 28-year-old, right-shot defenseman scored eight goals and recorded 41 assists for a total of 49 points over a full 82-game slate in 2025-26. Hronek has eclipsed the 40-assist barrier in two of his three full seasons in Vancouver and has amassed 131 points in 228 games since his arrival during the 2022-23 season. 

Hronek might be the best John Carlson replacement on the market after Washington dealt their long-time blueliner to the Anaheim Ducks at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. The primary reward for that decision was Anaheim’s first-round selection, which landed at 18th overall, in this month’s draft. Would Anaheim’s selection and a prime change of scenery prospect (Ivan Miroshnichenko) be enough to tempt the Canucks into dealing away the top-four pairing defenseman? Vancouver would have four valuable picks in the opening two rounds to vault further up the draft board. 

Hronek is entering the third year of an eight-year, $58 million contract signed with Vancouver in June 2024. The player owns the final say in trade-related matters with a full no-movement clause in his contract through the end of the 2027-28 season, according to PuckPedia. With ample playing time on the right side following Carlson’s departure, Washington could serve as an ideal landing spot for the Canucks blueliner. 

Pavel Dorofeyev – Vegas Golden Knights 

One team tight against the salary cap this offseason is the runner-up in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, the Vegas Golden Knights. According to PuckPedia, Vegas enters the offseason with only $4.6 million in available cap space. Scoring winger Pavel Dorofeyev is a restricted free agent (RFA) seeking a contract that could exponentially increase from his $1.8 million salary following a 37-goal, 64-point campaign for the Golden Knights in 2025-26. While trading the 25-year-old winger is far from the only option in Vegas, the potential of adding a first-round caliber talent to the prospect pool could be too much for Golden Knights management to resist this offseason. Vegas does not currently own a first-round draft selection over the next two NHL Draft cycles.

As an RFA forward, an offer sheet in the $4.7-7.1 million range would net Vegas a first and a third round draft selection in 2027, which gives us a baseline to start negotiations. Washington would be able to offer a first-round choice in 2026 (#16), a third-round selection in 2027 (either San Jose’s or Anaheim’s), and a prospect (Eriks Mateiko) to help offset the cost of losing Dorofeyev. 

Washington adds a top-six scoring winger to provide additional scoring punch for Tom Wilson and his friends. Dorofeyev has totaled 149 points in 231 games for Vegas since the 2021-22 season. He has scored 35 goals in back-to-back seasons and could hit the 40-goal plateau with some additional ice time away from a loaded roster featuring Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and others in Sin City. Washington does not have the required 2027 third-round draft choice to provide an RFA offer to Dorofeyev, so a trade with Vegas would be the only way he ends up with the Capitals next fall. 

Mavrik Bourque – Dallas Stars

With everyone wondering how the Dallas Stars can manage to work Jason Robertson’s contract extension into a bloated salary cap situation, the Capitals could offer a solution by taking Mavrik Bourque out of the equation and off the books in Dallas. The 24-year-old center recorded 41 points in a full 82-game schedule last season and could be in line to push his salary towards the $2 million mark. 

As an RFA, an offer sheet in the $2.3 million-$4.7 million range would require the signing team to surrender a second-round draft pick, so it seems conceivable that negotiations would start there. Washington does not own a choice in the second round at this year’s draft, but they do have 2027 and 2028 Draft choices in that round available to include in a swap. Could Patrick package the Capitals’ 2027 second-round choice and a mid-tier prospect (Maxim Schafer) to convince Dallas to move their young pivot? There is an argument that a proven NHL commodity like Bourque should even command the later first-round draft option (#18) this summer. It would resemble the swing on potential Patrick took by completing the trade for Justin Sourdif at last summer’s draft. 

Bourque’s pending RFA contract would not be a concern in Washington with plenty of cap space to accommodate the center. The right-hander would have the opportunity at a top-nine role with a chance to move his way further up the lineup. Bourque could also inject some life into a stagnant power play that finished with a 17.8% success rate, the eighth-worst man-advantage unit in 2025-26. 

Any of these three players has the potential to become an impactful addition to the red, white, and blue this offseason. While each may be available for different reasons, the Capitals would be wise to explore the trade market given the light free-agent market on the horizon on July 1. If Washington can wisely use a draft pick to add a veteran player for the next few seasons, it could set up Ovechkin for a memorable finish to his NHL career.