The Washington Capitals finished as the best team in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25 with a 51-22-9 record and 111 points, three points better than the Toronto Maple Leafs (108 points) and five points shy of the top mark in the league set by the Winnipeg Jets (116). Yet the team from the Nation’s Capital features a surprisingly deep prospect pool for a team that is preparing for the end of Alex Ovechkin’s legendary career. Here are the top five prospects for the Capitals heading into 2025-26.
#5) Terik Parascak
The Capitals’ first-round selection from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Terik Parascak, appears set to head to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Hershey Bears for the upcoming 2025-26 season. After an 82-point campaign for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Prince George Cougars, Parascak skated in one game for the Bears at the end of last season. Despite being with the squad, he did not appear in the postseason as Hershey failed to claim a third-straight Calder Cup.
Parascak should get plenty of opportunity with the Bears during the upcoming 2025-26 season as the demographics of the club shift to a younger crew. Therefore, there should be minutes available in the top six of the Bears’ lineup to see how Parascak measures up against professional competition.
#4) Ilya Protas
Following a nearly point-per-game season with 51 points in 61 games for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2023-24, Ilya Protas collected 124 points in 61 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2024-25 season.
Aliaksei Protas, Ilya’s brother, enjoyed a breakout season for the Capitals in his third full NHL season. The 24-year-old winger doubled his previous career best point total from 23 points in 2023-24 to 66 points in 2024-25. With a similar build to his older brother, the Capitals are hoping Ilya can follow a similar development path to find success in the NHL as well.
#3) Andrew Cristall
A dynamic, playmaking winger who is known for driving offense, Andrew Cristall finds himself in a similar situation to Leonard. The talented young player may find himself in the AHL after four seasons in the WHL. There isn’t enough space in the Capitals’ lineup to accommodate another scoring winger, while still giving the 20-year-old Canadian the proper ice time to develop.
In 2024-25, Cristall split time between two clubs during his final WHL season. He totaled 60 points in his first 28 games with the Kelowna Rockets before being shipped to the Spokane Chiefs mid-season, where he added another 72 points in 29 games for a total of 132 points in his final WHL campaign.
There is expected to be a significant amount of turnover for the Hershey Bears as the makeup of the Capitals organization begins to work in players like Cristall, who are expected to become contributors in the Washington lineup before the end of the decade.
#2) Ryan Leonard
There could be an argument for Ryan Leonard to be featured as the Capitals’ top prospect, given his end-of-season run following the conclusion of his 2024-25 season at Boston College. Entering last season, he was considered the top NHL-affiliated prospect not playing in the pros, having collected 60 points in 41 games for Boston College; however, the Eagles failed to accomplish their goal of bringing a National Championship back to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
When he arrived in the professional ranks, Leonard received a crash course in playing at hockey’s top level. He recorded a goal in nine regular-season games, while contributing a single assist over eight postseason contests, while skating under 10 minutes a night in the NHL playoffs. On the positive side, Leonard finished with a plus-1 plus/minus rating in the postseason, showcasing that the 20-year-old was not a defensive liability for Spencer Carbery’s club.
With a full offseason under his belt, Leonard will look to improve upon his limited NHL experience in 2025-26. With strong wingers like Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and Connor McMichael still in the mix in Washington, it could be difficult for Leonard to find playing time in the top six. A third-line role will be a valuable learning experience for the NHL rookie.
#1) Cole Hutson
Suppose they had the chance to re-do the 2024 NHL Draft with the same knowledge they now have, a few NHL teams would likely select 19-year-old, left-handed defenseman Cole Hutson long before he was taken with the 43rd overall pick. Just one year later, he is poised to become one of the world’s top prospects, not skating in the NHL this season. Cole will look to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Lane Hutson, the 2024-25 Calder Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL Rookie of the Year, following a 66-point season for the Montreal Canadiens.
Cole showcases many of the same attributes that allowed his brother to tie the NHL record for assists in a rookie season, equaling the 60-assist campaign by Larry Murphy for the Los Angeles Kings in 1980-81. After another year of development in college, Hutson is expected to make a jump to the NHL. He will be joining a loaded Capitals blue line featuring John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, and Martin Fehervary, meaning he won’t be heavily relied upon when he makes his transition to the NHL.
Related: Capitals GM “Really Excited” by Prospect Performance at Development Camp
With a mix of NHL-ready talent and some high-level draft picks that will require some AHL time before joining the NHL ranks, the Capitals are well-positioned for the end of Ovechkin’s career by working prospects like Hutson, Protas, and Parascak into the system. As they found out during their first Stanley Cup run in 2017, Washington will need everyone on the roster to contribute if they hope to return the Stanley Cup to Washington, D.C.
