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Washington Capitals: 15 All-Time Best Draft Picks

By Michael Marzzacco

SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Ilya Samsonov poses after being selected 22th overall by of the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Ilya Samsonov poses after being selected 22th overall by of the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Mike Green

PITTSBURGH, PA – FEBRUARY 17: Mike Green #52 of the Washington Capitals moves the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on February 17, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – FEBRUARY 17: Mike Green #52 of the Washington Capitals moves the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on February 17, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Mike Green was the offensive defenseman on some strong Capitals teams in the early “Rock the Red” era. Drafted in the first round at 29th in 2004, he was a key blueliner of the original “Young Guns” era.

Green began his career with the Capitals in their fifth game of the 2005-06 season and was sent to Hershey after appearing in 11 games. He split time in that season in Washington and Hershey and scored his first NHL goal against Ed Belfour of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While in Hershey, Green won a Calder Cup that June.

The 2006-07 season counted as his rookie season since he appeared in the NHL league-minimum requirement of 25 games. He played in 70 that season, including 12 games in Hershey and recorded 12 points (two goals and 10 assists) in Washington.

Green broke out in 2007-08 and earned the nickname “Game-Over” by Capitals play-by-play analyst Joe Beninati for his overtime heroics. That season saw him notch 56 points (18 goals and 38 assists) including four-game winners and this scoring stretch began after Glen Hanlon was replaced Bruce Boudreau post-Thanksgiving. He even added two goals to overcome in Game 1 of the first round series against the Philadelphia Flyers and we all know what happened shortly after.

The next season, Green notched a career-high 31 goals despite the injury bug early in the season. He came back in February to score a goal in eight consecutive games, setting an NHL-record for most consecutive goal-scoring games by a defenseman. This beat a record set by Mike O’Connell’s seven during the 1983-84 season with the Boston Bruins and it still stands to this day.

Green peaked even more the next season in the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy season with the league’s best record scoring 76 points (19 goals, 57 assists), again despite the injuries. Then the injury bug took a toll the next two seasons.

Green bounced back with a solid 12 goals in 35 games in the 2013 lockout-shortened season but those numbers dipped the next two seasons and signed with the Red Wings in the summer of 2015.

Karl Alzner

ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 28: Karl Alzner #27 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Minnesota Wild during the game on March 28, 2017 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 28: Karl Alzner #27 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Minnesota Wild during the game on March 28, 2017 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Defenseman Karl Alzner was taken fifth in 2007 and was the backbone of an improving Capitals defense for nine seasons. Alzner was mainstay on the “Carlzner” pair when John Carlson established himself as a promising young defenseman and was the franchises “iron man”.

Alzner suited up for a franchise-record 599 consecutive games before it was snapped in the 2017 playoffs with an upper-body injury. He was traded to Montreal following the season.

As far as Stanley Cups go, many fans and even Alzner itself, believe he should’ve still been on the team for all his contributions to the franchise. Kind of like Johansson but a little different since his exit came from a trade and not his own doing. Since that trade, Alzner has declined in partly injury and demotion to the AHL after clearing waivers.

Alzner struggled in Montreal and was a healthy scratch by their coach Claude Julien on opening night last season. He was barely in the lineup and eventually cleared waivers that February to their AHL affiliate Laval Rocket. He hasn’t seen an NHL game since.

Evgeny Kuznetsov

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 25: Evgeny Kuznetsov, drafted 26th overall by the Washington Capitals, poses during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center on June 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 25: Evgeny Kuznetsov, drafted 26th overall by the Washington Capitals, poses during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center on June 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov was selected in the first round at 26th in 2010 and was dubbed the “next Russian superstar” as a heir to Alex Ovechkin. Kuznetsov was inconsistent at times in the regular season but when he’s on his game, he’s on it.

He showed that in the 2018 Stanley Cup run scoring a team leading 32 points and 20 assist. He was second to Ovechkin in goals and scored the biggest goal in franchise history with a bird celly for the ages after defeating the Penguins to advance to round three for the first time in 20 years.

Kuznetsov regressed the following season despite a torrid start with 17 points in his first 12 games (six goals and 11 assist). He also only added just one in the Game 7 defeat to the Hurricanes.

General Manager Brian MacLellan said on breakdown day that he expects to see more “playoff Kuzy” in the future as he enters year three of his mega contract extension of eight years and $62.4 million.

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