#6 Ryan Walter
Ryan Walter was drafted in the first round at second overall in the 1978 NHL Draft. He finished second in the Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year for a solid first season in the league scoring 28 goals and 28 assists for 56 points.
The next season he scored 24 goals and added 42 assists for 66 points. He added 24 goals the next season as well with 44 assists for 68 points. He was even better in the 1981-82 season with 38 goals and 49 assists for 87 points.
The unfortunate part for Walter is that he played on some bad Capitals teams and was on the other end of the Save the Caps campaign. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1982 with Rick Green in exchange for Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin.
Walter’s 28 goal rookie season placed him fifth on the team in scoring and won him the Capitals Rookie of the Year award. He made such an impact on the coaching staff that them and his teammates named him team captain the next season. He was the youngest team captain in NHL history. He continued to impress during his sophomore season and was the team’s top goal scorer during the first half of the season.