Washington Capitals: Top 5 best draft picks from the 1980s
#5 Olaf Kolzig
Olaf Kolzig was selected 19th overall in the 1989 NHL Draft. He spent several years in the minors before earning a regular role with the Caps during the 1996-97 season. Kolzig backstopped the Caps to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1998. Kolzig also set numerous records as Washington’s netminder.
Kolzig holds 14 of 24 goaltending records. He holds the record for most games played in a season with 73, the most games played in a career with 711, the most wins with 301, the most shutouts (tied with Braden Holtby) with 35 and much more.
Kolzig made the most saves in Capitals history with 18,013. In 1997-98 en route to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance, Kolzig went 33-18-10 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. The next year he struggled going 26-31-3 with a 2.58 goals against average and a .900 save percentage. He bounced back in 1999-00 with a 41-20-11 record with a 2.24 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.
The next year Kolzig went 37-26-8 with a 2.48 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. The next year he went 31-29-8 with a 2.79 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. In 2002-03 he went 33-25-6 with a 2.37 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
Kolzig will always be a fan favorite and is arguably the best Capitals netminder of all time.