Top 3 worst draft picks in Capitals history

#1 Sasha Pokulok

Sasha Pokulok was a six foot five defenseman who played for Cornell University. He won both an NCAA Frozen Four championship and a gold medal in the U20 World Junior Championships. He was taken in the first round at 14th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft.

He never played a game in the NHL as he suffered from multiple concussions. He spent time in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. He didn’t find much success at that level either.

Since his brief stop playing professionally, somewhat, the Canadien defenseman traveled around the world to play the game. Those stops included the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany, the Austrian League (EBEL), and since 2013 the Ligue Nord Americaine de Hockey with the Petroliers du Nord.

One year after drafting Alexander Ovechkin, this was a poor investment that the Capitals clearly got wrong. He was never an NHL standard and was a below average defensemen.

Another player the Caps drafted this century and got wrong includes Anton Gustafsson. He was the son of a former Capital. He was the 21st overall pick in 2008 and only played in ONE game with the Hershey Bears.