Washington Capitals Mock Draft: Frank Nazar is the future

It’s time to do a mock draft for all six Washington Capitals selections. We are just three days away from the 2022 NHL Draft so let’s take a look at who the Caps can take starting with their 20th overall pick in the first round.

1st Round 20th overall: Frank Nazar

This is a scary time to be a Capitals fan as Nicklas Backstrom faces an uncertain future as he underwent hip surgery. That means the Caps need to stock up on centers for the future or perhaps even take their center of the future in this year’s draft. That future is Frank Nazar, a center from the USA U18 at NTDP.

Adam Kimelman of NHL.com wrote this about Nazar:

"Nazar (5-10, 180) is an explosive skater, and his speed allows him to pull away from defensemen or to use as a weapon to push defenders back to create space for himself. With Nicklas Backstrom’s future uncertain, adding depth at center could be a direction the Capitals look."

Nazar had 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points with the USNTDP Juniors and 28 goals and 42 assists for 70 points in on the U.S. National U18 Team.

2nd Round 46th overall: Jack Hughes

Not to be confused with the 2019 top draft pick that currently plays for the New Jersey Devils. This Jack Hughes is a center that’s six foot and 165 pounds that plays for Northwestern University.  Hughes had seven goals and nine assists in 39 games during his freshman season.