#1 Alex Ovechkin
Number one is a slam dunk and a no brainer. Alex Ovechkin was selected with the number one overall pick in 2004 thanks in large part to the Capitals tanking and trading away their players in the previous season. It was a draft pick that changed the Capitals franchise forever.
Ovechkin was 18 when he was drafted and there was a slight possibility that he could’ve entered the 2003 draft. However, he was eligible despite the Florida Panthers efforts.
The 2004 draft was held at the Carolina Hurricanes RBC Center and it was the last NHL event before a year long lockout. Many Capitals fans made the trip including Sam “The Horn Guy” Wolk.
Then general manager George McPhee came up to the stage and said, “With the first selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals are pleased to select Alexander Ovechkin.”
McPhee said this to ESPN about the pick:
"“We’ve had him rated number one for a long time. We could have done a trade for volume, but none of those players would have been as good as this guy.”"
Those are the top 25 draft picks in Washington Capitals history. How did we do with this list and who did we miss?