Top 5 players the Capitals must draft
The NHL Draft is this Wednesday and we’ve already done our annual mock draft for the Washington Capitals as well as some sleeper picks. Today we’ll look at more options that could be available for Brian MacLellan.
The Capitals hold five picks in the draft. Last year, the team made seven selections including left wing Ivan Miroshnichenko with the 20th overall pick.
The Caps will pick in the first round at eighth and own a top 10 pick for the first time since 2007 when they selected defenseman Karl Alzner fifth overall.
Here are five options the Caps can take.
#5 David Reinbacher
David Reinbacher is a defenseman from Kloten of the NL. Ian Kennedy of Yahoo Sports wrote in his mock draft:
Washington is getting older, and the Alex Ovechkin era is creeping closer to an end. Securing a blueliner to take over for John Carlson as the team’s backbone would be a coup at this spot. Reinbacher has that potential, and can step to the AHL next season.
This could be a boost not only for the Caps but for the Hershey Bears who are now defending their Calder Cup. Winning that helps speed the development of a lot of these kids.
#4 Axel Sandin Pellikka
Axel Sandin Pellikka is a defenseman from Skellleftea AIK of the SHL. Last season for J20 he had 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points. Then in the SHL he had two goals and three assists for five points.
On the international Jr. stage for Sweden U18 he had 21 points in 19 games with five goals and 16 assists. He also added 11 points in seven games with two goals and nine assists for the WJC 18.
Adam Kimelman of NHL.com has the Caps taking him in his mock draft and explained more:
The Capitals have done well with adding young forwards at the top of the draft the past few seasons, with Connor McMichael (2019, No. 25) and Hendrix Lapierre (2020, No. 22) looking like they’re ready for more. Now would be a good time to address the defense, and Sandin Pellikka (5-11, 180) is the best defenseman prospect available. He had 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 31 games in Sweden’s junior league and is the best offensive-minded defenseman in the draft.
Elite Prospects added in their 2023 NHL Draft Guide:
Sandin Pellikka is an offensive defenceman with legitimate first-unit power play upside. His puck skills, playmaking, shot, and the ability to walk an offensive blue line make him a credible scoring threat with the puck on his stick, as does his ability to process options and make plays at speed off the rush. The Swedish blueliner is an engaged defender, particularly stout between the blue lines and along the boards.
#3 Zach Benson
Zach Benson is a left wing for the Winnipeg Ice. He’s described as a “brilliant playmaking winger” which is something the Caps will need as soon as Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie both decide to hang it up.
I put Oshie in there because he does have the hockey puck handling smarts. Obviously you got to put Ovechkin in there too. You can’t not.
The Winnipeg Ice are part of the WHL and he’s spent three seasons there. HIs first season in 2020 21 saw him score 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 24 games.
The next year he had 63 points in 58 games with 25 goals and 38 assists. This past season saw him score 36 goals and add 62 assists for 98 points.
#2 Ryan Leonard
If Michkov isn’t available I like the Caps odds at selecting Ryan Leonard who’s expected to attend Boston College to play hockey unless of course he wants to make that jump to the NHL.
For the United States National U18 team for NTDP he had 94 points in 57 games with 51 goals and 43 assists. For the US National Team Development Program Juniors he appeared in 17 games recording 20 points with 11 goals and nine points.
In the WJC 18 representing Team USA he had 17 points in seven games with eight goals and nine assists.
Here’s what Elite Prospects said about him in their draft guide:
Leonard is dangerous with the puck in the offensive zone, possessing a pro-calibre shot and hands. He is incredibly deceptive, using his upper body and eyes to turn defenders’ feet and sticks before walking around them or getting a shot on net. Leonard is a great facilitator, as well. After making a move, he can find guys in stride in dangerous spots. An above-average skater, Leonard can employ all of these tools off the rush too, making him even more versatile.
#1 Matvei Michkov
Okay I will admit the last slide was the hardest but every time I thought of it I kept coming back to the player I originally wanted when I did the mock draft. He’s also one of the hot gets of this year’s draft who’s name isn’t Connor Bedard.
The unique thing about Matvei Michkov is that we don’t know where he’s going to go. Everyone knows the Chicago Blackhawks are taking Bedard.
Michkov has been put in the same conversation as other Russian superstars like Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Some experts say he’s the best Russian available since then.
He has some unique circumstances being under contract in the KHL for the next three years which has made him fall down the draft board to the bottom five to 10 range where the Caps are right in the middle at eighth.
But if the Philadelphia Flyers get more linked to him as the draft gets closer expect the Caps to trade up if Michkov is number one on GMBM’s wish list.