The Capitals completed a trade with the Minnesota Wild, acquiring Declan Chisholm and the 180th pick in the 2025 draft for Chase Priskie and the 123rd overall pick. Chisholm appeared in 66 games last season for the Wild, racking up two goals and 10 assists for 12 points, 33 hits and 1o penalty minutes. He's a bottom-pairing defenseman who excels at passing the puck. He also has some offensive upside, but has yet to put it together at the NHL level.
With the 180th pick acquired in this trade, the Capitals selected Aaron Dahlqvist. The Swedish defenseman has spent the last few years bouncing around different developmental teams. The last team he played for was Brynas IF of the SHL, Sweden's premier hockey league. While he has yet to produce a point in that league, reaching that level is already a huge accomplishment.
With the 180th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals are proud to select Aron Dahlqvist!#CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/DMktdHbYJO
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 28, 2025
Dahlqvist is a big defender who utilizes his size to take down opponents. He's someone who likes to be physical and impose his will on the ice, without taking bad penalties or making a hit that costs his team. He's also someone who shines on the penalty kill. With his physical style, he can disrupt teams' offensive attacks and force the puck away. This leads to his team gaining possession and killing time on the penalty kill.
Although this physicality is attractive to a team, Dahlqvist makes no impact on the offensive side. This is a significant issue, particularly if he has aspirations to play at the NHL level. While it's not their primary job, you want your defenders to have some offensive upside. To be able to at least be a puck mover, or someone who can find the open man down low.
He's currently slated to start the season with the Brynas IF of the SHL. Playing in the top league of Sweden will give him some professional expereince. This will be great for his development and could elvate his stock. However, he's likely nothing more than a 7th defender. He's likely going to spend a lot of time in Hershey when he eventually comes to North America.