Hopin' For Hannan? Maybe Meszaros?

With the Caps draft position now set in stone (they're picking 23rd), let's take a look at what type of player they might expect to find there.

Here's a list of the last twenty 23rd overall picks:

2007 - Jonathan Blum, D (NSH)
2006 - Simeon Varlamov, G (WSH)
2005 - Nicklas Bergfors, F (NJD)
2004 - Andrej Meszaros, D (OTT)
2003 - Ryan Kesler, F (VAN)
2002 - Ben Eager, F (PHX)
2001 - Tim Gleason, D (OTT)
2000 - Nathan Smith, F (VAN)
1999 - Steve McCarthy, D (CHI)
1998 - Milan Kraft, F (PIT)
1997 - Scott Hannan, D (SJS)
1996 - Craig Hillier, G (PIT)
1995 - Miika Elomo, F (WSH)
1994 - Yan Golubovsky, D (DET)
1993 - Todd Bertuzzi, F (NYI)
1992 - Grant Marshall, F (TOR)
1991 - Ray Whitney, F (SJS)
1990 - Jiri Slegr, D (VAN)
1989 - Travis Green, F (NYI)
1988 - Jeff Christian, F (NJD)

There are definitely a couple of gems there and more than a few solid NHLers, but the morale of the story seems to be (wrapped up in a tidy little rhyme) "draft D at 23."