We’ve counted down #25-11, and #10-6…now it’s time for the final five players under 25 in the Washington Capitals’ organization.
5) Rasmus Sandin, LHD
5’11”, 179lbs
23yo, 3/7/2000
Update: Losing Dmitry Orlov at the deadline hurt, but to turn that return into Sandin is shrewd business by Brian MacLellan. Sandin instantly made his impact with the Caps, scoring 15 points in 19 games on a team that had basically given up on the season. Sandin is only going to get better, as he’s only 23, so it makes you wonder how many points he can put up going forward. It might be a bit hard with John Carlson on the team but Sandin could end up being paired with him, which would make a deadly offensive pair.
Potential: Sandin has the ability to be a top-five offensive defenseman in his prime. He is reminiscent of Josh Morrissey, who just finished third in defensemen scoring with 76 points in 78 games at the age of 27. Where Sandin needs to improve is his defensive game, but he’s smart enough that it’s not hard to think he can improve that side. With time and added strength, Sandin can probably be at least average defensively, which is perfectly fine if he’s elite offensively. He’ll be in his prime to take over that offensive spot once Carlson retires.
4) Hendrix Lapierre, C
6’0”, 185lbs
21yo, 2/9/2002
Update: Lapierre had an up-and-down season for the Bears, where he played almost all his time as the third-line center and second power play unit. He thrived when he had scoring talent on his wing and didn’t do too well when he didn’t have that shooting help on the wings, which makes sense for a playmaking center. They need shooters. This upcoming season could be huge for him, since he’ll finally get full top 6 center time (or he better get it) on a stacked team that has a plethora of scoring wingers for him to pass to.
Potential: Since being drafted Lapierre simply hasn’t been given the opportunity to really thrive. Even in juniors, even after tearing apart the QMJHL, both post draft years he was there his team demoted him to the third line. Then in his first year with the Bears he played the third line and second power play unit. He’s too good not to be given the chance to go off and I think this season we could see that happening. He reminds me of our own Evgeny Kuznetsov (although Kuznetsov has him beat in the skating department and Lapierre cares more for the defensive zone). Where they are alike is elite playmaking ability with their hands, eyes and brain.
If everything hits right, I can see Lapierre being a top-six playmaking center that can get you 50 assists alone a season if he’s surrounded by talent. Over the last two drafts the Caps have selected two top tier shooters in Miroshnichenko and Leonard. If Lapierre can stick in the NHL and maybe have those two on his wing, he could put up some major assists.
3) Andrew Cristall, LW
5’10”, 174lbs
18yo, 2/4/2005
Update: Finally, the Caps take a swing in the second round on a top tier talent with Cristall and it could pay off huge. He spent last season in the WHL tearing it apart with 95 points in 54 games, placing second to only the phenom Bedard in draft eligible scoring. This upcoming season he’ll play in the WHL again and expect huge numbers from him, possibly even leading the WHL by the end.
Potential: The one thing working against Cristall is his skating, which has been brought up a million times. Outside of that, he’s an offensive dynamo with elite playmaking, hands, and brain, backed up by an above average shot, though not hard but accurate. The issue is there aren’t many small wingers in the NHL that don’t have a lot of straight-line speed. He reminds me a lot of Johnny Gaudreau in terms of size and game breaking ability, but Johnny Hockey is a beautiful skater with great speed. There’s one player that gives me hope for Cristall and that’s Artemi Panarin. Panarin is also a small guy without that extra speed gear but he’s still very good on his edges like Cristall, and he’s such a double threat in the NHL that he doesn’t need speed. His brain, hands and shooting threat helped him become one of the best wingers in the NHL during his prime. If Cristall can, at the very least, become an average speed skater, and adapt his high end game to the NHL, the Caps will have an all star winger on their hands
2) Ryan Leonard, C/W
6’0”, 190lbs
18yo, 1/21/2005
Update: Yes, the Caps missed out on the elite Russian forward that will stay unnamed right before they picked in this summer’s draft, but they ended up with a hell of a consolation prize in power forward Ryan Leonard. Leonard made a name for himself playing the US National system with 94 points (51 goals) in 57 games. He will be headed to Boston College with his line mates William Smith and Gabriel Perreault where he’s expected to develop his game by getting stronger and faster.
Potential: One of the rarest things in hockey is a top-six power forward, and teams kill to get them. The Caps just grabbed, possibly, the next great one in Leonard. If he can translate his game to the NHL they’ll have a first-line, play-driving physical forward who can get you 30, possibly even 40 goals a season, while also dishing out 40+ or 50+ assists depending on linemates – similar to a Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk is a smart, physical forward who knows how to use his body to create space for himself and his teammates, and also has the hands and shot to score or create scoring chances in the dangerous areas. If you watch what Leonard did this past season, he plays the exact same way – now he just has to prove he can bring that at the pro level down the road. The question for Leonard is will he be the next Tkachuk brother or just a really good complementary power forward like Alex Tuch, Tom Wilson, Zach Hyman, Brendan Gallagher, etc. The potential is there for him to be a superstar.
1. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW
6’1 194lbs
19yo DOB: 2/4/2004
Update: Ivan came back strong after recovering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, shredding the MHL (10 goals in 12 games) before nearly wasting away in the KHL on the fourth line. The good news is he has bolted from Russia and is coming over to North America this upcoming season to play for the Hershey Bears and he looks motivated. It would not be surprising to see him fight for a NHL spot until the last day of cuts.
Potential: Miroschnichenko reminds me a lot of David Pastranak; they’re both guys who can score from anywhere on the ice in all sorts of ways. They can have no angle on the goal line, point blank on the backhand, blue line wrister, one timer from the dot, front net tip in, etc. and they are putting it in the net. They are similar sizes, position, skating, smarts, etc.. The difference is Pastranak made the NHL right out of the draft, was a full time NHLer by DY+2 (draft year + 2), and was a 30 NHL goal scorer by his DY+3. Miroschnichenko was recovering from his cancer and making a comeback in his DY+1, and more than likely will be in the AHL for his D+2 season. If Miroshnichenko wants to be anything like Pastranak he has a lot to prove, but I would not bet against this kid. He works his ass off, is highly skilled, smart, fast, a leader, and has no weaknesses outside of not being a center. Expect big things from him this season now that he’s fully healthy.