It’s time once again to dive into the next generation of Washington Capitals with our annual look at the top 25 players under the age of 25 in the organization. In creating this list, we looked at two factors: the player’s potential and the player’s proximity to making it to the NHL, with an emphasis on NHL readiness. So for example, we have Cole Hutson ranked lower than Ryan Chesley (for now) because, while Hutson has way more potential, Chesley has put in the time and looks like a potential NHL defensemen
Let’s get things rolling with #25-11…
25) Ryan Hofer, C/W
Age: 22
2023-24 stats (AHL): 40GP, 4-4-8
Hofer did about what was expected of him in his first AHL season as a rookie, getting fourth line minutes and sitting out as a healthy scratch/black ace in the playoffs. That’s not a knock on his play, but more a product of being on the best team in the league (and one that has a bit of a reputation of not playing their rookies as much as their vets).
His ceiling isn’t super high, so don’t expect big offensive outputs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be an impactful player in the NHL. He’s similar to a Nic Dowd-type, although obviously with a lot to prove to as good a fourth-liner as Dowd is. He should be a full-time player or close to it this upcoming season for the Bears.
24) Riley Sutter, C/RW
Age: 24
2023-24 season (AHL): 66GP, 9-14-23
Sutter nearly doubled his offensive output over his 2022-23 production (12 pts) in three fewer games. That’s always a good sign. But like Hofer, it’s important to remember that Sutter is unlikely to be a high-producing offensive player at the NHL level, if he gets there. And if Sutter is going to make it in the NHL, it needs to be soon; he’ll be 25 at the end of October, and he’s running out of runway.
Also like Hofer, Sutter doesn’t have a high NHL ceiling but he could carve himself out a role as a strong fourth-liner with his size and work ethic. A nice outcome for the Caps could be having Hofer center a future incarnation of the fourth line with Sutter on his wing, or vice versa.
23) Henrik Rybinski, C/W
Age: 23
2023-24 season (AHL): 52GP, 5-11-16
Unfortunately, Rybisnki took a little step back last season, posting two fewer points than the previous season. That could mainly be because he’s still stuck on the fourth line, sometimes the third line, and sometimes the player needs better players around him to show his potential. Regardless, he was still trusted by the coach to play on that grinding fourth line, which is a good sign. The good news is he put up nine points in 19 playoff games, so hopefully he continues that going into next season.
If Rybinski makes it to the NHL he could become a good third liner that plays tough but also has above average playmaking skills. Making that jump will be tricky with the logjam at forward for the Caps, but he’s more skilled than the points show and he should get more opportunities on the Bears this upcoming season playing with more skilled players. It will be an important season for him to prove himself, and he got off to a good start with a very strong training camp with the Caps.
22) Joaquim Lemay, D
Age: 22
2023-24 season (NCAA): 37GP, 5-13-18
Lemay continues to get incrementally better during his time at the University of Nebraska. He’s always been good, not great, wherever he’s played, which is fine for a fourth-round pick. It would be nice to see a bit more offense from his game as his college career winds down though, but not needed.
He recently entered the portal to change teams, so hopefully that means there was a team that was willing to offer him top-pairing minutes so we can see what he is really made of. This seems like a make-or-break-type season for him if he’s given those minutes. His skating alone could get him into the NHL, much like it did for Nate Schmidt; Schmidt turned out to be a fantastic top-four puck mover, and Lemay could get there, as well, with more time and hard work.
21) Antoine Keller, G
Age: 19
2023-24 season (QMJHL): 37GP, .897sv%
At first glance, Keller’s numbers are a bit ugly – but it’s important to remember a couple things. First, he was playing on a bad QMJHL team (and was still better than the other goalie on his team who played the same amount of games but posted a .885sv%). Second, Antoine got better as the season went on, which makes sense for someone playing their first year in North America as a 19-year-old. And third, Keller had a great performance in the playoffs, posting a .925sv% in seven games.
He’s headed back to Europe to play in the National League in Switzerland where he’ll play against men, so it will be great for his development, even though he won’t be playing on North American ice. Goalies are notoriously hard to predict, especially at this age, but the Caps have certainly earned their reputation as one of the best goalie-drafting organizations in the league – so being a potential starter down the road is never out of the realm of possibilities for Keller, and he could shoot up this list next summer.
20) Brent Johnson, D
Age: 21
2023-24 season (NCAA): 37GP, 5-8-13
Johnson entered the portal last summer to try to find more playing time at Ohio State after playing two seasons in North Dakota. Unfortunately that may have backfired and he might have found himself in a worse position, as instead of getting top-four time, he was once again on the bottom pair and even worse, Ohio carried a seventh defensemen into games, meaning Johnson was probably getting even less time.
Johnson is going into his senior year this season, and it will be interesting to see how things develop. Someone with his skillset should be closer to a point-per-game player in the NCAA at this stage in their career, but he needs the ice time to get there. Hopefully he can escape that bottom pairing with three players and solidify the top-four minutes so he can start showing off his skills as a smooth-skating, cerebral puck-carrier. I think he has bottom-four NHL potential, but this season might be his last chance to prove it.
19) Cam Allen, D
Age: 19
2023-24 season (OHL): 25GP, 2-7-9
On the surface, those numbers may look poor for a D+1 player in Juniors – but it’s important to remember that Allen missed most of the season after having shoulder season last summer, so he didn’t return until more than halfway through the year and spent that time trying to play catchup. It’s a shame, because he was looking to prove himself after a poor draft year, which is why the Caps were able to grab him in the fifth round.
Allen will be returning to the OHL for his D+2 season and still qualifies for the World Juniors, so as long as he plays to his ability as a great two-way defensemen that does everything good or great, he should be back at the tournament in December. There is some real potential to Allen but he’ll need to stay healthy, both physically and mentally, in order to hit his ceiling as a second-pair defensemen in the NHL. Even a bottom-pairing player is a good get in the fifth round of the draft.
18) Bogdan Trineyev, LW
Age: 22
2023-24 season (AHL): 63GP, 9-7-16
The big Russian had a good first year in North America playing mostly bottom-six minutes, earning the respect of the Hershey coaching staff quickly with his hard work, physicality, and skill. He didn’t tear it up by any means, but like Rybinski, it will be interesting to see what kind of points Bogdan can dish out with more skilled teammates.
Bogdan will spend the upcoming season with the Bears but don’t be surprised at all if he gets a call up to the Caps for a couple of games (although Sutter probably gets first dibs). Bogdan looks like an NHL player the way he plays and should become a good fourth-liner with maybe a chance at a third-line spot if his above-average playmaking skills can translate to the next level.
17) Pierrick Dubé, RW
Age: 23
2023-24 season (AHL): 66GP, 28-20-48
Dubé had a good first year with Hershey last season, showing off his quick scoring ability no matter where he was on the ice. He also demonstrated great tenacity in the playoffs when he took a puck to the mouth, missed multiple games, then came back and scored a crucial goal in the finals. He was even called up and played three games with the Caps, though he was unable to register a point (granted he played less than any other player in those games).
While he will return to Hershey again this season, he should get a longer look with the Caps at some point during the year. He has the speed and the shot to make it into the NHL as a good middle-six option; the question is whether his size will hinder him from competing at that level, although he’s already shown a toughness to his game. The other main issue for Dubé will be congestion with all the young forwards the Caps have coming – so Dubé will need to show up big time to grab himself a spot in Washington.
16) Zac Funk, LW/RW
Age: 21
2023-24 season (WHL): 68GP, 67-56-123
In 156 WHL games prior to last season, Funk scored 52 goals, 52 assists for 104 points; last season alone, he topped that total by 19 points in 88 fewer games! Those 123 points were good for second-best in the league, and his gaudy point total makes sense when you see his hard, heavy shot and above-average playmaking skills that make him an offensive force. Scoring nearly a goal a game is something else, even if he is an over-ager.
But as exciting as those numbers are, we need to pump the breaks a little bit. It is rare – though certainly not unheard of – for undrafted players to make a lot of noise in the NHL. Zac will make his professional debut this season for Hershey, which will be the test of whether he only tore it up in the WHL because of his age or if he actually has some transferable skills. But he does seem to have Brett Connolly-type ability, putting him in as a really good third-line goal scorer, with maybe some second-line upside.
15) Leon Muggli, D
Age: 18
2023-24 season (NL): 42GP, 3-9-12
Any time a player dethrones a record held by someone like Roman Josi, it’s worth noting. Leon Muggli did just that last year, his draft year, scored more total points and points per game than Josi in the National League at the same age, giving Muggli the best U18 season ever in that league. That’s something, especially considering that Muggli’s main skillset is not necessarily offense. Even without the points, his top-tier skating, positioning, brain and physicality all combine to make him an intriguing prospect.
He’ll stay in the NL next season as he continues his development against men, and it will be interesting to see if he continues to keep up with Josi’s pace; the elder Swiss blueliner put up 24 points in 42 games in his D+1 year in the same league. Muggli has top-four NHL potential, but even if he doesn’t hit that he’s basically guaranteed to at least be a good every day NHL defensemen, even if it’s just on the bottom pair. He could shoot up this list quickly.
14) Alexander Suzdalev, LW/RW
Age: 20
2023-24 season (WHL): 30GP, 9-16-25
2023-24 season (HockeyAllsvenskan): 13GP, 2-1-3
After a promising D+1 season in the WHL while playing with Conor Bedard, Suzdalev took a bit of a step back last season, but it’s also hard to blame him. For some reason the Caps kept him in Hershey for a month, where he didn’t play a single game before they found a team in Sweden to loan him to. He never exactly was able to fit in there, mainly playing bottom-six minutes before returning to North America after the new year and playing in Saskatoon of the WHL. His numbers weren’t as dominant as they should have been, but the fact he was moving around so much and joined the team mid season didn’t exactly set him up for success.
Still, the main issue with Suzdalev is his consistency. Some games he uses his size, top-tier vision, hands, and shot to make something happen every shift; others, it’s as if he didn’t even play. If he can become more consistent, there’s legit top-six ability there, but a good middle-six winger would be great too. He will play in Hershey full time this upcoming season and he’ll get his chance to prove himself.
13) Cole Hutson, D
Age: 18
2023-24 season (NTDP): 51GP, 15-36-51
2023-24 season (USHL): 19GP, 3-9-12
The fact the Caps turned Beck Malenstyn into Cole Hutson is still somewhat incredible. Hutson has had a very promising NTDP career so far, and even though he didn’t build off his DY-1 year, it’s okay because he might have overshot that season; all he did was break the NTDP’s record for career points by a defenseman. He might be of a smaller build but he’s highly skilled in all aspects of the game from IQ, to skating, to vision, to passing and to shooting. He has everything you want in a defensemen besides the size.
Cole will follow his brother, Lane’s, footsteps and play for Boston University this upcoming season. While he won’t have Macklin Celibrini to play with like Lane did last year, Cole should be handed the keys to play big minutes at even strength and quarterback the power play. Cole has a top-four NHL skillset, but if he wants to live up to it he needs to get stronger, which will hopefully come with time. It’s a safe bet he’ll keep climbing this list.
12) Terik Parascak, RW
Age: 18
2023-24 season (WHL): 68GP, 43-62-105
One of the surprises of the first round of the draft this past July was the Caps selection of Parascak. Nicknamed “The Super Rookie”, Parascak shredded the WHL, leading all rookies in scoring with 105 points (good enough for eighth overall, behind a couple of other Caps’ prospects on this list). Outside of Gavin McKenna, who will be the number one pick in 2026, the next rookie in scoring in the WHL had 67 points, nearly 40 points less than Terik. It is important to note that Parascak was on a stacked team, but it still takes skill to produce with skill.
It’s also worth noting that this was Terik’s first season in the WHL. Most WHL players in their draft year have at least played one full season already, sometimes two, so the fact Terik came in and instantly produced is extremely promising.
Parascak will head back to the WHL in what will be a pretty important year for him, as he looks to prove that his production last year wasn’t just because of his teammates. Of the top five scorers on the Prince George Cougars, only two are returning: Parascak and Riley Heidt. If he can still produce like he did last season, even with the loss of talent around him, it will go far in proving the Caps made the right choice to reach for him with their first-round pick. Terik has elite IQ, and when you mix that with his quick release and budding playmaking, he becomes a dangerous package. If he can just get a bit quicker and add some muscle he could certainly become a top-six NHL possession winger, like Justin Williams. It would not be surprising to see Terik in the top 10 on this list next year.
11) Ryan Chesley, D
Age: 20
2023-24 season (NCAA): 39GP, 2-6-8
Chesley had a bit of a down year last season, at least offensively, going from 10 points in his freshman year to eight his sophomore year, and in three more games. That’s not what you hope to see out of a developing prospect, but it’s important to remember Chesley’s strength was never on the offensive side. He did improve on his World Junior stats, going from one point in seven games to four points in seven games in the most recent tournament.
Chesley will return to college for his junior year where he can hopefully put more points on the board. Again, offense isn’t his game – he will always be a defensive defenseman first. But a step forward offensively would be helpful in getting him signed. Ryan has good size, strong skating ability, and a good brain. He has a package that could certainly fit into the NHL one day. It’s always hard to predict the ceiling for defensive defensemen; at the very least he could become a reliable bottom pairing player, but the hope is he can be much more.
Tune in tomorrow as we break into the top 10…