My rating of the top 10 Washington prospects is complete, the link to which can be found below. The top prospect in the Caps’ pool is physically imposing forward (6’5″ 225 pounds) Ilya Protas, projected to occupy a Washington roster spot from the start of the season after a near point-a-game performance in Hershey in 2025-26. Protas also had a 4-game, 4-point stint (1G 3A) with the big club in 2025-26. He is considered the leading candidate for the role of third-line center behind top-6 pivots Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois, forming a very formidable presence up the middle for the Caps.
The Caps’ pipeline is loaded with forward talent, particularly the left-wing position. To that end, left-winger Andrew Cristall (40th overall in 2023) is projected to arrive in Washington this season after a highly productive season in Hershey. He will be joined in 2027-28 by fellow winger Lynden Lakovic (27th overall in 2025), who will begin his first professional season in Hershey this year. Lakovic is a left-shot forward capable of playing either wing, providing both himself and the Caps with nice flexibility in the near future.
Adding to the Caps’ offensive firepower this season from the back-end is d-man Cole Hutson (43rd overall in 2024), who begins his first full season in Washington after a 14-game stint with the Caps at the end of 2025-26. In terms of defensive d-men, Ryan Chesley (37th overall in 2022) is my choice as the top defender in the Caps’ pipeline. Although he will never put up a huge amount of points, he is so difficult to beat in a 1 vs. 1 situation he’ll make a great addition to the Caps’ D corps sooner rather than later.
https://thehockeyprospectreport.com/team-stats/washington-capitals/
