The Washington Capitals made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Their qualification for the postseason was historic in nature. The Capitals had the lowest-goal differential of any qualifying playoff team since 1991. And the offensive woes continued in the playoffs. Washington was swept by the New York Rangers in the first round.
The Capitals made moves in NHL Free Agency to bolster their roster. Whether those moves address the issues the team had obviously remains to be seen. Training camp has started across the league, though. As a result, we will have our questions answered in due time.
The Capitals added veteran talent this offseason. However, they have some prospects that are certainly worth keeping an eye on. Here are two of Washington’s top prospects fans should keep an eye on as training camp and the preseason progress this month.
Ivan Miroshnichenko could make Capitals roster
Ivan Miroshnichenko is a former first-round pick of the Capitals from the 2022 NHL Draft. He played his first season following his draft year in his native Russia. In 2023-24, he signed his entry-level contract and made the trip across the Atlantic to North America. And he had a solid season all told.
Miroshnichenko played primarily for the Hershey Bears in the AHL. He scored nine goals and 25 points for the Bears during the regular season. Eventually, he received a call-up to the Capitals during the year. In 21 games with Washington, the Russian forward scored two goals and six points. He went back to the AHL where he scored 12 points in 20 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Miroshnichenko could very well make the Capitals roster this summer. He would likely fill in a bottom-six role with Washington to begin the year. But he has a legitimate shot of making the team out of training camp. That said, his spot on this team is not guaranteed. He will have to earn the spot through a positive training camp performance.
The uncertainty around his spot on this team is certainly one reason to watch him in the year ahead. But he also has potential to become a fixture in Washington’s long-term plans no matter where he plays in 2024-24. It will certainly be interesting to see how his development unfolds as the season progresses.
Andrew Cristall lit WHL up last season
Andrew Cristall was one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft. Many saw him as a first-round pick, while others believed he could have gone as low as the third round. Reality ended up landing right in the middle. The Capitals selected Cristall with the 40th pick overall pick, a second-round selection, in the draft last summer.
Cristall put together quite the performance in 2023-24. He spent the year with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets where he absolutely thrived. He scored 40 goals and 111 points for the Rockets during the regular season. His goalscoring dipped in the playoffs, but he did put up 15 points in 11 postseason contests.
Cristall is not likely to make the roster in 2024-25. However, the 19-year-old certainly has a chance to become a mainstay on the Capitals roster. There are things off the puck he needs to work on in training camp. And if he can continue being an offensive force in junior hockey, things could get interesting moving forward.
Cristall is one to watch for Washington’s future. He may not project to become an Alex Ovechkin-esque superstar. But he brings a lot of upside to the table. Capitals fans should certainly keep an eye on his performance in training camp this summer.
