The Washington Capitals came away from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with a real win when Andrew Cristall slid to them in the second round at No. 40 overall. He had already built a strong résumé by then, piling up 39 goals and 56 assists for 95 points in 54 games with the Kelowna Rockets in the 2022-23 WHL season.
Cristall kept producing last year with the Hershey Bears in the AHL, putting up 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 72 games. That kind of offense is exactly why he keeps showing up as a player people are eager to slot higher in hindsight.
That was the case in Scott Wheeler’s recent redraft, where Cristall jumped all the way to No. 23 overall and landed with the New York Rangers. Wheeler made it clear why the winger keeps drawing attention.
He wrote, "Cristall has always been a tough player to project because the track record and offensive smarts and skill have always been top-of-class after the big names in this age group. He continued to produce at that high level for his age in the AHL last year as well and nearly made the Capitals out of camp the year prior."
Wheeler also pointed to the concerns that have followed Cristall around. He added, "...his size, style of play and feet have often held evaluators back from believing that NHL production would follow. I was too high on him, but there still comes a time in the re-draft when he’s one of the only names left who could point and play on a power play, and that’s somewhere in the late-first round here."
Even with the Capitals adding heavily in free agency and on the trade market this summer, Cristall should get a real shot to fight for an opening-night roster spot. At 21, he still looks like a prospect with plenty of runway, and he remains one of the more intriguing young players in the league.
In Other News...
Cole Hutson Enters A Huge Capitals Season With Real Expectations
Cole Hutson arrived at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase with the kind of attention that tends to follow a young player after a strong first impression. After two seasons at Boston University, he is already drawing notice for what he can do on the ice, and the chatter around him has only grown after last seasons showing with the Capitals. Even in a setting built for the leagues newest names, there was a sense that Hutson is no longer just another prospect trying to get established.
Hutson also made clear he still feels the pull of college life, saying he misses his former Boston University teammates and plans to finish his degree there. Around him, several other rookies sounded convinced he has the kind of upside that can put him in the Calder Trophy conversation this season. For Washington, that kind of expectation is a compliment and a test, because now the next step is proving he can carry that promise into a full NHL campaign. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Rookie Cole Hutson Is Suddenly Carrying Serious Calder Buzz
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Now he is expected to matter on the blue line and on the power play as Washington pushes toward a postseason spot, and that kind of opportunity can quickly change the conversation around a young player. Around the organization, teammates and prospects are already floating Calder buzz, which is a pretty quick rise for someone still trying to prove he belongs on an NHL roster full time. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Fans Still Feel The Sting Of That 2021 Draft Move
The 2021 draft-night move that sent Washingtons first-round pick to Detroit in the Anthony Mantha deal still hangs over the Capitals because the ripple effects never really stopped. What looked like a straightforward win-now swing ended with the 23rd overall selection changing hands twice, landing in Dallas and becoming forward Wyatt Johnston, while Washington and Detroit were left sorting through a transaction that did not bring the kind of long-term payoff either side hoped for.
Johnston has already turned that draft slot into a productive NHL career with the Stars, which is exactly why the trade continues to sting for Capitals fans. Manthas time in Washington never developed into the stabilizing top-six solution the team needed, and the fact that the pick ended up helping Dallas adds another layer of frustration to a deal that is easy to revisit with hindsight and hard to feel good about now. [Read more 🡒]