The Washington Capitals have started the 2023-24 campaign well, and while they’re not winning as much as they wanted to open up the season, they’re showing signs of what could be a very successful team come playoff time. While they are looking to find more success than last season as they push towards the second Stanley Cup in their franchise’s history, some of the team’s top prospects have started their own 2023-24 season away from the Capitals and have looked quite strong. Andrew Cristall, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ryan Leonard are the Capitals’ top three prospects in their system and that’s who this article focuses on.
The Capitals selected Leonard 8th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft after he unexpectedly fell to them after mock drafts had him in the top five. He returned to the NCAA to play for Boston College during the 2023-24 season, and is being watched with a close eye as he could have a shot at making it to the NHL as early as next season.
Miroshnichenko had an amazing training camp but was sent to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) to start the season, and Cristall returned to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in hopes of leading the league in points and helping lead his team to a championship. With that said, here is an update on all three of their starts to each of their new campaigns.
Ryan Leonard: Boston College (NCAA) – 18 Years Old
Leonard was drafted by the Capitals after a phenomenal season in the U.S. National Development Program (NTDP) where he played 57 games in their U18 program scoring 51 goals and adding 43 assists for 94 points which comes out to a 1.65 points-per-game average. He was electric to watch at both ends of the ice and is someone many scouts and analysts believe could take over as an offensive leader at the NHL level one day.
“Hardworking, two-way forward with a heavy shot and good instincts around the net. Plays with physicality and energy, projecting as an impactful top-six NHLer”
– Nick Richard (DobberProspects Prospect Profile – October 20, 2023)
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Leonard has started the season in the NCAA with three assists through four games. He hasn’t taken a step back defensively by any means, instead having improved his game in his own end. While he hasn’t exploded offensively like he did last season, he seems to be adapting well to a brand-new league and is playing like a future stud at the professional level. The Capitals were ecstatic when they got him at last year’s draft, and he’s going to give them even more reasons to be excited as he develops.
Ivan Miroshnichenko: Hershey Bears (AHL) – 19 Years Old
Miroshnichenko was drafted 22nd overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals after a stellar performance in the VHL with Omskie Krylia. While he didn’t explode offensively, he was solid at both ends of the ice playing against some elite competition. While his unfortunate health issues hindered his development, he didn’t slow down and scored ten goals and added six assists for 16 points through 31 games in his draft year. He followed it up in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk where he scored three goals and added an assist for four points through 23 games.
To start the 2023-24 season, Miroshnichenko has scored two goals and added an assist for three points through five games. He is sixth on the team in points and is tied for third in goals while playing extremely well at the defensive end of the ice. For someone who had a fantastic training camp and almost cracked the Capitals roster out of camp, he hasn’t slowed down and seems determined to force his way onto the NHL roster as early as next season.
Andrew Cristall: Kelowna Rockets (WHL) – 18 Years Old
The 2023 draft class was really strong, stemming from a generational forward in Connor Bedard at first overall, all the way down to a potential future top-four defenseman in Beau Akey who was selected in the second round. In any other year, Cristall likely would have been a top-20 draft pick. Fortunately, for the Capitals, they snagged him in the second round at 40th overall after he dominated the WHL offensively scoring 39 goals and adding 56 assists for 95 points through 54 games.
Cristall has stepped up in a big way this season with the Rockets, scoring seven goals and adding 16 assists for 23 points through his first ten games. He currently sits fourth in the league in scoring with two games in hand on the three players above him. He is on pace to shatter his point totals and lead the WHL in points, all while helping his Rockets back to the playoffs.
All three of these prospects have gotten out to strong starts in their respective leagues, and all have a good chance of cracking the Capitals’ roster next season if they continue to develop. With a Capitals team that is in the middle of a retool, hopefully these three can be the future of the team and help lead them to plenty of success down the road.