Logan Thompson Returns & Keeping Up With Capitals’ Prospects

Logan Thompson returned to practice for the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Thompson was on the ice for the morning skate in Montreal and was going into the starter’s net. That’s excellent news for the Capitals after the netminder was crashed into by Dylan Strome in Game 3 and had to leave the game.

It’s unclear whether he will start the game against the Canadiens on Sunday night, but his return would be a significant boost for the team.

Meanwhile, goaltender Sam Montembeault is officially a game-time decision and not yet ruled out for the Canadiens. If Montembeault can’t go, reports are to expect Cayden Primeau, who was just recalled, to back up Jakub Dobes. Montembeault is day-to-day, says head coach Martin St. Louis.

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Keeping Up With Capitals Prospects

The Washington Capitals have closed out a fantastic season, where they shattered expectations, finishing first in the Eastern Conference. They now lead 2-1 in a series against the youngest playoff team in NHL history, the Montreal Canadiens. Led by Alex Ovechkin, Washington had the second-most productive offence this year. The captain will most likely retire in the next year or two, but with their current core signed long-term, the Capitals can expect to remain somewhat competitive and introduce some youth in upcoming seasons.

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While Ovechkin might be irreplaceable, Washington’s upper management has done a commendable job retooling this aging team over the past two years, a squad that lost key veterans like Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie due to long-term injuries. They made great offseason trades and signings, as well as very good draft selections. So far, the Capitals are looking like one of the biggest winners in the 2023 and 2024 NHL Entry Drafts. In this article, we will be taking a look at the top prospects in Washington’s system.

Ryan Leonard

After a great career in the NCAA, Ryan Leonard has made the jump to the NHL. Currently slotted on the second line, he will add a lot of speed, size, and depth to Washington’s playoff run.

Highly touted in the 2023 NHL draft, the Capitals’ first-rounder has proven his leadership qualities in this year’s World Junior Championship, as he captained the team to a gold medal.

Standing six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, with his speed, great hands, and a lethal shot, Leonard has all the tools to become one of the best power forwards in the upcoming years. Surrounded by Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Alex Ovechkin, Leonard can hardly find better mentors for that role. In nine regular-season NHL games so far, he already has a goal and a fight to his name.

With back-to-back 30-goal seasons in college, Leonard should become a great NHL forward.

Cole Hutson

The younger brother of Calder trophy front-runner Lane Hutson has just as much talent to be excited about. Cole Hutson plays the game in a very similar manner to Lane, but with his style and swagger. In 37 games with Boston University this season, Hutson has amassed an impressive 46 points and is already the most valuable player on his team at just 18 years old. He won the Tim Taylor Award for the national rookie of the year for Division 1 NCAA hockey.

He creates high-danger scoring chances by dancing through defenders, and has quite the ability to pick corners. Like his brother, he is lethal on the power play, and his shiftiness makes him unpredictable and very hard to check.

The 43rd overall pick in the 2024 draft had points in this year’s Frozen Four tournament. Unfortunately, his season came to an end as Boston University fell to the Western Michigan Broncos in the finals.

Cole Hutson is expected to return to play college hockey next season. Another year of development will do the defenseman a lot of good. Look out for Hutson to join the Capitals at the end of next season and be given an offensive role on Washington’s back end.

Ilya Protas

Another player looking like a steal in general manager Chris Patrick’s 2024 draft is current Capitals’ first liner Aliaksei Protas’ younger brother, Ilya. In contrast to the Hutson brothers, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas are absolute units, being both listed over 6’5” and 200 pounds.

In his rookie season with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, the Belarusian winger scored 50 goals and 124 points. This made him the OHL’s second-highest producer this year, behind only Michael Misa. The Spitfires just eliminated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in six games. Protas put up 18 points in this series, including 15 assists. The Spitfires would then fall in the second round against the Kitchener Rangers in seven games. Protas added another seven points in that span, keeping up at the top of the playoff scoring race.

His laser of a shot makes him a scoring threat from anywhere in the offensive zone, especially on the power play.

Playing against junior players, Protas’ frame allows him to win battles on the boards and set up his teammates with ease. In the offensive zone, he has shown great vision and hockey IQ, making him a passing threat, in addition to his shooting ability. His puck protection skills allow him to be patient and find open teammates. He currently plays on a line with Los Angeles Kings 2024 first-round pick Liam Greentree, and they have become the most feared offensive duo in the OHL. Today, it was announced that Protas was the 2024-2025 recipient of the William Hanley award, given to the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL.

If Protas’ game can translate to the NHL like his brother has this season, where Aliaksei put up 66 points with little to no powerplay time, the Capitals could add yet another dangerous power forward for years to come.

Andrew Cristall

Surprisingly, Andrew Cristall had fallen to the second round of the 2023 NHL draft. His scoring ability and hockey IQ had some scouts projecting him to go in the first round, some even putting him in the top 10, along with an already stacked pool of prospects. However, his size, speed, and lack of defensive commitment in his draft year had NHL general managers unwilling to use a high pick to draft Cristall.

In his draft year, Cristall put up an impressive 95-point season with the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL. The following year, his offensive production took a significant step forward, as he scored 40 goals and 111 points.

This season, he was traded midseason to the Spokane Chiefs. He now plays on a line with 2024 seventh overall pick Berkly Catton. In 29 regular-season games with the Chiefs, Cristall has put up 72 points. The Vancouver native finished the year with 132 points, as the WHL’s leading scorer. Catton and Cristall have developed an unbelievable chemistry and dominate the league offensively.

Cristall is a goal scorer. His size does not allow him to have the heaviest of shots, but his hockey IQ is what will enable him to beat goaltenders. He places the puck with absolute precision into the smallest of openings. He also possesses tremendous patience and vision, creating opportunities for his teammates. His crisp passing ability enables him to find players with perfect timing to complete a play.

In ten playoff games, the Capitals’ prospect has put up 13 goals and 28 points.

It is challenging to project Cristall’s play at the pro level for the moment, as he has yet to play against men. At 5’10”, he isn’t the tallest of Washington’s prospects and isn’t recognized for much else besides his offensive ability. He remains an NHL prospect with top-6 potential.

The Capitals Are In a Good Position for the Future

The Capitals are in a good position right now. The current leadership in Washington is encouraging for the long-term culture of the team. The hiring of Spencer Carbery might be the most impactful move Washington has made in many years. As a player’s coach, Carbery can get the best of his roster night in and night out. He is currently the front-runner for the Jack Adams award, given to the coach of the year in the NHL.

The Capitals’ drafting has been more than solid, and they have been on the winning end of all their summer signings and trades in the 2024 off-season. They added players like Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Logan Thompson, who all had career years in their first year in Washington. Players like Matt Roy, Taylor Raddysh, Brandon Duhaime, and Andrew Mangiapane have also fit in nicely as a supporting cast.

The Capitals are one of the best teams in the NHL right now. Alex Ovechkin is pushing forty years old and will no longer lead this team as he has in the past. However, with a new young core, exciting prospects, and a great coach, Washington could potentially remain competitive for years to come.

Next: Elias Pettersson’s Agent Talks Trade: Canucks Keep Options Open