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Lynden Lakovic, Team CHL (Eric Young / CHL)

Capitals’ Prospects Lakovic & Parascak Lighting Up the WHL

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Frank Mills | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 2:55 PM ET

The Washington Capitals have proven to be shrewd assessors of prospect talent in recent years under general managers (GMs) Brian McLellan and Chris Patrick, and two of their young hopefuls are currently leading the Western Hockey League (WHL) in goals. Lynden Lakovic, captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors, sits atop the league with 17 tallies, and Terik Parascak of the Prince George Cougars trails him with 15 following his second career hat trick on Nov. 12.

Lakovic and Parascak join Andrew Cristall, another Western Canadian winger with lots of offensive upside, in the Capitals’ system. Cristall is currently honing his craft in his first professional season with the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate.

Lakovic Brings Size and Skill

Lakovic was selected in the first round, 27th overall, in 2025. The 6-foot-4, 201-pound left winger from Kelowna, British Columbia, had 58 points in 47 games in 2024-25, leading the Warriors in scoring despite missing a good deal of the season to injury. Two seasons ago, he helped lead Moose Jaw to their first WHL championship, scoring four game-winning goals in the playoffs, three of them in overtime.

At this summer’s Capitals rookie camp, Lakovic impressed his future head coach, Spencer Carbery. “The two things that I notice: One, he’s got deceptive speed for a bigger guy,” Carbery said on Sept. 19. “You saw it in the skate test – he blew away his group. For a guy his size at his age to be able to be that efficient as a skater is really impressive. For someone that big, that you think is only going to grow into being a big power forward that can skate like that, is very unique.”

Prior to the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Lakovic was ranked second among North American left wingers and 14th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The Hockey Writers’ Dayton Reimer said of Lakovic, “He’s built like a power forward, he plays much more of a finesse game, giving him a unique blend of size and skill not seen in any other players at the top of the draft class.”

The Capitals signed Lakovic to a three-year entry-level contract (ELC) in July. He participated in one preseason game with the Capitals, skating on the fourth line and registering a little under 14 minutes in ice time. Lakovic earned a late invite to the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase and hopes to earn a spot on Canada’s 2026 World Junior Championships roster for the tournament that begins on Dec. 26.

Parascak Is a Prolific Scorer

Parascak, the Capitals’ 17th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, put up big numbers with the Cougars the last two seasons, including 105 points as a rookie in 2023-24. The 6-foot winger possesses impressive puck skills and a high offensive IQ that the Capitals are hoping will transition to the professional game. In his draft year, NHL Central Scouting had him ranked 15th among North American skaters and third among right wingers.

The Lethbridge, Alberta native is off to a torrid start this season, averaging 1.67 points per game, with 30 points in 18 games and four games of three-plus points to his name. Parascak’s hat trick against the Victoria Royals this week shot him up to second place in WHL scoring, right behind Lakovic.

“(Parascak) does so many things for us, he’s so unassuming to other people and other teams and all of a sudden he pulls something out of his hat, and it’s nice to watch,” said Cougars head coach and GM Mark Lamb. “He finds the energy and those smart little plays, it’s amazing. We know him well and the fans know him well but the other team, they don’t see him every day, and he’s a special player.”

Parascak signed his ELC with the Capitals in July, 2024 and has taken part in two Capitals rookie camps since. At the end of the 2024-25 season, he was loaned to the Bears and played in one regular-season game before their playoff run began. Parascak also attended the World Junior Summer Showcase and has hopes to make Team Canada for the 2026 World Juniors in Minneapolis.

Capitals’ Prospect Pipeline Ranked 9th in NHL

The Capitals’ prospect pipeline is looking healthy these days with Lukovic and Parascak tearing it up in the WHL and Cristall learning the pro game in Hershey. Ilya Protas, the 19-year-old younger brother of the Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas, made the jump to Hershey after an exceptional season in the Ontario Hockey League. Blue-chip prospect Cole Hutson, projected to be a top-four defenseman, is thriving at Boston University.

Rookie Ryan Leonard looks to be a permanent NHL player based on his play thus far, and Ivan Miroshnichenko, who just signed a two-year contract extension with the team, is still looking like he could land a permanent roster spot. The Capitals rank ninth for NHL prospect rankings, which, for a team that was a perennial playoff contender for many years, is quite good. Add to that the success the Bears have had in developing talent and giving young players playoff experience in recent years, and the Capitals can be optimistic about the next generation of players coming to Washington.