Checking in on the Capitals’ 2025 Draft Selections

This was his final season with the Warriors, as he will be eligible to play at the professional level next season and will be joining the Capitals’ training camp in the fall. He will likely start with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League before any potential callup to the Capitals.

Milton Gastrin

Gastrin was selected in the second round, 37th overall. The Swedish forward has spent his entire junior career in Sweden and is currently on loan to MoDo Hockey of HockeyAllsvenskan. He has played 39 games this season and tallied 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points.

He also appeared with Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC). His two goals and two assists contributed to Sweden’s gold-medal showing at the tournament. Gastrin has been a reliable playmaker for MoDo and will likely join the Capitals at training camp this fall to determine whether or not he will play with the Bears, Capitals, or MoDo for the 2026-27 season.

Maxim Schafer

German forward Schafer was selected 96th overall and has proven himself to be both a supremely-skilled winger and a physical force when needed. He currently plays for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 53 games, he amassed an impressive 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists).

He represented Germany at the 2026 WJC for the second time, where he had one goal and two assists in five games, contributing to his country’s fifth-place finish. He is not signed by the Capitals at this time, so he will likely remain on a junior team next season to continue his development.

Jackson Crowder

Crowder is a skilled center who was drafted in the fifth round, 155th overall. He is in his second season with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL). This has been a breakout season for Crowder, as he has operated at more than a point-per-game clip with 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 43 games. As the season comes to a close, he is projected to end with 48 points.

Crowder was named USHL forward of the week thanks to his offensive performance in early March. A few weeks later, the forward noticeably showcased his physicality and toughness by throwing heavy punches against a Youngstown Phantoms player, Cody Berard. He’s sure to be both a reliable offensive producer and a physical force for the Capitals in a few years. He will be further developing his game with the Ohio State University in the fall.

Aron Dahlqvist

Dahlqvist was the only defenseman Washington chose, in the sixth round at 180th overall. The Swedish defender plays with Brynas IF, and he has split time between the U20 Nationell team and the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). In U20, he has played 29 games and totaled seven points (one goal, six assists). With the SHL team, he has played 14 games but has not picked up a point.

He is a large player — 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds at just 19 years old — and uses it to his advantage. While he is not often on the scoresheet, he contributes to each game with his physicality, placing heavy hits on opponents and disrupting plays. He was selected as an early pick for Sweden’s squad for the 2027 WJC, so we will get to see his performance there in December. He is not signed, so Dahlqvist will not be joining the Capitals organization any time soon.

These five are just a small handful of the talented prospect pool that the Capitals have secured. As the season winds down and the 2026 NHL Draft season gets into full swing, it will be interesting to see who the Capitals choose to bolster their future further.