It is as tangible a sign of progress as any for the Capitals. When the 2008 NHL Entry Draft commences in Ottawa on Friday, Washington will finally have a lengthy wait before making its first pick.
That hasn’t been the case in recent years when bad season after bad season led directly to high draft picks Alex Ovechkin (first overall, 2004), named NHL MVP last week, center Nicklas Backstrom (sixth, 2006), rookie-of-the-year runner-up, and promising defenseman Karl Alzner (fifth, 2007).
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Friday, the Caps have the No. 23 pick thanks to a 43-31-8 record and their first playoff appearance in five years. It’s the club’s highest pick since 2001.
“The difference between picking top four or five and picking 23 is you’ve got a lot more players to focus on,” said Caps general manager George McPhee. “When you’re picking four or five you know who you think the top players are. You’re not sure what you’re going to get at 23.”
Washington has had 12 first-round draft picks since 2002. Discounting Alzner, who was still playing junior hockey last season, eight of the other 11 were key components of the team’s Southeast Division title run.
The Caps are stocked with nine picks in what McPhee calls a “better than pretty good draft.” They also have three second-round selections — No. 54, 57 and 58 — that could be packaged to acquire an established NHL player.
