The Capitals are seeing their prospects enjoy success as they sit atop the NHL standings.
As the Washington Capitals thrive, so do their prospects.
The Capitals have not only enjoyed success at the highest level as they sit atop the NHL standings, but have been seeing the rest of the organization succeed with their future stars putting up impressive campaigns of their own.
Of course, the biggest is Andrew Cristall, who is having a dominant season in the WHL. He just got traded to the Spokane Chiefs and has not missed a beat, picking up 16 points through his first five games.
He has now totalled 76 points through the first 32 games of the season and is on pace to finish with 157 points, which would be the highest-scoring season of any WHL player in the modern era. The last time a player had that large of an output was Mark Deyell in 1995-96 when he had 159 points in 69 games.
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Cristall's run could also include a good shot at a championship, as the Chiefs sit near the top of the WHL standings and have been one of the most impressive, deep teams in junior hockey this season.
Beyond Cristall, Ilya Protas, the younger brother of Aliaksei who was taken in the third round of this year's draft, is also thriving at the junior level with a spectacular season.
Protas has 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points through 39 games in his rookie year with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, putting him on pace for 122 points. It's quite the showing for the 6-foot-6 forward, who just started playing in North America last season with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers.
Another name to keep an eye on, of course, is Ryan Leonard, who has goals in back-to-back games and three of his last four outings overall, and he has 15 goals and 22 points in 21 games to boot. He's expected to sign his entry-level contract with Washington in the spring and bring an immediate boost to the NHL lineup.
