The Washington Capitals wrapped up the 2025 Capitals Development Camp on Saturday with a 3-on-3 hockey tournament. The camp event provides Capitals prospects with hands-on coaching time for skill development and fundamental hockey skills training. Meanwhile, hockey executives are taking notes from five days of practices and game scenarios to learn as much as they can as they continue to evaluate players. Capitals senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick had glowing things to say about performances this week from several of the Capitals’ top prospects, such as Cole Hutson and Milton Gastrin.
Chris Patrick Delighted By Prospects’ Performance This Week
“It’s been a great camp,” Patrick said during his post-camp availability. “A lot of guys stood out to me. Really excited about the future and what we have. A lot of them showed it here this week.”
“I’m really excited about the future of what we have.”
Senior vice president & general manager Chris Patrick meets with the media following the conclusion of #CapsDevCamp to discuss his impressions of the Capitals’ prospects, free agency, and more.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/AVGLWQ24Bo
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 5, 2025
Terik Parascak, the 17th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, headlined a group of 17 returning players from the 2024 Capitals Development Camp at MedStar Capitals IcePlex, including Andrew Cristall, Ilya Protas, Ryan Chesley, and Leon Muggli.
“Some of the individual attributes are pretty high-end on some of the guys,” Patrick said. “The skill level, the skating, the smarts. Sometimes, you don’t see that. You have maybe one guy with that. We have a few guys that have that higher-end potential.”
Will Cole Hutson’s Journey Mimic Ryan Leonard’s Path to the NHL?
One of those players with a higher-than-average ceiling is defender Cole Hutson, who scored twice to aid Team Red in victory over Team Blue to a 4-1 win in the Future Caps Cup to finalize on-ice activities at the 2025 Capitals Development Camp.
The Capitals selected Hutson in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and the prospect has all the makings of a future NHL blueliner. However, before his NHL journey begins, the Illinois native has some unfinished business at Boston University (BU) in the NCAA next season.
“I thought he was excellent,” Patrick praised the young defender. “I thought he was at a different level. He certainly seems like a guy ready for the next step. It feels like Leonard part two here. I know he has some goals and what he wants to do at BU, and once his season is done, we’ll put the push on.”
“We all know the skill and the skating ability…,” Patrick said. “To me, what I was impressed by was the competitiveness. Not just in 3-on-3, but if he did a drill and he didn’t like how he did it, he is firing pucks down to the other end of the ice. He wants everything to be perfect all the time. That kind of drive is really a good trait to have for a guy that wants to be an NHLer.”
Milton Gastrin Got Stronger During His 2025 Development Camp
Milton Gastrin, the Capitals’ second-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, signed his entry-level NHL contract earlier this week in Washington. In typical Swedish summer fashion, the 18-year-old forward has been enjoying some time away from the ice ahead of the NHL Draft.
“I thought his camp got stronger as it went on,” Patrick said of the 37th-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. “A lot of times with Swedish players… I asked him when the last time he skated, and he said two months ago. So, the first couple of days, jumping right into edge work and small area play is not easy. As the camp went on, you could see him getting more comfortable. He has a lot of good detail to his game.”
Related: Capitals Draft Milton Gastrin 37th Overall
Gastrin’s entry-level deal pays an average annual value (AAV) of $877,500 in the NHL and $85,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL). In recent history, Washington has funneled many of its international prospects through the AHL’s Hershey Bears to adjust to the North American game before joining the Red, White, and Blue. Those decisions will have to wait for many prospects like Gastrin, who have previous contractual commitments in place. The Swedish forward is expected to be loaned to MoDo (Sweden) for the 2025-26 season.
With Alex Ovechkin winding down his career in Washington, the Capitals are poised to turn the page over to a youthful new group, including many of the prospects who skated in D.C. over the last week. Time will tell how successful players like Huston and Gastrin are in Washington, but the future certainly looks bright for the NHL’s best team in the Eastern Conference during the 2024-25 regular season.
