Capitals' phenom on verge of NHL breakthrough after 132 WHL points

The Washington Capitals may have a new high scorer ready to break in at the NHL level.

His name: Andrew Cristall.

Cristall was the No. 40 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a big fall after some prognosticators expected him to go in the first 10 picks.

The 5-foot-10, 183-pound winger hasn't been called up to the NHL ranks yet, but last season in the WHL, he was dominant.

He scored 132 points in just 57 games between the Kelowna Rockets and the Spokane Chiefs.

Cristall then went into the playoffs and scored 21 goals with 20 assists in 19 playoff games.

Why is Cristall in the news? Because Capitals GM Chris Patrick shared new thoughts with NHL.com on his chances of cracking the opening night roster.

“He’s going to come in, if he has a camp like last camp, it’s going to be hard on the coaching staff to not keep him on their NHL team,” Patrick said.

Cristall is 20 years old, and if he didn't make the NHL roster, he could be assigned to AHL Hershey.

The Capitals will certainly want to make the most of the season ahead, knowing they don't have a ton of time left with Alex Ovechkin.

If Cristall is ready to contribute to the NHL team, it's not the time to be patient. Like Patrick said, he'll likely make the roster if he looks ready for it.

And if he scores even a fraction of the amount he did in the WHL, he'll be an exciting part of the Capitals' future.

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