Capitals select Ryan Leonard with No. 8 pick in NHL Draft

Capitals select Ryan Leonard with No. 8 pick in NHL Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

NASHVILLE — Making their first top-10 pick in 16 years, the Capitals selected right wing Ryan Leonard with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday. The 18-year-old native of Amherst, Massachusetts, is a product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program who helped Team USA win gold at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship.

“[I’m] a guy who’s always got energy, the kind of guy that loves his motor and always going,” Leonard said of his playing style at his post-draft press conference. “I love to win, pretty good leader too. But yeah, I’m really excited and definitely a big competitor.”

Leonard was a force for the U18 NTDP, scoring 51 goals with 43 assists in 57 games in 2022-23. He scored 15 of those goals on the power play, which led the team. He played a pivotal role in Team USA’s goal-medal run and scored the tournament-clinching goal in the championship game against Sweden.

Leonard has already committed to play at Boston College, where he plans to continue his development before jumping into the professional ranks. He’ll be joined by U18 NTDP linemate Will Smith, who was drafted fourth overall by the San Jose Sharks.

The Capitals will enter Day 2 of the NHL Draft with four remaining picks.