The NHL Draft’s first round was not without its drama. There were plenty of trades involved, a couple of them even involving the Capitals. First, they traded two future picks with the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for center Lars Eller. Later in the first, they traded their 26th with the St. Louis Blues in exchange for St. Louis’s 28th and their 87th in the third round.
By moving back, they were able to attain another pick and have a wider selection of players. Finally, when they were on the clock at 28, the Capitals ended up selecting Lucas Johansen, a defenseman out of the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets.