Capitals Rookie Camp: Names to Watch, Battles to Follow
The Washington Capitals are headed for the coast for the next few days, as they'll take part in their annual rookie camp at McMullen Hockey Arena over in Annapolis, Maryland.
Washington's prospects will have on and off-ice training ahead of the team's official training camp, which kicks off in a week's time.
Here are the top players to watch, storylines and everything else to know.
Names To Watch
Ryan Leonard — Obviously, all eyes will be on Ryan Leonard, who's poised to break out in his true rookie season this year. The 20-year-old got a handful of NHL games at the end of last season, as he was caught in a whirlwind transition from the NCAA to the big club. Now, with a full summer of rest and training, along with time to reflect on what it takes to make it in the Show, Leonard's back and hungry for more. If his informal skates say anything, he's ready to show what he can do — and rookie camp will be just the start.
Andrew Cristall — After nearly making the Capitals roster out of camp last fall, Andrew Cristall returned to juniors on a mission, and ended up bidding farewell to the league in the best way possible: by dominating it. He led with 142 points in 57 regular-season games, and then added 41 points in 19 playoff outings to close out his WHL career. Now, he's headed to the pros regardless, and the next few weeks will decide whether that's in D.C. or in Hershey. Cristall has gotten bigger, faster and stronger while pushing his game forward, and obviously, rookie camp is a good first step in the right direction.
Ilya Protas — The younger brother of Aliaksei Protas stunned in his rookie campaign in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, with 124 points in 61 regular-season games and 20 points in 12 playoff games. He's expected to start the year with the AHL's Hershey Bears, but is a dark horse for a roster spot; the 6-foot-5 forward is still growing and has the strength and promise that Aliaksei does, so all eyes will be on him to see what he's done with his offseason.
Lynden Lakovic — Washington's first-round pick from this year's draft, Lakovic possesses a great deal of promise and potential. Standing at 6-foot-5, he possesses a large frame and a wicked shot, but it's his skating and sneaky-good playmaking ability that make him fun to watch on the ice, too. Keep an eye on him as he looks to showcase his skill on the ice after a full summer of training following his 27th overall selection.
Eriks Mateiko — Eriks Mateiko is one of the more interesting names to watch for Washington going forward. The 6-foot-6 forward is coming off a strong year in the QMJHL where he had 41 points in 27 games, and he also burst onto the scene with a stunning five-goal performance at World Juniors. He carries a lot of upside for D.C., so look for him to keep making an impact.
Storylines
Promising Blue Line — The Capitals will see a lot of high-potential defensemen take the ice, as Ryan Chesley, Cam Allen, Leon Muggli and David Gucciardi lead a promising group of blueliners attending camp. Chesley and Gucciardi both finished their collegiate careers and went pro at the end of last season, and will be strong additions to the Bears' defense corps this season as they continue their journey to the NHL.
Also going pro is Cam Allen, who dealt with off-ice issues last season and is eager to get back to playing and showcasing his talent for Washington. Leon Muggli, the team's second-round pick in 2024, is also looking to impress following his post-draft year.
Hershey & South Carolina Signees — Rookie camp is also a good welcome-to-the-NHL experience for a lot of the organization's depth signings. Stan Cooley and Nolan Krenzen, who attended development camp, signed with the South Carolina Stingrays. John Fusco, Lynden Breen and Kaden Bohlsen all signed AHL deals with Hershey for the upcoming season.
More 2025 Picks On Display — Beyond Lakovic, the Capitals will get to see a number of their other 2025 draft picks take the ice, including Jackson Crowder, a checking forward who looks up to the likes of Tom Wilson, and rising German winger Maxim Schafer.
Forwards: Kaden Bohlsen, Lynden Breen, Stan Cooley, Andrew Cristall, Jackson Crowder, Lynden Lakovic, Ryan Leonard, Eriks Mateiko, Terik Parascak, Ludwig Persson, Ilya Protas, Miroslav Satan Jr., Maxim Schafer, Alexander Suzdalev, Patrick Thomas
Defensemen: Cam Allen, Ryan Chesley, John Fusco, David Gucciardi, Nolan Krenzen, Leon Muggli
Goaltenders: Chase Anderson, Seth Eisele
Friday, Sept. 12
Start of Capitals Rookie Camp
10:30 a.m. – Goalie ice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Practice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
Saturday, Sept. 13
No on-ice session
Sunday, Sept. 14
10:30 a.m. – Goalie ice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Practice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
Monday, Sept. 15
Final Day of Capitals Rookie Camp
10:30 a.m. – Goalie ice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Practice (McMullen Hockey Arena)
Titans Threaten to Keep Stafford Out of NFL’s Elite Circle
Heading into Week 2's matchup, the Tennessee Titans are 5.5-point underdogs to the Los Angeles Rams. On paper, their roster isn't as talented as the Rams, but they have one major stat going in their favor.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford has enjoyed an incredible career. He's won a Super Bowl, he's 10th all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, but there's one thing he's never done: beat the Titans.
During Stafford's 17-year NFL career, he's beaten 30 of the NFL's 32 teams. The Titans are one team he's never beaten - he's 0-4 against them - and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the other. Only four QBs in NFL history have beaten all 32 teams - Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre - so if the Titans can upset the Rams on Sunday, they may just take Stafford out of contention to ever get the feat done.
Stafford hasn't played particularly bad against the Titans either. In his first ever matchup against the Titans, Stafford and the Lions took them to overtime, but lost 44-41. He completed 78.6% of his passes for 278 yards and a touchdown while taking just one sack, but they couldn't get the job done in overtime.
The Lions wouldn't get another shot at the Titans until 2016, when they met in week 2. This was a defensive slugfest, with the Titans coming out on top by a score of 16-15. Stafford threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but threw an interception on the Lions last drive of the game as they tried to get within field goal range.
Stafford's next meeting with the Titans came in 2020, during the COVID year. They traveled to Tennessee in November and got demolished, 46-25 in a game where Stafford threw for 252 yards and a touchdown.
Finally, their most recent meeting came in 2021. They met in week nine in LA, but the Titans were able to escape with a 28-16 win after Stafford tossed two picks. The Rams would go on to win the Super Bowl that year.
Now, for the fifth time in his career, Stafford will try to beat the Titans. His team is the favorite, but they have been in three of his last four matchups against Tennessee. Will Stafford be able to get the job done and knock off his 31st NFL team? Or will the Titans pull off the week 2 upset? We'll find out on Sunday, but there's an outside chance the Titans can pull this off and send Stafford him with an 0-5 record against them in his career.
