Like Father, Like Son In Washington

The Washington Capitals are going back to the future.

Trading up to acquire the 24th pick of the NHL Entry Draft the Capitals selected Anton Gustafsson. Washington fans will of course recognize that name, as father Bengt-Ake Gustafsson is one of the greatest players in Capitals history. The two are pictured above.

The Hockey News ranked Anton 24th, which was better than TSN (30th) and ISS (53rd). THN says he "has the same qualities that made his father such a dependable player in the NHL for more than a decade." The jury is still very much out on him though, as he missed significant time this past season with injuries.

Much of the first round went according to plan, with Steven Stamkos going first followed by a number of blue chip defensemen. Phoenix made a very interesting selection taking Viktor Tikhonov, grandson of the legendary Russian coach of the same name. At #28 the 'Yotes went off the board, but he is an older prospect who potentially could step into the lineup next year.