Capitals sign Lynden Lakovic to entry-level contract

The Washington Capitals have signed winger Lynden Lakovic to a three-year entry-level contract.

Lakovic was the Capitals’ 27th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and was eligible to sign his entry-level contract with the team as of July 1st. His deal comes in at a cap hit of $975,000.

It’s expected that the contract will slide to next season, as the Capitals plan to loan Lakovic to the Moose Jaw Warriors for the 2025-26 season.

Lakovic is the third player from the 2025 NHL Draft to sign their entry-level deal, and the second Capitals draft pick to sign, joining 37th overall pick Milton Gastrin.

Lakovic is coming off of his best season of his WHL career, as he had 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 47 games with the Warriors. He was a bright spot on a Warriors squad that struggled and failed to make the playoffs after their third-place finish in the Memorial Cup in 2024, as he led the team in goals and points, and was second in assists behind Aiden Ziprick.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis had this to say about Lakovic in his 2025 NHL Draft rankings, where he had the West Kelowna, British Colombia product projected to be selected 25th overall:

“Lakovic is so much fun to watch, and while he’s not putting up explosive offensive numbers, he reads plays so well and has an excellent shot. Things just seem to happen whenever he has the puck on the rush, and at 6-foot-4, he’s got tremendous size. Some scouts think he’s going to be more of a second-liner at best. He drives the play a bit like Dmitri Voronkov, but I’d like to see it more consistently. Some scouts think he’s not a good enough skater to go high in the draft, but I see the potential.”