How acquired: Selected with No. 27 pick in 2025 NHL Draft
2025-26 season: Moose Jaw (WHL): 22 GP, 18-11-29
Lakovic looked close to being NHL ready in his first training camp before his development was sidetracked by a shoulder injury with Moose Jaw in December that required season-ending surgery. The Capitals held him out of contact during development camp June 30-July 3 as a precaution, but Patrick said Lakovic “should be fully good to go” during training camp.
Lakovic turns 20 on Dec. 12, so he is eligible to play in the AHL this season, which will help his progression.
“He’s got the size (6-4, 190), the skating ability, so going back to (junior) for another year, I don’t know how much he would get out of it,” Patrick said. “If he’s a guy that needed to put on weight or if he was smaller or something, maybe, but all those boxes are checked for him. So it’ll be a real good test for him, and I know he’s raring to go.”
Projected NHL arrival: Next season