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Tonight at 7 p.m. you can watch the first round of the NHL draft on Vs. In a week where the Caps have received some of their annual propers with one of two available MVP awards (Alexander Ovechkin), comeback player of the year (former Capital Jose Theodore), and first team NHL all star nods (Ovechkin and defenseman Mike Green), this is just one more reliable sign that summer is here and hockey isn’t.

But the draft has become an exciting time to be a Caps fan in recent years. Throughout the aughts, the Capitals stockpiled picks and traded up at the last minute to snag players like Alexander Semin and John Carlson. Most of the current team is comprised of players Washington scouted and drafted. Following in the footsteps of perennial contenders like Detroit, Colorado and Ottawa, Washington has placed an emphasis on finding good young players and helping them develop.

So even though the Capitals don’t have a pick in the top 25 this year and only have two picks in the top 100, this could be an exciting night for hockey. If we’re really lucky, the Caps will trade their 26th overall pick into a full-grown defenseman who can help them get deeper in this year’s playoffs. Or if not, at least it’ll be a chance to maybe see George McPhee’s pretty smile in the news tomorrow morning and think wintry thoughts. Either way, we’ll keep you posted.