Washington Capitals stun NHL Draft with bold trade for 6'4" German winger Maxim Schafer
Image via Instagram/schafer_maxim71
The Washington Capitals took a calculated swing on Saturday at the
NHL
Draft in Las Vegas, moving down in the third round to grab a big-bodied German winger they hope can grow into an NHL-caliber forward.
Maxim Schafer, just 18 years old, was their target.
The Caps sent Ottawa their No. 93 pick and added a 2027 seventh-rounder in the deal, then used their new spot to grab Schafer—a move that says as much about their draft strategy as it does about the player himself.
Washington Capitals trade down in NHL Draft to grab 6'4" German forward Maxim Schafer
Maxim Schafer's numbers in Germany's top league don't jump off the page: three points in 31 games for Eisbären Berlin last season. But it's not easy for teenagers to break into pro lineups there at all.
What the Capitals liked was the experience against older competition and how he produced when given the chance at the junior level—35 points in 15 games for Berlin's U20 squad.
'He's a big kid who's played meaningful minutes in a men's league already,' one Capitals scout said Saturday in Vegas. 'You watch him with his own age group and you see a completely different player, really confident with the puck.'
Internationally, Schafer wore an 'A' for Germany at the Under-18 Worlds and scored three goals in five games.
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He also got a taste of the Under-20 World Juniors, adding three points in five games while playing up an age group. That combination of leadership and versatility caught the team's eye.
'He handled the U18 captaincy well,' the scout added. 'He's the type of player who rises to the level you ask of him.'
How Washington Capitals' NHL Draft plan focuses on European talent and future picks
This pick is Washington's third forward and second winger of this draft class, underlining a clear plan to add size and depth up front.
NHL Central Scouting had Schafer ranked 102nd among international skaters, making him a bit of a project but with clear upside.
By trading back to get him—and picking up an extra late-round pick for the future—the Capitals showed they're thinking long-term. It's also their first German draft pick since Haakon Hanelt in 2021, continuing a pattern of scouting hard in Europe for skill and character.
For Washington, Schafer is exactly the kind of swing you take in the middle rounds. He's big, has leadership experience, and if his scoring translates, they'll look back on this trade as one worth making.
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