It looked like the Washington Capitals wouldn’t make a single trade as the 2023 NHL draft began to wrap-up in Nashville on Thursday. But late in the seventh and final round, they ended up making a late deal, trading their seventh round pick in next year’s draft for the San Jose Sharks’ seventh round pick in this years draft. They used the additional pick to select Antoine Keller, goaltender for Geneve-Servette in the Swiss League.
Keller, 18, is the second French-born goaltender to be selected in an NHL Draft, following Cristobal Huet (No. 214 by LAK in 2001).
This season, Keller played Genève-Servette, winner of the Swiss championship. He did not play any games with the professional team, but played 25 games with the U20 Elite, with an average of 3.40 goals against average.
The goalkeeper was also played five times with HCV Martigny, a club in the Swiss third division – to which he was loaned and which won his championship.
In addition, Keller was also played for the French team at the World Junior Championship, where he played three games for 2.70 goals against average and .921 save percentage.
By Jon Sorensen
2023 NHL Entry Draft
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