Capitals, defenseman Alex Alexeyev agree to two-year extension
Capitals, Alex Alexeyev agree to two-year extension originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Alex Alexeyev is back in Washington for at least two more years.
The 23-year-old defenseman, who was set to become a restricted free agent, agreed on Monday to a two-year extension to remain with the Capitals through the 2024-25 season, the team announced.
Alexeyev played 32 games for the team in 2022-23, totaling five points (all assists). He began the season with the Hershey Bears, Washington's AHL affiliate, on a long-term conditioning loan as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.
The Capitals' top-six defenseman for next season is beginning to take shape with Alexeyev now under contract for two more seasons. Veterans John Carlson, Nick Jensen and Trevor van Riemsdyk are all under contract for three more years, while trade deadline acquisition Rasmus Sandin is signed through 2023-24. Martin Fehervary, who played mostly alongside Carlson on Washington's top defensive pairing, is a restricted free agent.
The Capitals' first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Alexeyev finished this past season primarily playing on the Capitals' third blue-line pairing alongside van Riemsdyk. Alexeyev's play down the stretch of the season earned praise from Washington's captain Alex Ovechkin during his exit day interview.
"You can see lots of young guys, Alexeyev right now playing, [Sandin] playing, and it kind of gives us a little belief," Ovechkin said. "Seeing lots of young guys coming up, it’s a good thing.”
In Alexeyev, Sandin and potentially Fehervary, the Capitals have a trio of young, left-stick defensemen to anchor the blue line in 2023-23 and beyond.
