Washington Capitals loan Alex Alexeyev to the KHL

The Washington Capitals have loaned top defensive prospect Alex Alexeyev.

The Washington Capitals have loaned another player to the KHL, their latest prospect is Alex Alexeyev. The team loaned Alexeyev to Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with the expectation that the Capitals will recall him at the beginning of the 2020-21 training camp.

Alexeyev was selected in the first round at 31st overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 20 year old finished his first AHL season with 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 58 games with the Hershey Bears. He ranked third among Hershey defensemen and 12th among all AHL rookie defensemen in points.

Additionally, Alexeyev’s 18 points at even strength tied him for sixth among AHL rookie defensemen. He led Hershey defensemen in games played and ranked third in plus/minus with eight.

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Alexeyev’s AHL season was cut short due to the novel coronavirus pandemic which canceled the rest of the AHL season. It was a good bounce back season after his season ended the year before with a season-ending injury with the Red Deer Rebels.

Prior to that injury, Alexeyev recorded 43 points with 10 goals and 33 assists in 49 games of Western Hockey League (WHL) action. He ranked eighth among defensemen in points per game with 0.88. In 135 career games with the Rebels, Alexeyev recorded 101 points with 21 goals and 80 assists.

Additionally, Alexeyev has represented Team Russia at the 2019 World Junior Championship, the 2016 Under-18 World Championship and the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial. In the 2019 World Juniors, Alexeyev recorded six points with two goals and four assists in seven games.

Alexeyev getting sent to the KHL is a growing trend for prospects. With the coronavirus impacting the AHL, prospects need to get ice time somehow and with the KHL season going on, this is a good opportunity for them.

In a normal year, this wouldn’t be a good move. But with these times we are living in right now, this is a perfect opportunity for Alexeyev’s development.

Nobody knows when the 2020-21 NHL season is going to start or what it will look like. That includes the AHL as well. Nobody knows if they’ll play the games with fans or not. They may wait until fans can get the okay to come back.

Prospects all need to play for development which is why Alexeyev was the latest Capitals prospect to be loaned to the KHL. He is loaned there so he can get playing time and it will be fun to follow him.