The Hershey Bears announced on Friday that Capitals’ defensive prospect Alex Alexeyev has been officially loaned to the Bears on a long-term injury conditioning assignment.
MORE FROM THE BEARS
The Washington Capitals announced today that defenseman Alex Alexeyev has been assigned to the Hershey Bears on a long-term injury conditioning loan. The announcement was made by Washington’s senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan.
Alexeyev, 22, has not played this season after having shoulder surgery in June. In 2021-22 for Hershey, the 6’4″, 210-pound defender appeared in 68 games, posting 19 points (1g, 18a). He also skated in three Calder Cup Playoff games for the Chocolate and White, tallying one assist. Over three seasons with Hershey, Alexeyev has scored 49 points (6g, 43a) in 138 career AHL games.
He [is a] native of St. Petersburg, Russia earned his first call-up to the National Hockey League last year, debuting in Washington’s 5-3 win over Nashville on Dec. 29, 2021. He was selected by the Capitals in the first round, 31st overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Alexeyev and the Bears return to action tonight in Hartford. Hershey visits the Wolf Pack at 7 p.m. at the XL Center. The game is available to listen to on the Highmark Bears Radio Network and to watch on AHLTV.
It is believed that Alexeyev is very close to returning to the Bears lineup. He has been working out with the team since being re-assigned from Capitals’ training camp on September 30. In addition, Bears radio noted in a recent broadcast that Alexeyev was very close to returning.
A loan of this type is normally for three games (or six days) but can be extended for an additional two depending on how he responds. To be loaned, he doesn’t need to clear waivers, though it did require them to move him from season-opening IR to LTIR. That placement is retroactive to October 11.
Once Alexeyev completes his rehab assignment, he will return to the Capitals and a decision will need to be made. The Capitals are currently at the maximum 23-man roster limit, so another player will need to be moved to make room for Alexeyev’s return.
The Capitals could re-assign a waivers-exempt player to Hershey (Connor McMichael or Aliaksei Protas), expose a non-waivers-exempt player by waiving the player in hopes of returning the player to Hershey, or a trade is even possible.
INJURIES
The Capitals announced on June 18 that Alexeyev had undergone labral repair surgery on his left shoulder and was expected to miss 4-5 months. Today marks four months and 10 days since the official announcement.
Alexeyev has dealt with quite a few injuries in his career, but most of them have occurred while playing for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Alexeyev sustained no less than eight injuries in 156 games played over the his three seasons with Red Deer.
The injuries ranged from moderate to severe, capping his WHL seasons at 41, 45 and 49 regular season games played (out of 72 regular season games in the WHL). That’s 45%, 33% and 28% of the games over the three seasons. (More on his WHL injuries here.)
Alexeyev has been much more resilient during his first three seasons in the AHL, playing 68 games during his rookie campaign, 12 games in the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season (he played a full season in the KHL prior to coming to Hershey for the finish of the season) and 58 games in the 2021-22 season.
Alexeyev, 22, was the Capitals first round draft pick (#31 overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’-4” left-handed defenseman signed a three-year entry-level contract on September 24, 2018 for $863,333 AAV. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Alex Alexeyev: 2022 Annual Review And Forecast
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