Alex Alexeyev doesn't hold any grudges against the Washington Capitals, the organization that welcomed him to the NHL back in 2018. Ultimately, though, a change of scenery was his only option.
Alexeyev opened up about moving on from the organization in an interview with RG Media, saying he wasn't surprised when he found out that D.C. wasn't going to issue him a qualifying offer.
"It was heading in that direction fom the start," Alexeyev said. "No real shock. Early or mid-June, they told me they wouldn't extend my contract. I wasn't surprised at all."
Alexeyev was taken in the first round of the 2018 draft, marketed as a left-hand shot with tremendous upside. However, the 24-year-old dealt with injury and inconsistency, and ultimately, couldn't win a full-time spot in the NHL lineup.
It appeared he'd get his chance in 2023-24, but ultimately, he spent most of the season as an extra, a role he'd maintain over the years while D.C. turned to other defensemen.
“When I signed my two-year deal (in 2023), they told me, ‘Be ready to play every game. You had a good playoff, a good season,, be ready to play,'" Alexeyev said. "They said that to my face. I worked hard all summer, came to camp, and then they started signing other players."
Alexeyev appeared in just 39 games that season, and though he showed some upside, didn't set himself apart enough for a full-time role. Again, expectations were muddled, especially after D.C. overhauled the blue line by trading for Jakob Chychrun and signing Matt Roy.
“I understood I probably wouldn’t play much... I had a strong finish to the season, and they told me, ‘Next year, be ready to play.' Then they (acquired) Chychrun. How do you take that? I still don’t know,” Alexeyev said.
Alexeyev spent the majority of last season in the press box and appeared in just eight games, and ultimately got a chance to play more in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs when Martin Fehervary went down with injury.
Ultimately, though, he couldn't become a staple on D.C.'s blue line, and it was time to move on, so after hitting free agency, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who guaranteed ice time.
"Given how little I played, I’m actually glad it worked out this way,” Alexeyev said, later adding, "It is what it is. I'm grateful to Washington and looking forward to next season in Pittsburgh."
