The Capitals will have a slightly altered lineup face the Calgary Flames after dropping their first game of the season 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Defenseman Alex Alexeyev will suit up for the team Monday night in his first game of the season, playing across from Nick Jensen.
Alexeyev will swap in for Lucas Johansen, who skated with Jensen in the Caps’ home opener on Friday. When discussing the switch, head coach Spencer Carbery emphasized that the move was meant as a chance for Alexeyev, not a permanent demotion for Johansen.
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“I thought [Johansen] was fine the other night,” Carbery said Monday morning. “This isn’t a necessary decision based on Lucas struggling the other night or lack of production from him. Just, lost the game, I feel like giving an opportunity to Al to get into the lineup.
“For him, talked about it before, just being reliable. Being smart with his touches. Defending well. Move pucks when he has to. When he’s got options, find them. When he doesn’t, advance pucks. And use his skating when he can offensively, whether that’s joining the rush on the breakout or activating in the offensive zone.”
Several of the Capitals’ young defenseman have been in contention for a lineup spot after Joel Edmundson fractured his hand early in training camp. Originally, that search for a replacement also included Hardy Häman Aktell and Vincent Iorio, both later sent down to the Hershey Bears. With both Alexeyev and Johansen still on the roster, Carbery has the opportunity to continue evaluating both players at the start of the season.
Alexeyev played only 32 games in his rookie season with the Capitals, missing significant time both due to injury and as a healthy scratch. After receiving more consistent playing time later in the season, he signed a two-year extension in May worth $825,000 per year.
Johansen, meanwhile, suited up Opening Night after making the team out of training camp for the first time in his career. He spent the last six seasons in the AHL, recording six points (2g, 4a) in 20 playoff games this spring on the road to the Hershey Bears’ Calder Cup victory. Along with Beck Malenstyn, Connor McMichael, and Aliaksei Protas, Johansen made a brief return to Hershey on Saturday to watch the team’s banner-raising ceremony and receive his championship ring.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
