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  4. title => "Capitals go to the WHL again, select defenseman Alex Alexeyev with first-round pick"
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  6. article_body => "<p>The last time the Washington Capitals&nbsp;had a first-round draft pick, they selected a WHL defenseman. They did not go off script on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>With the last pick of the first round, selecting for the first time as defending Stanley Cup champions, the Capitals selected Alexander Alexeyev, a left-shooting, two-way defenseman from St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The New Guy! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ALLCAPS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ALLCAPS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CapsDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CapsDraft<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/213SDE8Bqu\">pic.twitter.com\/213SDE8Bqu<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Washington Capitals (@Capitals) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Capitals\/status\/1010359473762955264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 23, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Alexeyev,&nbsp;18, certainly boasts NHL size at 6' 4\", 196 pounds. He currently plays for Red Deer in the WHL, a junior&nbsp;league that has become a major pipeline for the Capitals. In his second season&nbsp;with Red&nbsp;Deer, he tallied 37 points in 45 games.<\/p>\n<p>The NHL Central Scouting's rankings list Alexeyev as the 22nd best North American skater of the draft. TSN projects him to be a top-four, two-way defenseman.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/alexander-alexeyev-defence-1.1088179\" target=\"_blank\">Analyst Craig Button described Alexeyev as a<\/a>&nbsp;\"Smart, effective defenceman who moves the puck, plays with a calm and doesn't make things complicated for himself.\"<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">ALL SMILES! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ALLCAPS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ALLCAPS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CapsDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CapsDraft<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TFbZ72vLBo\">pic.twitter.com\/TFbZ72vLBo<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Washington Capitals (@Capitals) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Capitals\/status\/1010360366294061056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 23, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI just talked to Ovi and it was awesome.\u201d \u2014 Alexander Alexeyev on his FaceTime conversation with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ovi8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ovi8<\/a> after being drafted 31st overall by the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ALLCAPS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ALLCAPS<\/a> on Friday night. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EdxGPiFkcu\">pic.twitter.com\/EdxGPiFkcu<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Tarik_ElBashir\/status\/1010375496713097217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 23, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p><em><strong>MORE CAPITALS NEWS:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Blockbuster:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/capitals-deal-philipp-grubauer-and-brooks-orpik-ahead-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Caps trade Grubauer, Orpik<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Moving on:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/now-islanders-coach-barry-trotz-explains-why-he-left-capitals\" target=\"_blank\">Trotz explains why he left the Caps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>News Reaction:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/capitals-stars-react-losing-barry-trotz-head-coach\">Ovi, Backstrom talk Trotz<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Schedule News<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/washington-capitals-release-full-2018-19-season-schedule\" target=\"_blank\">Caps' full regular season schedule released<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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Capitals

Capitals

The last time the Washington Capitals had a first-round draft pick, they selected a WHL defenseman. They did not go off script on Friday.

With the last pick of the first round, selecting for the first time as defending Stanley Cup champions, the Capitals selected Alexander Alexeyev, a left-shooting, two-way defenseman from St. Petersburg.

Alexeyev, 18, certainly boasts NHL size at 6' 4", 196 pounds. He currently plays for Red Deer in the WHL, a junior league that has become a major pipeline for the Capitals. In his second season with Red Deer, he tallied 37 points in 45 games.

The NHL Central Scouting's rankings list Alexeyev as the 22nd best North American skater of the draft. TSN projects him to be a top-four, two-way defenseman.

Analyst Craig Button described Alexeyev as a "Smart, effective defenceman who moves the puck, plays with a calm and doesn't make things complicated for himself."

MORE CAPITALS NEWS: