Some of the NHL's brightest young stars, including top overall pick in this year's draft,

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, as well as the Caps top pick in 2018.

Alex Alexev were all at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex, part of the NHL rookie showcases.

They got their pictures taken for their very first ever upper deck

hockey cards a cool day and we were there with them i'm rob carlin the capitals talk

podcast starts now capitals are very proud to select from the red deer rebels getting

alexander alexio mentioned defenseman. And a Russian defenseman at that. So, you know, they support the Russian players so well. They're patient with them. We saw that with who's nets off. We saw that with Dimitri Orlov. And now a defenseman that handles the puck really well. What's up, Caps fans?

It is time for another edition of the Capitals Talk podcast, and we interrupt the previews of the Atlantic Division teams.

Because this cool event came to the Arlington practice complex where the NHL brought their rookie showcase, which has been done, I think, pretty much exclusively in Toronto over the years, which makes sense.

But all the best young players, including Jack Hughes, including Alex Alexev, some of the guys who were going to carry the mantle of the NHL into the future were all on hand, getting their pictures taken, getting videos done. It was pretty cool to see them all in one place together and actually in the future, we're all on hand, getting their pictures taken, getting videos done.

It was pretty cool to see them all in one place together and actually in uniform and out on

the ice. And we got to spend some time with some of the players, which includes Alex Alex

Alexev. And this is an interesting prospect for the Caps because if you look at him, if you just look at him out of uniform, he looks like a kid.

Probably because I'm becoming an old man quickly, but he looks young.

But once he puts the uniform on and the skates on and steps out onto the ice, that's a big dude with physical tools. He has to get used to the physical game

of the NHL, and he'll admit that in the interview that will air here in just a second. That's part

of the maturing process is getting accustomed to the physical play, the physical style here,

because he didn't have to deal with that in juniors. He's going to have to deal with it here.

And he's also never played more than 49 games at the juniors because he has dealt with a number

of injuries over the years at Red Deer. He also dealt with the loss of his mother, which is

shocking and sudden and something, quite frankly, I couldn't imagine

because I'm lucky enough that both of my parents are healthy and well in their 80s, and I

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