Capitals' Alex Ovechkin could be available in next summer's NHL expansion draft

Expansion drafts are fascinating thought experiments, even if they're a lot harder for the existing teams in reality.Like for the Washington Capitals, who could have a tough decision to make next summer with Alex Ovechkin if the NHL decides to add a 33rd team.Rules can differ slightly, but expansion drafts in general have a team protect a certain amount of players from selection by a new team. Others are left exposed to being taken.The Athletic's Shayna Goldman suggests in a new article that Ovechkin could actually be one of the unprotected Caps next summer.It's actually not as shocking as it seems. Multiple factors would be working against Ovi actually being picked."Sure, the Capitals could have protected Alex Ovechkin for the optics," Goldman writes. "But let’s be a little more strategic