Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin in No Rush to Decide Future

There's a million dollar question facing the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin and the entire NHL as the 2025-2026 season rapidly nears.

May 10, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

Is this the final NHL season of Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s career?

That’s the million dollar question facing the Capitals, Ovechkin and the entire NHL as the 2025-2026 season rapidly nears. The Caps opened their training camp hoping to follow up their 111-point season with even more success for their 40-year-old captain. Ovi has already set the record for most goals scored in NHL history and he’s entering the final year of his current contract. It makes sense that he may choose to go back to Russia to play or hang up his skates altogether, but the ever-competitive Ovechkin isn’t ready to declare this his final year in the NHL.

“I don’t know. Do you know?” He said to reporters when asked if this was his final season in the league. “I don’t know if this is going to be the last or if (not). We’ll see.”

The Capitals are giving Ovechkin all the time he needs to make this decision. The team’s general manager, Chris Patrick, said earlier this offseason that they would let their captain lead that discussion on his timeline and they remain intent on following through on that plan.

Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) celebrates with defenseman Matt Roy (3) and left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

In the meantime, Ovi and the Capitals have one goal in common: winning another Stanley Cup. The Caps reached the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. It was a step forward for the organization, which hadn’t gotten out of the first round since their Stanley Cup victory in 2018.

Ovechkin views that experience as a huge asset heading into the 2025-2026 season. As he explained to reporters, those two rounds were the longest playoff stretch many of the team’s players have ever played in. Now, they have that understanding of how trying and difficult it is to capture the league’s top prize.

”I think the playoffs, playoff experience is going to help us in the long (run) because young guys they play the first time in the first round and then in the second round,” he said. “They understand how intense and how ready you have to be to take (it) to another level.”

The Capitals are also counting on Ovechkin to continue providing the elite goal scoring he has for the past 20 seasons. Last year was a historic campaign for Ovi, and it was celebrated by the entire NHL. In just 65 games, he netted 44 goals and 73 points to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.

But even as he reaches elder statesman status, his scoring touch has not wavered. He’s surpassed 31 goals in four consecutive seasons, all over the age of 35. In three of those seasons, he’s reached or surpassed 40 goals, including 50 during the 2021-2022 campaign. He may be 40 years old, but he’s still expected to post another 30-goal season in Washington.

Until a final answer is known, there will be continued speculation that Ovechkin is playing his final season in the NHL. The Caps and their captain, however, feel no rush or pressure to reveal what that answer is.

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