Alex Ovechkin is playing on the last year of his current contract, but is he also playing in his last year in the NHL?
The Washington Capitals captain and the league’s all-time leading goal scorer says he isn’t sure yet.
“No, I don’t know yet,” Ovechkin told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. “We have to make a decision. We have to talk with the family, with [Capitals owner] Ted [Leonsis], [general manager Chris Patrick], and then we’ll see.”
The Moscow native is in his 21st NHL season and the final year of a five-year, $47.5 million deal. He has 22 goals and 24 assists in 59 games played, taking his all-time goals total to 919. Ovechkin tells Gulitti that he “probably” won’t make a final decision in-season.
Ovechkin’s goal-scoring form has not been consistent this season, experiencing long droughts. He headed into the Olympic break with only two goals in his past 13 contests and five straight without a goal. He hopes the break will rejuvenate not only himself, but the rest of the Caps.
“It’s not about me,” Ovechkin said. “You can see everybody was maybe a little struggling because last year, we scored like five, six goals in a game and it was easy. Right now, it’s a kind of a [struggle] to find a way to find the net and I hope this break is going to help us, and now we’re going to play much better.”
With 23 games to play, the Caps find themselves on the outside looking in in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. On 65 points, the Caps trail the final Metropolitan Division postseason spot and the second wild card by four points. Ovechkin knows his team’s margin for error is slim.
“We’re going to have to win almost every game to make the playoffs,” Ovechkin said.
The Caps return from the break on Wednesday when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
