Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, has not yet made a final decision about his future. However, Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick has now revealed that the Capitals still have room for Ovechkin on their roster next season.
With 929 goals, Alexander Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. He has spent all 21 of his NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin’s contract expired at the end of the 2025-2026 season, in which the Capitals failed to make the playoffs.
Active off-season
After appearing in 1,573 games for the Capitals, Ovechkin wants to see the team improve its roster enough to become a legitimate playoff contender again before making a decision about his future. Consequently, the Capitals have been very active this offseason. Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, Jonny Brodzinski, Justin Holl and Vincent Desharnais have all been added to the roster.
Alexander Ovechkin’s future
As a result, some analysts have suggested that the Capitals are preparing for a future without Alexander Ovechkin. However, general manager Chris Patrick believes otherwise.
“I think we can do something that would work for Alex based on conversations we had with him prior to him leaving. There are ways to get him the money that he needs because of his age and the kind of contracts you can do. There are enough levers for us to pull. I think that we can do something that would work for him,” Patrick told ESPN.
Have not spoken yet
Although Patrick has not yet spoken with Ovechkin since the Capitals completed their offseason moves, he believes the time is right to have that conversation.
“Now, I’m in a spot where I can give him a call here in the near future and we can talk. We’ve done the big moves for the NHL club. We can talk about where we’re at and where his head’s at and if he does come back, what the contract looks like. So, I’m hoping we can have those conversations in the near future,” Patrick said.
For now, all eyes are on whether Ovechkin decides to return for another NHL season. Time will tell.
