Eliminated Capitals expect Alex Ovechkin to return in '25-26 - ESPN

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery expects captain Alex Ovechkin, who will turn 40 in September, to be back with the team for his 21st NHL season.

«My understanding is he's under contract, so he'll be back next year,» the coach said after the Capitals' 3-1 loss Thursday night in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes, which eliminated Washington from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ovechkin is signed through the 2025-26 season with a $9.5 million cap hit.

«I thought 'O' was great in playoffs,» Carbery said. «I know this series, the stats won't be flattering.»

Ovechkin's regular season saw him score 44 goals in 65 games while breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL record with his 895th career tally. His postseason ended with a whimper: Ovechkin scored just once in five games against Carolina, on a 5-on-3 power play in their Game 4 loss in Raleigh. Ovechkin generated 14 shots in the series. He was a minus-3 overall, including a minus-2 in their elimination game loss to Carolina.

«Yeah, it's tough, obviously. We have a special group, but obviously we have our chances and we don't execute,» Ovechkin said after Game 5. «Maybe luck was not our side, because I don't think we played bad hockey.»

Overall in the playoffs, Ovechkin had five goals and an assist in 10 games, with all but one goal coming in their five-game, first-round series win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Carbery had high praise for the way Ovechkin rebounded from his playoff performance against the New York Rangers last season, when he went scoreless and had five shots on goal in their series sweep loss.

«He was upset with the way that the playoffs went,» Carbery said. «How did this team do so well [this season]? How did they win the East? He's