Photo: Amanda Bowen
When the Washington Capitals selected Alex Ovechkin first overall in 2004, they received a generational player, one that was supposed to lift them out of depths of the league and win them the Stanley Cup that has eluded them throughout their 40-year history. Eleven years later, the Caps have still not won a Stanley Cup. Despite his nearly point per game pace in the postseason, much of the blame has been shouldered on Ovechkin, the captain and face of the team. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who stood on the draft stage with Ovechkin back at RBC Center, however, defended his star player.
“I feel I haven’t met my commitment to him, that we would build a team that would be able to win Stanley Cups,” Leonsis said. “We’re in it together.”
“He knows we’re committed,” Leonsis continued. “He can sense it and see it. He sees how much we invest. He knows how much we spend. He knows how hard we’re trying.”
While Ovechkin once again led the league in scoring with 53 goals in 2014-15, he will be 30 years old in September. Even specialized for the power play, Ovechkin’s production will start to tail off. Leonsis, however, insisted the Caps can still win a Cup with Ovechkin in the foreseeable future, especially with the additions of Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie.
“I felt the window to win with him was 10 years old,” the owner said. “He’s a fantastic player. All of you in this room, don’t take Alex Ovechkin for granted. I think that happens sometimes. You see him all the time and there’s this repetitiveness about his greatness. … This is the best player in the league. He’s been that for the last 10 year and the consistency that he has brought is really historical.”
“It’s so close,” Leonsis concluded. “The difference between winning and losing is just so small, so I do not think our window as an organization is closing. I think we’ve improved as a team and I’m hoping, like all 29 other owners, that this is the year.”
